The surprise detour is Santorini Greece!!! Ta-da!
I really wanted to go somewhere warm before heading home. I needed to rest from my vacation. My goal was to lie on a beach, finish my book, and get a tan. I did not finish my book but I had an amazing time!
I stayed at Caveland Hostel which was the most amazing place! Beautiful outdoor sitting areas, a pool, a yoga terrace, colour flowers and plants everywhere, great staff, and awesome guests! Breakfast was included with our stay so I got to eat Greek yogurt and honey every morning! I was in heaven!
On my first day, I arrived and was able to check in early which was good because I was a sweaty mess from walking from the First bus stop to my hostel mid-day in the sun! Once I showered I headed back to Fira in search of a hat! I found a cute paper straw hat which I love as my momento for my time in Greece. I walked around Fira and hiked Skaros Rock. I got to a point on the hike where I sat in the shade and looking out to the blue sky and blue ocean, the noise from the town had quieted down so all I could hear was the wind and I cried. Happy tears of course! I was just in awe that I was in Greece! This was where my life took me and I felt empowered and overwhelmed by the amazing things I get to do or pushed myself to do.
That same night the whole hostel was headed out for a Greek dinner at one of the local taverns. I signed up because I was going to be at the hostel for a week and it was a great way to meet people. At this point in my travel, I felt very comfortable just doing things around hostels. I think that is part to do with the people at the hostel too! Everyone was nice and so welcoming and lots of Canadians so I always feel a little bit at home when I have nice Canadians around! We all went out to the bars afterwards and had a fun night of drinking and dancing!
The next day wasn’t too bad, I didn’t feel super hungover. It’s always when I first wake up that things are rough but once I’ve washed my face and done my skincare routine I find myself a little more fresh and ready for my coffee and Advil. I decided to make my second day a pool day to really dive into the relaxation spirit. I pretty much had the whole pool to myself. I packed it in once it started to get overcast and went out for dinner for my first Greek Gyros. So good! I think every other meal that wasn’t breakfast or the odd dinner was a Gyros! Came back to the hostel and played some card games with people when I got back and then had a relatively early night!
The next day was cool in the morning so I went to Kamari, a local beach town, in jeans and a T-shirt and instantly regretted it! Should’ve just committed to going in my swimsuit so I didn’t have to bus back and forth between my hostel and Kamari. I lay out on the black sand beach and got to read my book, but the sun ducked behind the mountain there so it got a little chilly. No swimming that day for me!
The days started to take a turn. It was a cold day on the Friday. Me and a group from my hostel went to the Archeology Museum. If you go be aware that there is a downstairs with frescos. We were not aware it was there and left. Later just me and one other girl from that group ventured to the red beach and the archeology site. The site is said to be older than Pompeii and be a 7-magnitude eruption vs. Pompeii was a 5 on the VEI scale. The entire archeology site is covered by a climatic shelter. There are boardwalks to allow you to walk through the town and plaques along the way to tell you what’s what. Maggie, the girl I was with, bought the Akrotiri book from the gift shop so we had extra insight into the sites information.
To me, the part that was hard to wrap my head around is that these people were just living their lives. They made nice sizeable houses, pottery, jewelry, and paintings, they probably had their struggles to deal with but their lifetime isn’t that much different from ours. It is crazy what people leave behind and even crazier that we dig through the earth to find it and try to make sense of it all. Any stone they turned over had to be kept because they didn’t know if there was significance about the rocks. They built squares and markets and windows! They used wood, brick and cement. It just baffles my mind so I don’t know if I did a good job of explaining it.
That evening I called my mom outside. I needed to “recharge my personality”. I was able to witness a Santorini lightning storm. I think it was the same night that Canada experienced the northern lights! Don’t know if they were maybe somehow related but that would be cool if they were.
The next day was another cool day, which was a perfect day for a hike! Me and two other Canadian girls hike from Fira to Oia (phonetically it’s pronounced “E-A”). That hike would’ve been nice if the sky was blue but we also weren’t scorched to death on the hike so maybe it was best that the sun wasn’t out. We walked around Oia a bit, the girls had done it earlier so we tried to walk around places they’d never been to. We shared lunch at a tasty place called Karma and we all got frozen yogurt at a place called Solo Gelato. The storefront in Oia is bigger and gives you the frozen yogurt option with the toppings so I recommend checking this place out instead of the Solo Gelato in Fira. We bussed back home and had enough time to get ready before heading out for another hostel group dinner at a different local tavern. The food was great, the conversation was fun, and we all went out afterwards with one of the staff members from the hostel. He showed us the best local bars in Santorini and one of the Canadian girls I met got to have her Mamma Mia moment dancing to ABBA in the bar!
Sunday was a bit better weather! Sunny but windy. Me and a small group of people from the hostel took a Volcano and Hot Springs boat ride. We boarded a pirate ship-looking boat to disembark on the volcano. On the way there it was really choppy and people were being sprayed with cold sea water just like if you were on Splash Mountain. At the volcano we got an introduction to the formation of the volcano, the two explosions that took place, and the story of the lost city of Atlantis. Then we hiked to the top and you could see a little bit of wispy smoke coming from the crater. It smelled like sulphur which was the telltale sign that it wasn’t just dust being blown off a rock.
After the volcano, you cruise around to the other side of the volcano and jump in the cold water to then swim to some “hot springs”. They were more like warm springs but still a really cool experience. I loved being in the ocean. Especially on the swim back, I felt comfortable with my pool noodle just floating in the ocean.
We got the boat ride back which was a little less bumpy and pulled into the Old Port. Now, you can either take the €6 cable car to the top or climb 600 steps… me and one of my friends Zack went for the stairs while everyone else took the cable car. It was long to be sure and hot, but we did it for the plot and lived to tell the tale! Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with gelato!
There is a really tasty bakery near our hostel that is open 24 hours! We stopped there to grab dinner and dessert before heading back for a shower. We ate our dinner on the yoga terrace and watched the sunset. We chatted till the stars were out and everyone got cold and then we called it a night. That was a special day! Here I was thinking I’d be relaxing every day but I’m glad I didn’t because would’ve missed out on cool experiences like that!
That was Sunday and now we roll around to Monday… my last day in Santorini AND my last day of my trip!
I went to Perissa Beach on the recommendation of a staff member and I went to Tranquilo to snag a beach lounger for the day. I got to tan, sleep, read, and swim in the ocean on repeat. It was a great final day of my trip. I didn’t finish my book like I wanted to but I got to hang out with a new friend and experience riding on an ATV instead of taking the bus! The island was SO pretty at night! So sparkly I loved every minute of it!
Back at the hostel I showered and packed a bit before enjoying one more night outside catching up with everyone and seeing how their days went. It truly was the best hostel I stayed at. Everyone was so friendly, both staff and guests. There are lots of spots to hang out in so I didn’t feel confined to my room. In the morning before breakfast on my last day, I was also able to read a bit by the pool.
I definitely got a tan and I’m definitely leaving feeling happy and content with my experience. I loved the fact I got to spend a week there. Lots of people came and went but I felt like I got to see a lot of Santorini.
Writing this currently in the Rome airport on my way back home. Because the ferries stop running at 9 pm and I arrive around 10 pm I don’t even get to sleep in my own bed tonight. I have to wait an extra day! Luckily I have an amazing friend who will let me crash at her place instead of booking a hotel!
I will do one more post to wrap up my experience of the trip as a whole. What I liked, what I didn’t like, what I would do again, etc.
Thanks for reading along, see you at the next post!
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