DREAMS COME TRUE. SANTORINI. Part 3: SKAROS, RED BEACH AND EXCURSION TO THE VOLCANO.
Continued. Start here.
Beautiful sunset
On one of the days of our stay in Santorini, after lunch clouds came running.
Imerovigli
By the way, it must be said that Greek weather forecasters predicted rain every day for a week, which never happened. And then they stopped giving a forecast for Santorini in general (deleted from the listJ) Taking advantage of cloudy weather,
Imerovigli
we decided to take a closer look at Imerovigli
Imerovigli
and at the same time, visit the Skaros rock that protrudes into the sea.
Skaros Rock
— It had a fortress to protect against pirates
Remains of the fortress
and more than 200 residential buildings. The nobility of Santorini also lived here.
On Skaros. Remains of residential buildings
But as a result of frequent earthquakes, Skaros was significantly reduced in size, the walls of the fortress collapsed, and in the 18th century people were forced to leave this place completely.
The road to the rock is not dangerous and quite passable. However, good physical preparation does not hurt here. Lots of steps down, then up. Below, at the foot, on the very “nose” of the rock, protruding into the sea, a small church was built. Beautiful view and a great place for photo shoots.
Church on the nose of Skaros rock
It was from the rock of Skaros that we were able to get a good view of the caldera. How layered these high edges are! What multi-colored rocks were put forward by the force of the explosion from the bowels of the earth! And how people tried to decorate it all with white houses that look like icing on a cake!
View from Skaros to Imerovigli
Sunset on the Caldera
and we met another beautiful sunset already in Firostefani.
Sunset in Firostefani
The next item on our must-see list was a visit to Red Beach.
Red Beach
The first bus at 8.45 we went to Akrotiri on Red Beach. The fare is 2 euros per person one way. You don’t really travel around the beaches if you don’t live within walking distance from them! People, like us, who want to be among the first to get to Red Beach, should take into account that in the morning the red rock is still all in the shade.
Red Beach at 9 am
And only after 11 am it is illuminated by the sun, and the beach takes on its unforgettable look.
Red Beach at 11 am
In the meantime, the rock is in the shade,
The rock is still in the shade, but you can still see that it is red
We walked along the shore and settled down on the most ordinary, unremarkable piece of shore.
Not a postcard view of the Red Beach
The bay turned out to be windless, but another problem appeared: small biting flies began to bite! Between the wind and the flies, I would choose the wind!
As it turned out, entry into the water is the same as on our Monolithos - large pebbles and stones (only of a different color), besides, it is shallow and slippery. True, there were no waves here, and we still managed to swim in half with grief.
A wide mountain path leads to the beach, it is fenced with railings, sometimes with ropes, it is well passable, elderly people and pregnant women easily descended along it.
From the beach you can take a boat, for 5 euros per person, to swim to the White Beach and Black Beach. We didn't swim. Judging by the reviews, on the White one you need to land almost chest-deep in the water with all your belongings, and we have the Black Beach every day.
Yes, and the first boat approached the shore by 12 o'clock, when we were already leaving.
Road to the Red Beach
On the way back, when boarding the bus, a strict female conductor felt the men's beach shorts, causing her doubts about their dryness. So, men, keep in mind that you will not be allowed on the bus in wet shorts.
Church on the way to the Red Beach
On the way to the bus from the beach, you will not be hungry - there are cafes and taverns, many offers to drink and eat, and they sell fruits.
The last obligatory point of our program was an excursion to the island of Nea Kameni, in the very heart of the volcano.
Seagulls over the caldera
Honestly, this is my biggest disappointment! No, not from the volcano, but from the organization of the excursion.
We really wanted to get to the volcano, in the very center of the caldera. We postponed this trip for the last days of the vacation, for fear of getting sunburnt.
And now, three days before the end of the vacation, they finally decided.
Excursions are held from the old port of Fira 2 times a day: at 11 am and at 2 pm.
Decorators
This time was chosen because the tour is designed mainly for many tourists who are brought by ferries,
This is what the streets of Fira look like when ferries with tourists arrive
and who should have time to get back to their ferries.
Firostefani, ferries in the roadstead
Both of these times are very hot, so I will say that you need closed clothes, sunscreen and, of course, a hat.
The excursion was bought in Fira, in the city, at the travel agency Dakautros Travel.
The travel agency that bought the excursion to the volcano
You can buy in any other agency, and right in the old port. As far as we have seen, the prices are the same.
The agency has 3 types of excursions to the volcano: just a volcano for 18 euros, a volcano + hot springs - 20 euros, a volcano, hot springs and the island of Thirassia - 27 euros. We took an excursion to the volcano + bathing in hot springs.
We were instructed at the agency: the schooner is sailing from the old port of Fira,
Old Port of Fira
which you can go down on foot in 25 minutes, or by cable car called Teleferik, for 6 euros.
Teleferik ropeway is visible
After visiting the volcano, the "pirate" schooner sails to a neighboring island, where we will be transported by boats to a river with a high iron content, which flows out of the volcano and is 8 degrees warmer than the sea, and this will be swimming in hot springs.
A river with a high iron content flows into the sea
We have prepared swimwear.
*
Road to the Old Port of Fira
This is exactly the same road along which tourists are transported on the famous Santorini donkeys. The cost of descent or ascent on "donkeys" is 5 euros per person (the Chinese rode). In fact, it turned out that these were not donkeys, but mules.
They are about the size of a large horse, many are muzzled (probably of a tough temper).
Donkey road to the old port of Fira
When you walk, it is difficult to squeeze between them, while donkey (horse? ) backsides will be just at the level of your face.
You have to go carefully, because the stones are worn, slippery, besides, the whole staircase is covered in donkey excrement. The worst thing is to slip and drive into them with your clothes, face and photographic equipment.
Of course, in the morning they wash the stairs with a hose, but by two o'clock the donkeys are already pretty piled up, the smell is suffocating, and you still have to manage to get around the heaps with puddles, somehow taxiing between the two lanes of the "donkeys". In general, the descent is quite extreme.
On the way back, we have already chosen Teleferik (cable car) for the ascent.
Ropeway
— First of all, a disabled person in a wheelchair and an elderly German woman with a plastered leg were helped to get on the schooner. Europe!
Swim for 15 minutes. Then the whole company unloaded for a long time from 2 decks and from the wardroom, passed through the turnstiles, where everyone is charged an environmental fee of 2.5 euros.
Pier of Nea Kameni island, climbing the volcano begins from here
The shore of the island is framed by large black rocks of solidified lava, similar to petrified resin.
Nea Kameni volcano lava flowers
But don't expect to see a fiery crater in the center of the island.
This is what the top of the volcano looks like now
The usual gray hills, only the ground at the top is really hot.
The guide, nervous and excited, rushed to the top of the volcano, we followed her, flew in 15 minutes "in the soap".
The road to the volcano
Many did not make it. It was exactly 15:00. Before reaching the top, she showed us how hot the earth was there by digging it with some kind of stone. We raised our hands - indeed, the heat, like from a frying pan. There was a smell of sulfur. It is very interesting and I wanted to wander there.
Fira is visible from the volcano, where we sailed from
The guide showed us how to go to the top and said that she was waiting for us below at the pier at 15.00. She was clearly at odds with the times. Then the people were indignant: it was already 15.00 on the clock, and we had not even reached the top yet. The guide sighed and gave up, we rushed up again. Having reached the top, we had at most 5 minutes to take pictures. And there was something to photograph! It turns out that in this incredible heat, immortelle grows on this red-hot soil!
The immortelle survived even here. Justified its name.
At the same gallop, barely keeping the guide in sight, the group rushed down to the schooner.
And again, everyone sat down for a long time. May 31, the heat is crazy! We barely squeezed onto the upper deck, but the sun bakes just mercilessly. Finally, having loaded the schooner, we moved on.
The next point of our program was bathing in the springs. The schooner somehow imperceptibly approached the island, no one announced anything, and here we see that from the starboard side people just jump into the sea and swim somewhere. It turned out that no one was going to give us any boats. They gave foam tubes so as not to drown, and swim wherever you want.
Bathing in hot springs looks like this
There is nowhere to change clothes either. In place of the guide, I would have expelled those sitting out of the wardroom, and turned it into a dressing room, for women (at least). There are a lot of people on the schooner, you tightly rest against the shoulder of a neighbor, there are no nooks and crannies. This is some kind of striptease!
We did not change clothes and did not swim. Then the wet "rusty" citizens shivered in the wind as the schooner returned to port.
The new port of Fira. What a beautiful color the Ionian Sea is!
Why such a hurry? Why not provide tourists with true information about the trip? I think it's just a scam! The greed of sellers of excursions. I would only take a tour of the volcano. We would have saved 4 euros and, perhaps, we would have had more time on the volcano itself. And so the majority had to wait for the minority to buy up.
The remaining few days, we lived in our usual schedule.
Sunset in Firostefani
On the day of departure
Evening Fira
we said goodbye to Andreas and his mother Anna, hugged goodbye their Labrador Oliver, whom we had already become attached to,
Master's Labrador Oliver
paid for our stay
Restaurant with sunset view
and walked to the airport.
Evening promenade
We must say that we liked the apartments. Sterile cleanliness: cleaning every day and changing sheets and towels every day!
Anna Pension Territory
The kitchen has everything you need, including a corkscrew and an opener. The room has an excellent bathroom. There is air conditioning and TV. True, not a single Russian channel, but this is even better. Free WiFi in the room. The area is full of flowers. There is a swimming pool. The only thing we personally lacked was our own balcony or terrace. And most importantly, people are very friendly and helpful! In parting, Andreas gave us 2 cups with views of Santorini. It was very nice!
And someone is sleeping right on the promenade
Is two weeks in Santorini a lot or a little?
Imerovigli
I would say enough. The sea and the sun, probably, can never get bored. And the beauty of the caldera will now remain in our hearts forever.
