Santorini is one of the most well-known Greek islands. We knew we had to go to there; but, it is not an easy place to visit with a private yacht. Anchoring is prohibited in much of the center of the group of islands or it is too deep to anchor there. And it is next to impossible to find adequate shelter on the outer edges. After much research and consultation, we decided to leave DFN in the care of our new best friend George and take the ferry to Santorini from Ios.

Santorini is unlike any place we have ever been. A little explanation/orientation might be helpful to put things in context. The Greek name for Santorini is Thira. Thira is a giant volcano. The main island of Thira and the small island of Thirasia encircle the caldera and make up what remains of the rim of the volcano. The cliffs are steep, volcanic rock. The small island in the center, Nea Kammeni, is the volcanic plug. There are hot springs on the small island. Santorini was last active in the 1950s.

This picture is taken from The Greek Waters Pilot by Rod and Lucinda Heikell. The Heikell pilots are invaluable guides when cruising anywhere in the Mediterranean.

I am not sure which is more spectacular, the views of the island when approaching by ferry or the views of the towns and the caldera from the island.

You can see from the pictures, it was cloudy and it even rained while we were there. None of that could take anything away from this special place. Since we had such a short time to visit, we hired a driver who took us from one end of the island to the other. We saw black and red beaches, the views from the highest peak and everything in between.

We are so glad to have made this quick trip away from DFN. Santorini is a spectacular place where one can see the violence and the beauty of nature side-by-side.