Santorini, Greece

We visited the iconic Santorini on a Norwegian Cruise in July 2024. We wanted to make the most of our limited time on the island so we opted for the Ultimate Santorini excursion. We tendered from the ship and met our guide, Alexandra, and boarded a comfortable bus that took us to our first stop of the day.

It was hard to wrap our heads around just how long ago the civilization in Akrotiri originated, in the fifth millennium, around 5000 BCE. The Akrotiri archaeological excavation site was fascinating. It is thought that around 1620-1520 BCE there was a major volcanic event that buried this settlement in ash. The homes, buildings, objects, pottery, and artwork are incredibly preserved. Unlike Pompeii, no human remains were found.

Then we drove to Oai. I loved the windmills, animals, buildings, an countryside along the way. Oai did not disappoint! The postcard-like town is spectacular with whitewashed buildings and blue domes that match the water in the caldera it overlooks. We had a nice lunch of chicken and potatoes with Greek yogurt dessert and an incredible view. The only downside of the beautiful Santorini is that it draws so many tourists from all over the world. It did feel very crowded during the day as there were several other ships in the same port. If we go back, I'd like to stay on the island to enjoy more time before and after the tourists are there.

We ended the day in Fira, the capital of Santorini. Options to get down to the port included riding a mule, walking down 600 steps (covered in mule poop), or taking the cable car. We had heard horror stories about long lines and missing our ship's departure but we chose the gondola-like cable car ride and it was very nice. The line wasn't bad and the 5 minute ride down was scenic and smooth. The best part of the day was watching the sunset then seeing all the white lights of Santorini turn on in the distance from our ship.