Island Hopping - A Boat Trip From Santorini

Keen to explore a little further afield, we booked a day trip sailing to the other islands within the caldera.

Just before 9am, we were picked up in the centre of Perissa and twenty minutes later dropped off at the port of Fira where our fellow passengers were divided up into English, Italian, Spanish & French speakers and directed to boats, elegant wooden barques, ours being named the Princess. Our party consisted mainly of Americans along with a handful of Brits, some Scandinavians, a few Eastern Europeans and a couple of Japanese. The Americans in particular were lovely, their enthusiasm and sheer joy so infectious.

Our first stop was the volcanic island of Nea Kameni (meaning new burnt island). The volcano is still considered active although its last eruption was back in 1950. It has a diameter of 2km and many vents, one of which is an active sulphur vent named George (after Greece's King George I) and is carpeted in grassy red succulents throughout the summer months. A gravel path leads to the 130m tall summit where, from here, you can walk the entire circuit of the rim.

With fifty minutes to explore Nea Kameni we had the option of walking with our guide, Anna, or going on ahead which, being fast walkers, we chose to do but waited at the summit for the rest of the group to catch up and to congratulate ourselves with a collective round of applause for making it up there. 

Those gravel pathways can be pretty treacherous underfoot and coupled with the 40°C heat, it's probably not something to attempt if you have mobility issues. You'll need a hat, decent footwear (hoorah for Tevas!) and plenty of water. For those not up to the challenge, there's shade aboard the Princess, a well stocked snack bar and some lovely views.

Back onboard and our next destination was Palea Kameni (old burnt island), as seen in the photo below. Home to the famous hot springs of Santorini, the reddish waters, containing sulphur, iron and manganese, are a balmy 30 - 35°C and are said to help relieve the aches and pains of old age (not sure if that applies to us!)

Do not attempt this if you're not a strong swimmer, warned Anna, explaining that where the Princess had docked, the water was fifty metres deep and to reach the springs involved a one hundred metre swim. For most of my life I'd been afraid of deep water but, since turning 55, my fear vanished. I declined Anna's offer of climbing down the steps with a foam noodle and leapt off the boat, to the chorus of the Americans who shouted, Jumper! Jumper! We've got a jumper!

I'd dispute the water temperature and Jon can't feel that the minerals have made much difference to his knees but that was one of the most exhilarating experiences of our lives!

When Anna mentioned that noodles were available one of our fellow passengers thought she was talking about lunch! 

It was so deliciously warm that my bikini was dry by the time the Princess had docked at our third and final destination of the day, the inhabited island of Thirassia, said to be the Santorini of fifty years ago.

Be still my beating heart! This is the Greece we fell in love with back the 1980s, no sunbeds littering up the beach and tiny tavernas with handpainted signs and menus scribbled on scraps of paper.  It also felt like the setting for Polly Samson's A Theatre for Dreamers, a wonderful coming-of-age tale set on the island of Hydra in 1960.

We had a couple of hours to spend on Thirassia and as tempting it was to climb those white steps up the the summit, instead we opted for a leisurely taverna lunch, sharing a Greek salad, pitta bread and a couple of beers before settling down on some rocks and enjoying the view.

Thirassia goes into my list of possible places to stay next time we visit Santorini (easily accessible by boat from Fira port).

With fifteen minutes to spare we splashed out on a couple of glasses of Santorini red wine before sprinting back to the Princess.

Back on board we took the scenic route back -its hard not to when you're onboard a boat in the Aegean.

And to my absolute delight, the crew turned up the speakers and blasted out a few choice sundown tunes....Jon loved it really!

What an amazing day, climbing a volcano, diving off a boat into the Aegean and chilling out on an island untouched by mass tourism! The Santorini Volcanic Islands cruise can be booked throughout the island and runs every day. Cost per person (including local pickup) is €45 - or often less with cash (cash is king in Greece!)

Thanks for reading and see you soon!