The Magic of Santorini: Cliffside Views, Blue Domes, and Baklava

The Magic of Santorini is post number six in our “Greek Isles Cruise and Rome Adventure” series. In this post, we take you through our time in Santorini, with visits to Pyrgos, Oia, and Fira. From hillside charm and blue-domed vistas to flaky baklava and a surprise encounter with local cats, it was a day full of unforgettable views, flavors, and moments. If you haven’t read previous posts in this series, you can catch up by going to the first post here.

The Magic of Santorini: Cliffside Views, Blue Domes, and Baklava

An unforgettable shore excursion on our Greek Isles cruise

We spotted Santorini around 10 a.m. on our second full day aboard the Odyssey of the Seas. The familiar sight of whitewashed buildings perched along the cliffs only added to the growing excitement. After so many iconic images seen online, Santorini was finally real, and right in front of us.

Since there’s no deepwater port for large ships here and the two existing ports are not large enough to accommodate them, our ship anchored offshore, and we relied on tenders to reach land. With our Santorini shore excursion scheduled for the afternoon, we spent a leisurely morning sipping coffee on the balcony, watching the tenders come and go, and enjoying the anticipation with the Aegean breeze in our faces.

Lucky for us, our ship positioned itself in such a way that we had a front row seat to view Santorini from our balcony. Thank you, Captain. We could see the Old Port of Gialos (Fira Skala) and a zigzag walkway leading up to the top of the mountain. For those who want to get some exercise, you can walk to the top. There are quite a few steps. I’ve seen it stated as 600 steps while others have indicated 588 steps. Either way, that’s a lot of steps.  If getting in a serious Stairmaster workout isn’t on your agenda, you can ride the Santorini Cable Car system to the summit (for a fee).  I imagine the view of the Aegean Sea would be nothing short of spectacular as you make your way up by foot or cable. Either way, the journey ends up in Fira.

After breakfast and a few photos of the island from afar, we eventually made our way down to the gangway and boarded our tender. Since we were taking a guided tour (of sorts), and the fact that the Old Port doesn’t have the space, let alone a road leading down to the port to accommodate buses, our tender made its way to the Athinios Ferry Port, where buses were waiting. That’s where we met our guide, Joanna, who proudly called herself “an original Greek.” As far as tour guides go, she’s one of the best. She had a ton of energy, great stories, and managed to get everyone engaged in the experience. She wore her heart and passion for Santorini on her sleeve. It was contagious. She even had our whole bus singing (or attempting) traditional songs and shouting “Yamas” and “Opa!” at random.

First Stop: Pyrgos

Our first stop was the hillside village of Pyrgos, a quiet tangle of narrow stone walkways, whitewashed homes, and the occasional, blue-domed church peeking between rooftops. After crossing the main road from the parking area, where we did have to dodge a bit of traffic, we followed Joanna into the neighborhood and began our gradual uphill climb. The cars we saw were mostly clustered along the lower street, which made sense. There’s no space to park once you’re higher up in the village. Joanna let us know this would be a quick stop, but we still paused here and there to snap photos as we made our way up. At times, I lingered a bit too long and lost sight of the group in the maze of walkways, easy to do in a whitewashed hillside village where the narrow walkways double back and stairways vanish around corners. At the top, we reached a quiet lookout with a rewarding view, and we had just enough time to enjoy it before moving on.

Near the bottom of the village, where we started, we had our first encounter with Santorini’s unofficial welcoming committee: cats. Turns out, this would be the first of several feline encounters across Santorini.

Second Stop: Oia

Next was the village that defines the postcard-perfect image of Santorini, Oia, famous for its blue domes and stunning cliffside views. Unsurprisingly, there was quite a crowd. We were guided to the spot—yes, that one from the brochures and Instagram feeds. But the long line barely moved. It turns out a few influencers were monopolizing the space, with endless photo shoots and video takes.

Rather than wait, Demi and I slid down to the viewing point, politely letting everyone know we weren’t cutting – just passing through for a peek. Although we didn’t capture the iconic blue dome shot, we did take some beautiful and memorable images of Oia’s breathtaking architecture and stunning sea views.

Mike’s Speech

On our way back up the steps, the line was longer still. Someone asked what was going on down there and why it’s taking so long for the line to move. I raised my voice a bit to get everyone’s attention and said “ok, here’s the deal,” and offered an explanation somewhat along these lines: “This is the line if you are waiting to get a view of the iconic scene, that is, the series of blue domes aligned in a row, just like you see online. What’s holding this line up is a bunch of what appear to be influencer-types taking multiple photos and videos without a care that there is a long line here. There is no order or organization to it. Now, if you don’t want to get that picture, you can step out of line and walk down there to take photos of blue domes, a bell tower, the coastline, and a host of other fine images. That’s what we did.” Over groans and other expressions of dissatisfaction, as I continued walking up the steps, quite a few got out of line and headed down to get a host of other fine images.

Mike’s Plan

Meanwhile, as I was delivering my informative speech to a somewhat interested crowd of strangers, Demi had already forged ahead in search of the public restrooms. We both knew where they were – sort of – so when I reached the top of the stairs, I confidently headed that way, assuming I’d either spot her heading back or catch up to her near the facilities. Spoiler alert: we had zero plans for how to reconnect. My strategy to “just run into her” turned out to be less of a plan and more of a hopeful suggestion to myself. I walked all the way there – nothing. Not a glimpse. Which wasn’t too shocking, given that the walkway was packed like a Santorini souvenir shop during a cruise ship drop-off. See the photo in this post for proof!

I texted her. No reply. So, I turned around and retraced my steps, channeling equal parts determination and mild panic/frustration. Panic may not be the right word here. We had to be back at the bus by a specific time, and we were running out of time. I didn’t want us to be “that couple” that held up the bus. Finally, back where we started, we found each other, both doing the exact same thing: aimlessly wandering and trying to look casual while searching.

Don’t Want to Be Late!

Getting back to the area where the buses were, yes, plural, there were dozens of buses. It took us a few minutes to find our bus. We saw a couple of other people we recognized from our bus, so we were comforted in knowing that if we were going to be late, we would be in the company of others. Getting on the bus, it was clear that we were one of the last people to board. At the time deadline, it turned out we were missing four people. The group of four was on the tour together. We waited twenty minutes past the deadline; they didn’t show up, and we left. Joanna called someone on her phone and let them know about the no-shows. I don’t know exactly what she said since she was speaking Greek. We didn’t see them for the rest of the tour. I’m guessing they made it back to the ship at some point.

Final Stop: Fira

Our last stop was Fira, and it might have been our favorite. The main walkway hugs the cliffside, offering endless panoramic views of the caldera. Just walking along the promenade, the views were incredible. We felt it was just as picturesque as Oia. The vibe was relaxed, colorful, and inviting. Small shops and restaurants lined the path, and we followed Joanna’s recommendation to eat at Mama’s House. Great food, friendly service, and some of the best baklava we’ve ever had – warm, flaky, and unforgettable. Of course, it’s entirely possible we had our baklava goggles on – everything tastes a little better when you’re sitting in the middle of Santorini.

At Mama’s, I had a Crazy Donkey beer (another recommendation by Joanna) and Demi enjoyed a glass of local red wine. The beer is labeled as an IPA, but it was nothing like the hop-heavy versions I’m used to here in the States. This one leaned more towards malty, smooth, and perfect for a hot afternoon. Demi described the wine as crisp and refreshing and that it paired nicely with the baklava and the relaxed atmosphere. Altogether, it made for one of those low-key, just-right travel moments.

As we made our way back to the bus, we were once again greeted by the island’s feline ambassadors. At first, there was one cat on a wall. Then another one popped up on the wall, followed by a third. They seemed casually curious as if they were checking out our experience. Like seasoned tour guides, they seemed to say, Glad you enjoyed it—come back soon.

With the sun beginning to dip lower, we made our way back to the port. Joanna kept us entertained the whole ride with her humor, stories, and genuine love for her island.

Final Reflections

While our Highlights of Santorini excursion felt a bit rushed, it’s hard not to feel that way when trying to take in so much in just a few hours. It was still an excellent introduction to this stunning, magical island. If we return on another Greek Isles cruise, we’ll explore Santorini differently. We’ve already discussed the possibility of returning to Santorini as a separate trip to spend more time there. For now, we’re grateful for the experience, the laughter, the views, and the baklava.

We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the magic of Santorini, from the stunning views to the sweet surprises and quiet corners. In our next post, we’ll take a short detour from island towns to focus on something that caught us off guard, something small, easy to overlook, and surprisingly important. Let’s just say what we thought it did… wasn’t quite what it actually does. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it.