The Greeks are the nicest people ever. The views are insane. The food is delicious. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be.
We started early and struggled (in my case. Steep hills, hot sun, heavy pack..) from our hotel to the bus stop. Saying goodbye to Fira, but not Santorini. Instead moving North to Oia, the northern most tip of Santorini.
The views on the bus were spectacular and we really got a full understanding of the island, having now been to the very top and the very bottom. It is easy to say that the north is my favourite part.
From stepping off the bus we were immediately cast into a delightful little village. Set up for tourists but with few mingling around, it was perfect. We got shown a nice little villa by the tourist office with amazing views but not of the sunset. We had out hearts set on a sunset view, no matter what it took, so we politely declined and set out for a room with a view of the setting sun. Easier said than done.
Greece is delightful with its winding steps, haphazardly placed hotels and houses, but this makes it near impossible to find accommodation. Coupled with the fact that bookings here are sporadically done, a lot of hotels not even having receptions, meant that our task of finding a place was tricky.
Our American friends from Ios had suggested a place to us that they said was incredible and had brilliant views of the sunset so we set off to the side of the cliff we thought the sun would set on and then started asking for this place, Oia Mare. We quickly learned how to actually pronounce it (Ia Marae, not Oia Marie..) and we were told "to the left and down a few steps". So we were close, but still got horribly confused and ended up trekking up and down huge sets of steep stairs with our heavy packs in a brutal sun. Turns out a few steps means a couple of kms and we eventually found it, with zero signs to help us.
This place was insane. It was easily the best place on the island and its pool and numerous villas took up half of the cliff face, all directly facing straight into the ocean. In a word, spectacular.
We walked in, asked for a room and were met by the nicest lady, who escorted us to a wonderful villa with one of the best rooms I've ever stayed in, probably THE best. As for the view? Unprecedented. It's unexplainable. Magic. Also double what we have been previously paying! But oh so worth it.
We chatted with the lady for awhile, listening to her wonderful, funny stories, including about when The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants was filmed just down the cliff and all the cast and crew stayed at this place! Fit for a celebrity. Mamma Mia was filmed at a close by island and her eyes lit up talking about Pierce Brosnan and his limousine in her home town. Vladimir Putin's low flying helicopter rides didn't make her so happy.
We lay out in the sun and swam in the ocean, marvelling at the view. We dragged ourselves away to grab some lunch before walking 288 steps to the bottom in search of somewhere to swim and to see the jetty that Lena jumps off into the ocean in The Sisterhood film! We ended up walking all the way around the coastline with two ladies we met, all in search of some nice water to swim in. We walked past a Keep Out sign and through some pretty dodgy rock fall territory, at one stage the path had completely disappeared and we did a bit of clambering to get past. All while keeping an eye cast upwards for falling rocks! Unfortunately, in vain, as we couldn't find where to swim!
A beautiful walk, so we headed back and got chatting to some men on the way at the bottom who were renovating their restaurants for the summer period.
After the obligatory 'where are you from?' 'Are you sisters?' questions, they started telling us about the area, when The Sisterhood was filming and where they're from before showing us all around the restaurants, as well as behind where they're building a brand new mini market and clothes store. One of the guys also told us about how he brings SUP's down in the summer and goes all around the bays on them. He told us about a neat spot he goes to around the bay into a cave which has a spectacular view.
We told him we would have loved to have done that and he apologised that he doesn't have them with him, instead offering us to meet him and one of the other taverna owners, Dimitri, tomorrow afternoon where they will take us around to show us the bay and cave. We said we'd love to but we have a ferry to catch, he then told us he would drop us off at the port afterwards! This sounds crazy, but he is a genuine guy with kind eyes and a lovely smile (so they all say, right?). He even offered us a drink of water or the use of his bathroom before our mighty trek back up the steps to the village. It looks like we've found our ride to the port tomorrow! Hopefully we make it back from the Akrotori in time..
We spent the rest of the stunning afternoon in and out of the pool, playing cards, drinking the free cups of green and vanilla tea, talking to all the wonderful, friendly guests and our favourite Greek lady, who always has something exciting and funny to share as she bustles about watering plants and waving to everyone.
We grabbed a takeaway dinner and took it back to our incredible villa where we waited for the sun to set. Lined up behind us on the high walls were like minded tourists ready to capture the setting sun, but our location was definitely the best! Simply breathtaking. Watching the sun be swallowed by the ocean, illuminating the clouds with a soft, fiery tinge of red is a must. Something postcards can't recreate and photos can't capture.
Ending the night enjoying the beautiful accommodation we have, looking forward to a buffet breakfast tomorrow and our last day on this incredible island before our almost 1am ferry out and onwards to Kos, arriving before the sunrise.
I don't want to leave Greece. I have only the best of words to say about this place and most especially, it's people. Kindness exists in its truest form here.
I have no qualms in saying I'll be back. It's inevitable.
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