Santorini Cruise Port Guide: Donkeys, Fira & Cable Car Lines
Full Santorini Port Guide: www.nowgoseeit.com/blog/cruise-port-santorini-greece Excursions: https://www.viator.com/Santorini/d959-ttd?pid=P00051707&mcid=42383&medium=link Visiting the Santorini cruise port is not as simple as stepping off the ship and walking into town. Cruise ships anchor in the caldera, passengers take a short tender ride to the Old Port, and then everyone still has to get up the steep cliff to Fira. In this Santorini cruise vlog, we show exactly how our port day worked. We explain the tender process, the cable car, the steep walking path and the traditional donkey ride up to Fira. Our Virgin Voyages cruise included round-trip cable car passes, although passengers on other cruise lines may need to buy their own tickets. The cable car ride only takes a few minutes, but the lines can be much longer. Other passengers reported waits of up to 90 minutes going up during our visit, and we waited just over an hour for the ride back down. Rather than begin the day standing in line, we paid 10 euros each and rode donkeys up the cliff. We also discuss the ethical concerns surrounding the donkey rides, what we observed during our visit and why some travelers may prefer the cable car or walking path instead. Once we reached the top, we explored Fira, the capital of Santorini. The narrow walkways are filled with caldera viewpoints, restaurants, churches and a mix of souvenir junk and surprisingly cool shops selling art, ceramics, jewelry and locally designed pieces. Our Santorini port day included: • The tender ride to Santorini’s Old Port • Riding donkeys from the port to Fira • Exploring the shops and lanes of Fira • Views across the Santorini caldera • The Three Bells of Fira viewpoint • Slightly overpriced drinks at a hilltop restaurant • The Metropolitan Church of the Presentation of the Lord • The nearby Museum of Prehistoric Thera • Akrotiri as an alternative shore-excursion option • Waiting for and riding the cable car back down • The tender ride back to our cruise ship We also explain the three ways to travel between the Old Port and Fira: cable car, donkey or the long and steep walking path. The path has little shade, uneven stones and plenty of donkey poo to step around, so do not underestimate it. Santorini is beautiful, crowded, expensive in places and more complicated than many cruise passengers expect. Give yourself plenty of time to return to the Old Port, especially when several cruise ships are visiting on the same day. Would you ride the donkey, wait for the cable car or walk the path? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe for more cruise port guides, honest travel experiences and practical trip-planning advice from Now Go See It. #Santorini #SantoriniCruise #CruisePortGuide