Ferry and Arrival in Santorini

Our 8-hour ferry ride to Santorini started at 7:30am and was packed with people in the beginning but lightened after the first two stops. It was really nice with the amenities of a very basic cruise ship – café, restaurant, tons of different seating areas. We slept for a few hours, and it didn’t seem as bad as an 8-hour trip sounds. Pictures of our ferry & us on deck:

We got to Santorini and were in complete awe as the boat docked. We were surrounded by ridiculously blue skies, deep blue water, terraced hillsides, and the iconic white Greek architecture popping up in clusters on the cliffs. Every picture you’ve seen of Santorini is completely realistic – it really is that beautiful. A shuttle picked us up at the port and drove us up crazy winding cliffs to our hotel, a cute villa where we had a nice room overlooking the (unfortunately) non-functioning swimming pool. After walking around the town of Fira where we were staying, we realized that most bars/clubs/shops/tour guide groups are completely closed for the winter. At this point we realized there wasn’t much to do but enjoy the unbelievable views. Quick summary of the below photos: Greek fisherman at the port; partial view of the island of Santorini from the port; view from our hotel in Fira.