ATV Ridin' Through Santorini

Sunrise from our room

Our next day in Santorini was a free day, to go where the wind blew us. At the recommendation of the hotel staff, we started it by waking up at 5:30 in the morning to eat breakfast and watch the sunrise from our hotel patio. To have that kind of luxury of just stepping outside your door for breakfast, was something we had to take a moment and just let sink in. So beautiful.

Cruising on our ride

After the sunrise, we got a couple more hours of sleep and then went to town where we had reserved an ATV for the day. We thought this would be such a great way to drive around and see the island - and the weather was beautiful for it! Leading up to the trip, I kept checking the weather and was disappointed when it said it would be in the 60s......well, my naivete definitely getting me on that one. 60s in Santorini is what you want! Now I know why you see so much white clothing in Greece, because it is hot and humid! But a sunny day and just what we had hoped for.



From Oia, we drove south for about 30 minutes aiming for the Black Beach. Before getting there, we hit the neighborhood of Vothonas and stopped at the Wine Museum, where we wanted to do a tasting. What we didn't realize with this stop, was all of the wine history that came with it. The museum is actually a cave underground and for 10 euros, you get to go through the museum and four wine tastings. It didn't feel as if the museum was negotiable since that's where you start, and they don't give you wine until you're done.

The museum tour was pretty neat - you learned all about the history of Santorini wine and how it's different from other wine regions. For example, grape vines in Santorini get rolled up on the hill so the grapes can be protected from the wind. While the tour was a different experience, I would have to sum it up by saying it was also a creepy one. The mannequins that were used were a bit odd looking and to be honest, if I were on this tour as a kid, I probably would have been scared! After the tour, we turned in our audio guides in exchange for our wine. Besides white wine, Vinsanto is a wine that you will see quite a bit throughout Greece, a dessert wine. Gotta say guys, all of the wine at this stop was not our cup of tea, especially the Vinsanto. Nevertheless, it was a unique place to check out!

From the Wine Museum, we finished our journey to the Black Beach. Here we found a great restaurant on the beach to enjoy some lunch and the views of the water. The Black Beach got it's name because of the color of the sand. The sand was turned black due to the volcanic rock. After lunch we took a very quick walk on the beach. Very quick, because the sand was HOT! Between the weather and the color of the sand, it heats up quickly. We strolled along the beach a bit more, bought some souvenirs and then headed back to the ATV.

Our next stop was Santo Wines - a must see on your list! The biggest winery on the island, and the most incredible views. This place has a beautiful patio that keeps going and going and going, with no spot having a bad view of the island. At Santo, you can order a wine tasting for either 6, 10 or 16 glasses. We went with the 10, which was big enough to share between the two of us. And then of course, we bought a couple of bottles to bring home. At Santo, come for the wine, stay for the views.

By this point, we were slowly making our way back north and stopped in the town of Fira, the capital of Santorini. Here we needed to pick up our ferry tickets for the next day, but we also wandered the streets. Fira has the most nightlife and activity - in part because of it's central location, but also because the cruise ships dock here. While walking the streets, we saw a spot where you can get a fish pedicure, yup you read that right, so we had to try it. We washed our feet off, then slowly dropped them into a tank with these tiny fish. I'm not even sure the name of them, but they slowly eat at your feet for 15 minutes. Sounds gross, I know, but it was actually really neat. It sort of felt like a small vibration on your foot and they felt very nice and smooth afterward!

From here, we were slowly making our way back to Oia, but we had time for one more winery stop. We saw a sign driving out earlier for a place called, Domaine Sigalas so figured it was worth a stop. You had to be looking for it, because it's a bit off the beaten road so could be hard to find. But once you arrive, there is a beautiful patio and lots of great wine and snack options.

After our glass of wine, we decided to start heading back toward our hotel so we could drop off the ATV and get ready for dinner. We had made reservations in Ammoudi Bay, one of the most famous stops in Santorini, on the northernmost tip of the island. From our hotel, we walked by the Byzantine Castle from yesterday, and then began the journey down the very

steep hill to the bay. Be careful when walking on this, I was in flats, as was another woman and she still slipped and fell! This trail is so pretty because it winds back and forth giving you a beautiful view of Oia and the Bay.......however, you have to keep an eye out for all of the donkey poo. This is one of the trails that is infamous for donkeys providing rides for tourists (we never did it), and at the end of the trail there is a LOT of poo to dodge. Still a cool journey to take, as long as you're aware of that. :)

Our dinner table

We enjoyed our dinner at Ammoudi Tavern, right on the water. Literally, my chair could have fallen in. And following dinner we still had time to see the gorgeous sunset. We chose to walk around the edge of the bay to the road. From here, we could slowly walk up the road and get a 100% unobstructed view of the sunset. Just stunning. Here's our tip for next time: The ATV companies don't care how long you keep the vehicle (lesson learned), so drive the ATV around to this road, bring yourself some wine and even some food, and just sit and enjoy it. Plus, then you have a ride back to your hotel.

After our walk back to the hotel, soaking in the beauty of the city, we were sad to say we were going to have to leave. We still had some time left in the evening, so we grabbed a bottle of prosecco and hit our hotel hot tub. Gotta say, that's a pretty incredible way to end our trip to heaven on earth......