Santorini tour

When do you arrive? Are you staying on the island or visiting on a cruise ship? If coming by cruise ship, how many hours ashore? If you're staying on the island, where? Land tour or boat tour? Archaeology/history, wine, shopping or villages?

We arrive in Sept. on cruise ship. Docked from one to 10pm. Would like just tour of Fira, Thia, black sand beach, eat dinner and back in time to shop before boarding.

What you've written, "Fira and Thia", doesn't compute. First, there is no Thia. Second, Thira is one of the alternative names for the whole island, along with Thera, Strogili, Santorini and Kallisti, all used at different times in its history.

If you don't sign up for the ship's land tour you will be tendered ashore to a wharf below Fira. From there you can take the cable car up the cliff into the main village of Fira. **PLEASE** don't ride the poor abused donkeys up the cliff!

Once in Fira you can explore to your heart's content, and if you want to see a black sand beach take a taxi to Kamari. If you want to see the most beautiful village on the island take the taxi to Oia.

rhonda,

**PLEASE* don't ride the poor abused donkeys up the cliff!*

I'd like to strongly second that suggestion! If you decide to climb the hundreds of stairs rather than taking the cable car, you'll get some sense of what that might be like for the poor donkey doing that many times each day with a ~200 lb. weight on its back. In addition to that, you'll probably have to deal with an "odour" on your clothing all day, and will have to do laundry when you get back to the ship.

Sorry...bad choice of words. I did mean Oia and Fira. We have been to santorini a few years ago and would definitely not ride the donkeys. We actually took a tour spur of the moment tour from someone after getting off the cable car and after thinking about it will probably just do that again. Thanks for your help.

You might try contacting my friend Maria who runs Sun Marine Travel Services. She is based in Firostefani on the island and might be able to put you in touch with a local guide for a few hours. Here is her website: http://www.sunmarine.gr/site/main/index.php?chlang=2. Feel free to tell her Rosie sent you!