TRAVEL distant island and hop back to Athens using the ferry system .
TRAVEL distant island and hop back to Athens using the ferry system .
Most island hoppers use water transportation , either cruise ships or ferries . Cruise ships are not just for transport ; they also are both restaurant and hotel . Everything is organized , which means you do not have to move luggage off the ship every time you land — a real advantage . Cruise lines operate their own organized tours that will get you to some of the islands ’ most significant attractions .
There are some challenges to cruise travel as well . Because each individual tour package is organized to visit only a few of the islands , you have to make sure your cruise is going to stop at islands you want to see . An island like Santorini with its stunning view of towns perched on volcanic cliffs is a very popular cruise ship destination . In peak season there may be eight or ten ships in the bay , which means the streets of the towns are crowded with more than twenty thousand eager tourists . Another consideration is that you have only a few hours ashore . Most stops are between three and six hours , so an afternoon swimming at the beach is probably not possible . The island of Santorini is thought to be the location of the fabled city of Atlantis , destroyed by a volcano thousands of years ago . Having visited here by both cruise ship and ferry provided me with an interesting comparison of island vacations . From the cruise ship we had six hours ashore , with most of the time spent wandering the crowded streets in the town of Thira . We rode donkeys up the cliff from the dock and returned by gondola — a safer way down since the donkeys tend to run down the trail to get fed at the bottom . We returned to the ship as the sun set . I was left wanting to see more of this stunningly beautiful island .
A few years later , travelling in the off-season ,
Santorini hotel balcony
we arrived at Santorini by ferry for a three-day stay . We promptly rented a car because it was far cheaper than using a taxi and gave us the flexibility to wander everywhere . We visited ancient ruins , vineyards , beaches and pottery shops . The crowning glory was finding a hotel room on the edge of a cliff in Oia , the town with the best sunset views . The experience of sitting for the afternoon at the edge of the cliff and watching the sun sink slowly into the sea was beautiful beyond words !
Greece has one of the best ferry systems in the world largely because of the constant movement of people between the hundreds of populated islands scattered across the eastern Mediterranean . That said , it is almost impossible to organize ferry tickets ahead of time since several different companies run the ferry lines with schedules that change at various times of the year . If you travel in peak season , the ferries are as regular as city buses , but weather can be a factor that delays or stops ferry travel for hours — or even days . Tickets can be purchased at kiosks in any island port and at the major ports of Rafina and Pireaus ( Athens ).
When you first arrive at an island , it is a good idea to talk to an agent at one of the kiosks about ferry schedules in order to organize your
news & views SPRING 2015 | 37