The bus picked us up in Fira at 10:45am for this all-day tour. We rode to the new port and boarded the ship with our fellow tourists, lots of couples on a romantic holiday. From the port, we headed out to Nea Kameni, the active volcano in the center of the caldera. It costs one
Euro to climb the volcano -- bring comfortable shoes. We hiked up to the top, walked around for good views, and walked back down to the boat, all in about an hour.
From Nea Kameni, we sailed to Palia Kameni and the hot springs. I jumped off the ship and into the refreshing water and swam towards the white church and rusty water. The water at the springs is warm, but take care; it will stain your swimsuit a bit, so try to clean up a bit as you swim back to the boat.
After that refreshing dip, we sailed on the Thirasia, or "Little Thira". You can stay in-port for lunch and a swim, walk up the steps to the town of Manolas, or ride donkeys up for four euros. Since my friend had never ridden a donkey, that's what we did! Always a blast, we raced up the steps and were dropped off at the top, right in front of the Panorama Restaurant. We had a lovely local lunch and a fabulous view back to Fira, where the fog clung to the cliffs and poured over the edge of the island. Of course, we had to walk back down all those steps.
From Thirasia, we sailed on to Oia, where the people staying on board for the Sunset Cruise were dropped off in the port, and we sailed on to the New Port and bussed it back to Fira in time for our own view of the sunset.
It was a great way to spend the day and see the other parts of Santorini. Remember, this trip does take all day, so don't try to plan too much before or after it. Soak in the sun and enjoy beautiful Santorini!
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