All of Santorini was great, but the second day on the island was my absolute favorite.

I had a hike to Oia planned, cliff jumping, and the viewing of what is supposedly the world’s best sunset.

Villa Maria Damigou includes breakfast with your booking. I assumed it was just a continental breakfast in the lobby. I went down to check it out, but they turned us away and said they’ll bring it to us on the ocean view balcony!

Breakfast was legit. There was a breakfast sandwich, Greek yogurt, fruit, sweet bread, regular bread, juice, and coffee. I was fueled and ready to take on the day!

We started out on the 6 mile hiking trail that runs between Fira and Oia (pronounced Ee’ya). After climbing the hill to Imerovigli, we took a westerly turn off the paved trail. Skaros Rock sits right above the water, but slightly below the town. There are a lot of steps leading down toward it, then you climb another hill to actually get to it. If you do a few class III moves, you can reach the top of the rock, a place most tourists seem to chicken out on doing. Being climbers, we went to the top, and had it to ourselves for a half an hour. It provided unspoiled views of the caldera and the beautiful white washed buildings.

We continued on our trek to Oia, stopping only at a wayside to get refreshments.

The final mile or two to Oia gets a little hilly. Being seasoned hikers in the high Sierra, we had no trouble with the trail. We were surprised, however, when a couple passed us going uphill. No way, we thought. They’ll tire out in a minute. But they never did. I’m very competitive, how dare they win!

Oia is gorgeous. When you think think of Santorini, odds are you visualize Oia. White buildings are constructed into the cliffside, and many resorts are unique cave houses.

It’s very touristy with countless souvenir shops, and even some high-end designer stores. It definitely had a higher-class vibe than Fira, but it wasn’t as quiet as Firostefani. That part was a little surprising – everything I had read said Oia was the quieter city.

 

After a late lunch, we headed down to Amoudi Bay. I had my eye on a cliff to jump off.

We wound our way down hundreds of stairs and through the maze of mule poo, and found ourselves at sea level. After a left turn through a few seafood restaurants and past the hanging octopi, we found ourselves on a rocky trail. We rounded the corner and quickly saw about 30 people hanging out on rocks, swimming, and jumping.

As usual, it took me a while to get in the water. It was getting close to 5 PM at this point, and it was becoming a little shady and cooler in spots.

It’s maybe a 30 yard swim to the island with the cliff jumping. I don’t know the history of the structure on the island, and I didn’t really explore. But it’s actually a cement platform, so I think it’s made to jump off of!

It’s only about 20 or 30 feet high, but it still can be intimidating when you get up there and look over the edge. It doesn’t help that the water is insanely clear, and you can see rocks in the water. It’s a trick, as the rocks are WAY underwater and you won’t reach them, but it does make you think twice!

The jump was awesome, and I took a shaky action camera video. Then the battery died. Bummer, because my second jump was steadier!  

It was getting close to sunset, so we trekked up all the stairs and setup shop somewhere with a view. It was a gorgeous sunset, but I definitely preferred the quieter view from our hotel balcony without the crowds.

We found a cute Italian restaurant off a side street called Oia Vinyart. I had a local wine from the island, and what a pleasant surprise when a traditional trio started playing live music!

After taking the bus back to Firostefani, we stopped at a small convenience store and I bought a small bottle of Ouzo for a nightcap. I hear it’s the popular Greek beverage, so I had to try it.

Not too bad! The Ouzo or the day.

TO BE CONTINUED…