Another port of call - Santorini

So having made Santorini, some 30 years after I originally should have gone, I thought I'd write a port review.

Santorini Panorama - 12th September 2011

You can just see the donkeys in the bottom left corner starting their perilous journey back down to sea level!

Why read my review of the Queen Victoria cruise, with some more photo's of Santorini

Now the touristy bits...

SANTORINI, also called Thera or Thira, lies to the south of the central Cyclades group of Greek islands. It is considered the hottest holiday spot in the Cyclades in more ways than one. Born in a massive volcanic eruption, fumes still rise offshore.

Santorini satisfies the up-market end of the Greek island holidays market with many luxury hotels, and cruise ships bring holiday visitors ready to gasp at the romantic sunset skies, and turn on to the island's hot nightclubs.

Spectacular is a word that applies more to Santorini than most. Visitors sailing into the flooded caldera are greeted by dizzying cliffs with dazzling white villages plastered like dollops of cream on the sky-hugging rim. An island of extraordinary contrasts, Santorini can be both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply unattractive. The sheer cliffs of red and black can feel intimidating and the black volcanic sands hold the heat. White cube houses and blue dome churches tumble attractively down the cliffsides but streets are full of expensive cafes, trendy shops and near nightmare swarms of tourists.

There are a couple of ways to get to the village, either walk or take the donkey - not my idea of a good time; use the chair lift, queues permitting or take a cruise line excursion which take you to a low lying port and so missing out on the queues or hike!

As you can see from my photo, it is a tender from the ship to the land and these are run by the locals, so no need to lower the lifeboats. Later on that day an MSC ship also came into the bay, a very busy time!

Its a lovely place, and certainly lived up to my expectations but it does get very busy and smelly with all the donkeys going up or down the paths!