The Global Slowmad

You’re not coming to Santorini for the history or the culture. You’re here for one reason and one reason only: the view.

Santorini delivers. You might even say the view is . . . wait for it . . . sublime. You’re welcome.

If you somehow are still reading, there are a few things you should be aware of before jetting off for this infamous island of villages with white buildings and blue roofs perched high on a cliff looking out at the remnants of an underwater volcano.

1. The ferry terminal is a free-for-all. I can’t speak to the cruise ship terminal, as I did not arrive by floating petri dish, but the ferry terminal is small and chaotic. It doesn’t matter what class of service you paid for. There is no priority boarding, no one there to assist you with your luggage and no respect for queue culture. If you adjust your expectations accordingly, you will be fine. Show up early, pick a good seat at a café facing the harbor and enjoy the people watching. When your ferry arrives, use whatever self-soothing tricks you can muster to remain calm and join the melee. I booked a Platinum seat with enough room for my backpack, so I thankfully did not have to venture into the luggage storage area, but I suspect it’s bad.
2. Taxis are scarce. Supposedly there are only 37 taxis on the entire island. Most people have transportation from the airport or the ports arranged through their hotel, but I found this option to be offensively expensive. Uber is a much cheaper option, but be forewarned that Uber will require you to enter all of your passport details before you can use the service on Santorini. My drivers apparently thought they were competing in an F1 qualifying round, which made the ride a bit of an adventure sport too. And don’t even think about getting behind the wheel unless you already have a parking solution and are comfortable sharing a narrow and windy road with pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, ATVs and tour buses.
3. It’s expensive. Really, really expensive. I cashed in a couple of Hilton free night certificates to stay at a luxury resort, the Canaves Oia Suites. (As if that wasn’t amazing enough, I was upgraded to a room with a large terrace and a private infinity pool.) You can save a little money by staying in the main town of Fira. It’s closer to the ports and airport, but the views are not quite as good and you’ll probably spend at least one evening trekking out to Oia to catch the famous sunset anyway.
4. It’s popular. Santorini has become a popular destination for cruise ships, as well as day trippers traveling via ferry. Even during the shoulder season, the narrow streets of Oia heading toward the “castle” and its legendary sunset views were packed with people for about an hour before and after the main event. Tip: you can avoid the worst of the sunset crowds by stopping at the reddish wall dotted with plants that extends out to your right just before you reach the castle itself. It’s the same view, and you’ll have it pretty much to yourself.
5. You just need to relax. There really isn’t anything to see or do on the island that is better than just sitting on a terrace somewhere watching the natural scenery. Find a patio with a view of the water and, ideally, the caldera. Order a drink. Enjoy.