Becks and the Cities

Wednesday ~ June 15th, 2022

Today we had a free day! We grabbed the delicious hotel breakfast and planned out our day’s activities. Normal (some would argue smarter) honeymooners would spend this time unwinding and recouping from wedding stresses. However, we are not normal. We decided the best use of our day would be to walk anywhere and everywhere (which is cool with me).

We decided to hike from Fira – Santorini’s capital and the biggest, busiest and most cosmopolitan city on the island – to Oia (where our hotel was located). This is a scenic, beautiful 6-mile (10 km) hike along the rim of the caldera through towns Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Oia. Let me say it again for the people in the back- SIX MILE HIKE IN WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A VOLCANIC DESERT. Okay, let’s continue.

We read that if you start in Fira and head towards Oia, the hike is mostly downhill (it was not… but also it kinda was?), so we took a taxi from our hotel to the capital. We were dropped off at Atlantis Hotel Santorini, which was close to the start of the path (that is if you can get through the crowds!). If you find yourself in the same situation someday and your intentions are to complete the entire distance during the summer months, I recommend you start as early as possible in the day (we did not 🙂). Also- bring the right attire and sunscreen (which we did!). The walking path is a variation of paved pedestrian streets, small portions on the main road, and dirt hiking trails.

How to Use This Map: Click on the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and walking route). If you click on the icons on the map, you can get more information about points of interest.

If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, and go to “Your Places” click Maps and voilà you’ll see this map on your list!

Firostefani is the second town we came across (mostly an extension of Fira). While we were in Firostefani, there is an opportunity to make a detour to see the Three Bells of Thira at Agios Theodoros (also known as the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church).

We were quite warm by the time we reached the detour towards Skaros Rock, so we didn’t end up hiking there. Instead, we went to a nearby café to grab a snack (what a view)!

We continued our walk through Imerovigli and started our path uphill to see Profitis IIias Church, which has an amazing view of the caldera.

From Profitis IIias, there’s a downhill portion of the hike. Once we reached the bottom, we had to briefly walk along the shoulder of the road. Don’t worry mom, we carefully avoided the tourists on ATVs (seriously, who allows them to drive??).

We walked along the road until we came across a snack bar. We knew there wouldn’t be many opportunities to fuel up so we each grabbed a water and lemonade (which is straight lemon juice in water- no sugar!). Pucker up!

This next part of the hike was 100% the hardest portion! It’s a steady uphill walk and it’s a rocky, dirt trail. While it’s still beautiful, I much preferred hiking through the towns on the island. When the breeze died down, we could really feel the heat on the volcanic ash. To be honest, this is where I shut down. 😂 I was hot, sweaty, had a slight headache and there was nowhere to hide from the sun. Tristan knew it was probably best to let me quietly stomp back to Oia, where we grabbed lunch. Then we went straight to the hotel to rinse off and nap. Although the hike itself wasn’t challenging, it was toasty!

After some ibuprofen and a nap, I was as good as new! We made dinner reservations at Katina Fish Tavern (since Dimitris was closed) and ate right by the water. Another gorgeous sunset!

Our ten-minute wait for a taxi back to the hotel turned into an hour long journey. To apologize for the pick up delay, our hotel sent fancy cocktails to our room and paid for our ride. How nice is that?? We sat on our balcony and tried to catch up on Stranger Things Season 2 before heading to bed.