Day 1 - Arrival

Our flight arrived in Santorini at around 10pm local time. Luckily the airport is small and with the special assistance we were available to get through immigration and collect our bags quickly.

Outside there were a load of taxi drivers offering to take people to their destination. We managed to get a taxi to take us to Perissa for €35 and straight to our hotel.

I checked in and straight away went for a quick look around the local area. I could see this beautiful church lit up on the street right outside the apartment

In the evening we went for a quick explore of the local area and found a supermarket, bakery and pub where we had a few drinks.

Day 2 - Oia

I woke up excited to see the place in the daylight and went for a quick walk around the local streets. I managed to find the church that I saw during the night it looked amazing in the daylight and right next to it was the bus stop with regular busses to Fira.

I couldn't wait for Sam and Tara to get up so we could start the day's activities. On the way back to my apartment, I met this local dude who told me about the local area and how to get around and the best things to see.

Sam and Tara were ready and then we went to the seafront in Perissa and grabbed a coffee. Tara had a Greek Coffee, thinking that it would be the same as Americano. She didn't realise that it was different from Americano with all the sludge at the bottom. I loved the beach, the black sand and looking out to see at the small islands and boats. I couldn't wait to go inside the sea.

After our coffees we went to the local travel agency to book our tour of the Volcano the next day.

Next around the corner we took the bus to Fira and changed for Oia to walk around the old town.

My impressions of Oia were that it seemed very busy and claustrophobic. The streets were really narrow and lined with shops selling designer clothes and restaurants selling overpriced food. It was a real tourist trap.

we walked around Oia for a couple of hours after eating a tasty meal of Gyros which we managed to find at a reasonably priced restaurant. We found the castle and had a look at the views from there which were truly amazing the way you could see the town lining the caldera and the volcano out at sea.

Later on Sam really needed to find a local beach. She opened Google maps and managed to find somewhere near by. We walked and walked, stopping at the mini-market on the way for water and eventually found the path down to the beach, not sure at first if it led that way, but we took the risk.

When we got down there, we were greeted with a largish sized pebble beach. I loved looking at all of the different coloured stones. We walked down the beach and at the end there was an awesome graffiti of the Eye of Horus. The beach had a really bohemian atmosphere and was popular with locals.

On the way back up I was starting to feel really dehydrated. We raced back to the bus stop and took the next bus to Fira for the sunset.

Day 3 - Volcano Tour

We all had to get up early for the Volcano tour today. Tara and Sam were both up at the crack of dawn and ready to go. I had my coffee at the local bakery and then we went to the bus stop to start our adventure.

The weather was different today. It seemed a bit windy with some clouds in the sky and it started raining a bit.

We boarded our tour bus to take us to the port. On the way it stopped a multiple hotels to pick up the other guests. When we got to the top before descending to the port the visibility turned really bleak and it looked like it was raining, but we were told by the driver that this weather was caused by the volcano.

When we got to the port we saw the boat that was going to pick us up. I was scared because the water was really choppy and Sam hadn't brought her Kwells. When we got on though it seemed fine.

We arrived at the old port, just in time to catch the next boat to the hot springs. It had now turned out really sunny, but the sea was still a bit bumpy.

At the hot springs we all changed into our swimming gear and then descended from the steps into the water. It felt a bit cold at first, but we eventually made our way to the hot springs and could notice the water getting warmer and the bubbles rising up to the surface. I really enjoyed this.

After getting back onto the boat and drying off, our next stop was the Volcano.

Our vessel the Odysseus arrived at the site of the Volcano. We had just one hour to climb to the top for views of the craters.

We made the steady climb to the top of the Volcano, walking through the barren landscape. When we got to the top we couldn't see any smoke coming out, it must be that it only happens at certain times. The views were stunning though. I felt very hot.

We climbed back down and that was the end of the tour, the boat took us back to the port.

We arrived back and were feeling hot from the busy trip so Sam and I went to the beach. The water was amazing it was great being able to go for a swim in the sea again.

Day 4 - Ancient Thera

We were staying conveniently, right underneath the hills to which site of ancient Thera is nestled. I woke up early, with my plans to hike to the top of the hill to see the site.

After my morning coffee from the bakery, I brought a couple of bottles of water to last me for my trip to the top of the hill. I reached the base of the hill and it was clearly signposted so I made my way of the dusty path to the top summit.

When I got there, I could see a map of the site which was explaining the different areas of the old city. From the top of the hill the views were stunning, I could see Perissa beach on one side and on the other the Airport. There is a military base as well which is viewable from the top.

Ancient Thera - Museum

I was the first to enter the ancient site, the cost was €6.

The site was fascinating. I walked around reading every piece of information on there. It was fascinating how the site had changed over thousands of years and had been settled by different people. There are relics of where the ancient Greek gods were worshiped, for example the house where they worshiped Dionysus (the god of alcohol). There is a part of the site where they made a temple to worship the Egyptian gods which I found strange. Then there are churches that were built by the Romans.

I'll have to read up more information on the history as it's really interesting how it changed.

On the way back down I went to visit the church which built in the cliff side on the way up to the ancient site.

The church was really pretty, it had that classic design that the churches in Santorini have with the blue domes.

I felt hot and dehydrated after the hike to the top and back down again. I had my lunch in the apartment and then I went to the beach in the afternoon with Sam and Tara.

In the evening we headed to Fira to view the sunset. It was really beautiful. I liked Fira for the atmosphere and the main square where there is a takeaway shop where you can buy Calamari sandwiches, I had one for my dinner.

I felt hot and dehydrated after the hike to the top and back down again. I had my lunch in the apartment and then I went to the beach in the afternoon with Sam and Tara.

Day 5 - Ios

I was tossing and turning in my sleep all night because of the sound of the wind howling outside. Today we are going to Ios by ferry. I was scared when I woke up from the sound of the howling wind, I thought the sea might be wild and we'll be having a rough trip to the island.

Our taxi driver arrived at 6am and we made our way to the port. We could see our ferry already there and then embarked on our voyage to the island of Ios.

When we got there the weather was pleasant, but it was very windy. Theo from the apartment met us at the port and took us to our accommodation where we were to spend the next three nights.

I went for a look around. It seemed very small on this island the port only took 20 minutes to walk to from the apartment. The beach looked nice and there were a few restaurants and shops around the harbour. My first impressions were that it was going to be boring as it seemed so small and quiet.

I went for a coffee and waited for Sam and Tara, but they didn't turn up at 12:30 so I went to the bakery to buy a spinach pie and then went to explore. I found a side street with stairs leading up to Chora. The stairs were steep, but they led to Ios old town which had a beautiful church and winding streets with artisan shops. I now realised that there was much more to it than I had thought.

As I climbed the hill I reached the top where there were numerous windmills and amazing views of Ios. I could see the port on one side and a beautiful golden beach on the other. I kept climbing the hill, walking through the country side. It felt amazing as it was so quiet, I felt so close to nature.

On the way back down I found Sam and Tara and we went to the ampitheater.

Day 6 - Ios Beach Tour

Today we did a beach tour around Ios. In the morning, we made our way to Mylopotas beach where the tour was to start.

This beach was a lot different from the one near our apartment. It was a lot more developed with club hotels surrounding it. The beach is beautiful with golden sand and turquoise water.

We met Troy, our guide at the beach and put our possessions in the locker. We boarded the boat and then went to several secluded beaches. Troy was full of useful information about the island and the people who had built these luxury villas right next to these secluded beaches. Most of them were rented out to super rich celebrity type people.

We stopped at a beach to go snorkeling. I loved this part of the trip I could see all kinds of small fish next to the rocks.

The next stop was near some cliffs where there was a cave and another area had a crack in between two rocks. We went snorkeling around this area. This was one of the highlights of the trip, it was amazing swimming in between the crevice and seeing schools of tiny fish and purple plants growing out of the rocks below.

When I exited the cave, I could see this blue expanse with the light flooding in and schools of fish swimming in the deep blue. It was just like something from a wildlife program or a film. I hadn't seen anything like it before.

Day 7 - Hiking

Sam had done her back in the night before so I went hiking around Ios alone. My plan was to visit the archeological site of Skarkos and then to find Homer's tomb. I realised how far it was to Homer's tomb so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find it, but I decided that it'd be a real adventure trying to get to it. Before I set off I took some images from Google maps of the route.

I set off and firstly, I made my way to the bakery where I brought some food to take with me and had a coffee. I had some water with my, but just two small bottles and I wasn't sure if that'd be enough.

I started walking and reached the archeological site of Skarkos, but it was a bit too early so I decided to continue on to find Homer's tomb. As I walked along the winding road where the sign post led me it felt amazing and so peaceful. There was absolutely no one around and no vehicles at all. I passed loads of small villages, but not a soul was present.

I reached a point where I could look down into the valley, the views are stunning. I was starting to get hot though from walking and I had already finished my first bottle of water. I was hoping that there were going to be some shops around, but there were none. If I couldn't find anywhere to buy water then I'd need to head back.

I kept on walking and eventually I was looking out to see, there were hills and I could see small islands in the distance and fishing boats. There was an incredibly strong wind blowing which felt a bit chilly, but then it would feel hot in the sun. I think I was about two thirds of the way, but I decided then to stop and turn back as I was thirsty.

I headed back to Ios and the archeological site on the way. The archeological site was €4 to enter, but I found it disappointing. It is incredibly small with a couple of things to look at and some information.

On the way back I went to Ios village and had a coffee before looking around and getting some food from the supermarket.

I then headed back to the apartment and we went out for a meal in the evening.

I didn't make it to Homer's tomb, but sometime I will return to find it. I have a good reason to go back to Ios.

Day 8 - Ferry

Today we were to get the ferry which cost €64 to return to Santorini on a fast boat which was meant to leave at 11:50 and get us there for 12:40.

I got up and had a last look around the Ios old town and then we got everything packed and headed to the port. We found a cafe were I had a coffee. It was getting dangerously close to the departure time and no sign of any boat so I went into the cafe to ask. The bar tender told me that the boat had been cancelled but there might be another boat today.

I went into the travel agency to ask about the cancellation and they gave some bullshit about it being cancelled due to bad weather and that there was another one at 4pm.

We waited in the cafe all day, the boat eventually arrived at 5.45pm and we arrived in Santorini just before it got dark. There wasn't much point in doing anything now my dream of going to the beach in the afternoon had been shattered! We had fun though playing games in the cafe while we were waiting and I had two Mythos beers.

Day 9 - Ancient Akrotiri

I planned to visit Ancient Akrotiri, this was to be the highlight of my trip as I am really interested in the Archeological sites.

The museum is located near the village of Akrotiri on the island and it preserves the bronze age site within the museum. The site was destroyed when the volcano erupted thousands of years ago and was buried in volcanic ash, a bit like Pompei. This is why it is so uniquely preserved.

I woke up early to take the first bus. To my surprise Sam and Tara had got up in time and were there to meet me. I was really happy to see them as I didn't think they were interested.

The museum was amazing. The whole site is covered and you get to walk around the ancient streets which are so well preserved because of the ash. It is a must see site. There are all sorts of buildings you can see. I walked around wondering what it would have been like living there at that time.

After the museum we walked down to the red beach. It's a popular attraction on the island, the stone is a red colour. We relaxed on the beach for a bit, it was nice to hear the sounds of the waves, but a bit too crowded for my taste.

After the beach we went for a walk around the area. There are a few restaurants and souvenir shops around so you can buy snacks if you need to, but the restaurants are expensive.

We found the boat trip which takes you to the three beaches. The red beach, white beach and the black beach. The white beach is not possible to access unless by boat so it was interesting to see these and also see all the volcanic rock formations along the way.

In the evening we went to Fira and looked around the souvenir shops. I had my last Calamari sandwich which I really enjoyed.

Day 10 - The Last Day

Today we returned home. I spent the morning around the beach in Perissa. Today the weather had changed and it was getting a lot warmer than the previous days. The wind seemed to have died down and there weren't many clouds in the sky

I went to the local bakery to buy a spinach pie and coffee for lunch and then had a quick walk by the sea front before taking the bus to the airport. It was sad to leave Perissa I really enjoyed this holiday it's my first trip abroad since the lock downs started here in the UK.

I hope to return next year.