Countless times I’ve met physically beautiful people that lose much of their sparkle once you actually get to know them. There is much more to something other than its shiny wrapper, and for me that was my experience in Santorini.
No one would deny this Greek island’s mass popularity, especially for newly weds – every idillic spot you were at had a line of brides with their grooms and camera crew filling up their wedding album. It’s a “must see” for all global trotters to this country, without pause I heard more languages spoken here than anywhere prior on my travels. It has the most exquisite sunsets, stunning sweeping landscapes, and spectacular views to rival any place on the globe. I’ve seen footage of awesome accommodations that are cut in to the hillsides, modern white washed cavernous palatial dwellings fit for royalty with their own indoor/ outdoor pools that you can swim from the foot of your bedroom in to a private cave out in to the sunset. And quite possibly if I had flown there on a private jet accompanied by a supermodel, helicoptered to and secluded in one of those with 24/7 white glove service for my stay, it could possibly be the most wonderful place on this planet for me. But I was one of the regular tourists, visiting the island with countless thousands more, as well as two cruise ships anchored in the bay.
My accommodations were a fabulous two floor apartment in Imerovigli with a spiral staircase, 
private pool, with breakfast delivered each morning when I rang for it on my outside patio deck. The property owner and his family were beyond gracious and we became fast friends, offering free room and board if I cared to return when they closed for the season November 1st in exchange for my help addressing the annual maintenance regime. And for an adventurous person like myself who loves to walk/ hike I was in the perfect location, right off the cliff path that leads to Firostefani then Fira, with a bus stop right outside the hotel main door where €3.60 ($4.25 USD) will get you to anywhere on the island.
Landing in Santorini at 6am provided the opportunity to witness the pitch dark of the sea un-peel the haze with the sunrise’s red fiery luminescence. The smaller islands which dotted the eastern coastline started to slowly come in to view, the entire Mediterranean seeming to blush as it realized the magnificence of the day.
With check-in still 8 hours away, I set out to find the foot road to Fira. Approaching the cliff walk’s edge, I was introduced to the majestic west side of the island and Amoudi Bay. Thira (Santorini) is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name, the remnant of a volcanic caldera. About 120 miles southeast of Greece’s mainland, it forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 28 sq. miles and a population of about 15k inhabitants.
The cliff walk to Fira provides stunning views, allowing access to hotels, restaurants and stores 
which are built in to the hillsides. Reaching Firostefani took about 10 minutes, a very small village crammed with all manners of accommodations and businesses to support the tourist trade. This was where I first noticed how small and unmanageable the streets could be. Because the roadways are so narrow, more than once trying to navigate the streets by foot I felt like I was part of a real-life game of Frogger.
These small streets not only are used by the locals but also the hoards of tourists renting cars, quads, dune buggies and scooters, shared with busses and trucks too. What is clearly a challenge for the island’s inhabitants to navigate themselves becomes a complete mess when countless tourists are inserted in to the mix, focused more on driving around seeking the next iPhone picture and less on what was happening on the road in front of them. Narrow two lane streets regularly pinch down to a single lane, requiring patience and good manners as each side filters through the juggernaut (two qualities most tourists are often in short supply of).
And when you consider a single cruise ship empties out some 4,000 new tourists on to the 15k who live there plus the several thousand additional tourists staying on the island already, there has to be a tipping point where the infrastructure and overall “comfortable capacity” of the island is exceeded. My last bus ride across the island definitely put the question of overcapacity to the test.
Boarding the bus in Fira, I was barely able to squeeze in between the closing bus door and the large male one step above me (think it was a man but truthfully all I saw was back pant pockets about an inch away from my nose). With every previous Greek resident I met being angelic, in hindsight I can now appreciate the short tempers and outright callousness of the ticket takers who navigated the jam packed isle of these local buses day in and day out collecting fares. With only 35 taxis on the entire island, 
it was either the local bus or hailing a transfer van (€25/ $30 USD). And with the local bus running only twice and hour, this increased the frenetic energy level of all using that transportation mode and the desperate need to pack in to the next bus regardless of the available space (or lack there of).
Back to my cliff walk…
As I continued towards Fira, the views got increasingly more exquisite. Every time I captured an amazing shot and was putting my phone back in my pocket, I found myself reaching for it again noticing something even more magnificent. And slowly the dirt path became paved and the wide-open landscape became peppered with an endless array of 
villas and hotels and storefronts and restaurants and tour/ excursion/ transportation rental shops. With the commerce and business establishments came loads of people, some 8,000 tourists debarking from the two cruise ships alone, all descending on this small island cliffside town.
Oia is another “must see” spot located on the far southern tip of Santorini. The town itself is perched on the cliff top, with a small port, Ammoudi, that can be reached by a set of 300 steps leading down. The harbor is a mystical site to see, with a cluster of restaurants along the docks framed by the water’s edge and the cliffside. It is accessible by a very steep walk or what was explained to me as a robustly scented donkey ride. Oia is where the
majority of the amazing post cards you see of this island paradise are taken, and where countless thousands of tourists congregate to watch the sky tuck in the sun at the end of every day. It’s also the place you’ll find Lolita’s and the best gelato I’ve tasted on this planet (so far – still sampling new places daily to be sure).
Reading countless articles and accounts of people’s travel to Santorini, just about every one mentioned the best part of their visit was a catamaran ride around the island. A number of different companies offer both small and large group options, 
as well as an afternoon departure or a sunset cruise. All including several stops to swim, bottomless beverages of your choosing, and a multi-course meal of many traditional dishes which is prepared on the boat. It was by far the best food I had there during my stay.
Our Captain, Nancy from Santorini Sailing, provided colorful details about the history of the island and how it was created. He spoke about the industriousness and ingenuity of the Minoan’s, the challenges they faced and what led to their ultimate demise, as well as the challenges the current day inhabitants face. “It has been discovered the Minoan’s had created batteries using citrus juice and even were able to supply hot and cold running water to every home by tapping in to the geo-thermal springs.” And he continued by suggesting, “They were so advanced as a society, the Minoan’s could probably even flush their toilet paper.” Something not currently permitted due to the septic system there.
Coming from Croatia, it was interesting to talk to one of the boat’s deck hands, Donny, who was from Serbia. I asked
him about the breaking up of Yugoslavia and the war between the three countries. I was curious if the country’s leader at the time, Slobodan Milošević, was as brutal as the media portrayed him to be. Donny tilted his head down and looking up at me smirking he said, “There are three sides to this story, and the Americans’ who backed Croatia was based on CNN.” He continued by telling me there was brutality and mass killings on all sides, and although there are many Croats who will immediately shun someone if they find out they are Serbian, “All that matters to me is the heart of a person.” How perfect at that very moment Bob Marley chimed in over the boat’s PA system with, “One Love…”
And as the sun set over the ocean to the reggae vibes and nature’s fireworks lit up the sky, my bucket list wish to visit Santorini was officially checked off. Grateful the weather continued to be perfect for my travels – and even more so that I was there in the off season – I departed with a “been there, done that” feeling. It was on to my next Greek adventure, looking forward to seeing if Crete could match the splendor and natural beauty I was just humbled with (but with a few less newlyweds and selfie sticks please).