The Traveling Martens

Volcano hike, hot springs, and another sunset in Santorini

We caught a bus Thursday morning down to the small port at the base of the cliffs. The road is a narrow strip of gravel with sharp switchbacks slowly winding down the face of the cliff. At the port, we boarded a boat for the volcano! The active volcano here is a small island in the middle of the ring of cliffs and is what is leftover from the previous explosions which destroyed and sunk most of the land here. The volcano is like being on an alien planet, with hills and craters covered in sharp, black volcanic rock. We hiked an hour past several craters to the top. There is no molten lava within view, but the island is hot and you can dig just a few inches into the ground and feel hot steam escaping. There are holes in the rocks with sulferous steam coming out.

We then took the boat just a short way to a very small island with hot springs in one tiny cove. The boat had to park in the deeper water off the cove, so we put on bathing suits and jumped overboard into the Aegean Sea with the blue water between 65 and 70 degrees. Getting closer to the cove, the water turned a bright green, and finally a bright red-rusty color at the hot springs, and the water became warmer and warmer, reaching 85 degrees. Standing in the red mud in the springs, the water was a reddish color we've never seen before. We picked up the mud and spread it on our skin, turning us a bright red. In fact, our swimsuits may be permanently stained a reddish color, but it was worth it!

Next, we took the boat to Thirresia, which is a small island on the other side of the volcano from Santorini island. Only 300 people live on this island and it is a small fishing village. We ate lunch sitting at a table out on a walkway in the water. The water here is clear and the port was shallow, so we could see the fish and round stones under the water. Tiny, colorful boats float in the water and old Greek men work on repairing boats pulled up onto land. We got to enjoy some wine and a few hours on this island before heading to Oia, which is an artists village at the northern tip of Santorini island, and is famous for watching the sunset. We arrived at the port and walked the steep, narrow walkway all the way up the cliff, dodging donkeys carrying the less-adventurous up the mountain. In Oia, we scouted out the highest terrace for a three hour dinner with fresh bread, sun dried tomatos and olive tapenade, a plate full of cubes of parmesan and proscuitto, and a great pizza. Another wonderful sunset in Santorini.

posted by Mel and Stacy Marten @ 7:06 AM