Santorini is one of the most photographed islands in Greece. Images of its dazzling white buildings and cobalt blue domes, set along precipitous cliffs ringing the indigo sea of the old volcanic caldera, grace calendars everywhere. The reality is no less spectacular.
Thira: Classic view of the blue domes of Santorini
Santorini is a must-see of any Cyclades flotilla or bareboat sailing holiday.
Sadly, Santorini charter yachts face some challenges. Santorini basks in its fame and welcomes visitors with open arms. But provisions for the large number of bareboat yachts that want to visit are limited.
So you may have to get creative in your mooring choice and be prepared to leave someone on board if necessary.
Geologically speaking Santorini is an island that is constantly undergoing change. Originally round, the volcanic island of what is now Santorini exploded around 1650BC. The centre of the island sank beneath the waves creating a tsunami that devastated the surrounding islands of the Aegean and sweeping Crete’s fantastic Minoan culture back into the dark ages. Even today the island shudders on a regular basis, testament to its restless volcanic nature.
The island is a popular destination for cruise ships. It says something about the number of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops that the main town, Fira, soaks up the huge crowds the ships disgorge.
Santorini: Donkeys await their next passengers
After you have had your fill of the hustle and bustle of Fira, you might want to take a trip north to the delightful town of Oia. You can walk from Fira to Oia along the caldera cliff tops. Allow for at least three hours walking one way. The sunsets are spectacular from this vantage point.
There are a couple of excellent museums located in Fira; The Museum of Prehistoric Thera and the Archaeological Museum. These museums house an amazing collection of finds from the Akrotiri archaeological site and other areas around the island and are well worth their minimal entrance fees.
For something a little different take a trip to one of the black sand beaches at Perissa or Kamari and sizzle with the rest of the crowd. Beach mats are essential!
Still looking for something else to do? Take a trip to the archaeological site of Akrotiri itself. Located at the southern end of the caldera, Akrotiri has recently been reopened to the public. Walking around this prehistoric city of 30,000 inhabitants will give you a new view on what life was like in the 17th Century BCE.
Vlychada: The marina’s curved quays make mooring interesting
The easiest, and by far the best, mooring choice on Santorini is the small “marina” at Vlikadha (Vlikadha Marina VHF channel 10) at the southern end if the island.
This tiny, almost circular, fishing harbour provides the best protection on what can be a very windy and exposed island. If you are planning on visiting Santorini, ask your charter company about the current depths in the marina. Silting occurs frequently, dredging less so! (Depth was 2 metres minimum in 2014).
In any case I would recommend approaching the harbour at slow speeds and with caution. Watch out for the sunken breakwaters that branch out from either side of the bay. Also make sure you have everything prepared beforehand, including fenders and ropes, as manoeuvring room is limited once inside the inner breakwaters and it can be very busy with trip boats coming and going.
Berthing is generally alongside and be prepared to raft out if it’s busy. Power and water is included in the price of the berth but the water is non-potable. Wifi and toilets are available. From here you can visit the rest of the island by bus, taxi or hire a car or scooter. There are a couple of friendly restaurants near the marina.
Thira: View from Fira with steps leading down to Skala quay centre
Due to the nature of Santorini’s very deep main crater/bay, mooring alternatives are limited near the main town of Fira.
There are also some small buoys to the north of Skala Thira that may be available for pick up. From here you can take the funicular railway up to the town above or you can hitch a lift on a donkey/mule (5€ 2015). Alternatively you could just stick with shanks pony! If 588 steps sounds like too much hard work a bus runs from further along the quay leaving every 20 minutes at a cost of 1.60€ (2015).
In Skala Thira some yachts choose to moor in a star-like fashion around the enormous cruise ship mooring dolphins/buoys. While I applaud the ingenuity of this I would not recommend it as gusts of winds sweep down the cliffs and cause the yachts to weave about wildly and damage is more than likely to occur at some point during your stay.
At Skala Thira there is a small quay near the funicular railway. Sometimes it is possible to back on to this quay and take a line to one of the buoys in front of it. This is a swelly spot in southerlies and sometimes the port police will ask you to move on as they prefer yachts to make for Vlikadha Marina.
Skala Thira: View from Fira, with the quay just visible and Kammeni Island in the distance
Further out you can longline to the island of Nisis Nea Kammeni. There is a popular bay on the southeast side that is used by trip boats for snorkelling trips etc. This island is perhaps best known by visiting yachts for its large furry rodent inhabitants that take great delight in terrorising unsuspecting sailors both day and night. If you suffer from Musophobia this is not to the place to stop!
Monolithos is a “harbour” on the east side of the Santorini. This is really just a rough stone breakwater affair but it does provide some protection from the meltemi and the swell associated with it. Drop anchor and go stern or bows-to the breakwater. There is a taverna ashore.
Santorini has everything you would expect from a large tourist island. More restaurants than you can count, bars, cafes and all the usual range of gift shops and ordinary stores.
Even if you’re averse to your fellow tourists, it’s not to be missed. But if you can’t fit in to the marina, you might find it easier to leave your yacht in Ios and visit Santorini by ferry.