Santorini Day 2: Estate Argyros Winery, Ancient Thira, Kamari and Red Beach

Thursday 9th May 2024

Breakfast and More Fira Sightseeing

I woke up to my alarm at 7:30, feeling much better after a great night’s sleep. I was hungry, though, so I took a quick shower, dressed, and set off searching for a nearby cafe. I’d seen a few options on Google Maps, but in person, none of them looked quite right. That was until I spotted Home All Day Cafe. The menu looked good, and there were a few other customers, so I sat down and ordered a latte and some pancakes with fruit and chocolate. Not the most healthy meal, but they didn’t have yoghurt and honey, and I expected to burn off the calories easily with my busy day.

Despite wanting to fit as much as possible into my short time in Santorini (I’m heading to Milos tomorrow afternoon), the wine tour and tasting I’d pre-booked wasn’t until 11 a.m., but I wasn’t sure I could fit any other significant activity in beforehand, given that I’m reliant on local buses to get me around. As a result, I decided to start slightly later and head into Fira to do some sightseeing.

I set off just after 9 a.m., heading out of Karterados and towards Fira, exactly as I’d done at the start of yesterday’s hike. The weather was overcast again and threatened rain, but it stayed dry as I ambled uphill to the capital.

If you visit Santorini, I highly recommend exploring Fira early in the morning. The absence of cruise ship passengers makes it much quieter than later in the day; it almost feels like a normal Greek village! I had a leisurely stroll along the narrow streets towards the caldera edge, where many of the small shops were just opening their doors and getting ready for the inevitable rush of tourists arriving from the cable car station.

Shortly after 10 a.m., I began heading back towards the main bus terminal so that I’d be there in plenty of time to catch the 10:30 bus to Kamari, which stops at Estate Argyros along the way. I’d researched several wine tours and discounted most of them based on cost (€60+ seems a bit much to me), but Estate Argyros offers a 45-minute tour and tasting for €20, which, by comparison, seemed like a bargain. They’re also the oldest wine producers on the island, so it’s still a quality experience, or so I hoped.

Estate Argyros Winery Tour and Tasting

The bus dropped me off outside Estate Argyros at 10:50 a.m., exactly as planned. I took a couple of minutes to get some photos and videos of the exterior–there are vineyards all around–then headed up the long driveway to the fancy-looking building.

The tour itself was great. I was the only one for the 11 o’clock slot, so I got a personal tour by a lovely lady named Valeria. We explored some of the vineyards outside the building, and she explained their process of twisting the vines into baskets to preserve moisture, as Santorini’s climate is very dry. We then went indoors to see the stainless steel vats where the wines ferment before returning to the main building where the tasting takes place. There was a lot of information during the tour, but I won’t pretend to have remembered it all, so you’ll have to try it yourself!

Next came the best part: the wine tasting! I got to try four different varieties of their wines: two whites, a rose and a dessert wine. I took photos of the bottles, which you can see below. I’m not actually much of a connoisseur, although I do enjoy wine, so all I can really say is that they were all pretty nice. The Assyrtiko white, in particular, and the VinSanto Late Release dessert wine were my favourites (I have a sweet tooth). The wines came with a small platter with breadsticks, tomato puree, cheeses and cranberries. Each wine had a food that paired well with it. The servings of wine were small, which was expected given the price (and I suppose it’s no good getting tipsy on the first couple of glasses and not being able to enjoy the rest!), but I felt that it was extremely good value for €20 and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Kamari and Ancient Thira

I had a brief stay in Kamari last year (technically two) to bookend a trip to Ios that I’ve not blogged about (it wasn’t much of a sightseeing expedition), during which I tried to visit Ancient Thira only to discover it was closed after I’d hiked up to it (doh!). This time, I checked that the archaeological site was open (it’s only closed on Wednesdays) and decided it was worth the effort to see it.

My original plan was to take the same bus to Kamari that had dropped me outside the winery, but by the time I left Estate Argyros, there wasn’t another bus due for some time. It’s only a few kilometres to Kamari and all downhill, so I figured walking was the way forward. It had rained slightly during the tour, but thankfully, it had already stopped by the time I set off towards the western coastline.

Instead of exploring Kamari on my way into the village, I decided to tackle Ancient Thira first, then return to Kamari for a late lunch (the food and drink at the wine tasting had quelled my appetite). I was hoping the weather would improve as well so that my photos and videos of Kamari Beach wouldn’t look quite so gloomy. I ascended to the archaeological site via the winding road, having used the hiking trail last year. The trail is a bit more scenic but harder work and takes a similar amount of time.

Entrance to Ancient Thira cost €6, which, in hindsight, felt a bit expensive. The site is quite large, but not bigger than others I’ve visited, which only cost €4. But I suppose everything goes up with time, and there’s probably a Santorini premium in there, too! There’s a good amount of signage around the site, providing details on what the various ruins represented (or a best guess, I suppose). In total, I spent about 20 minutes strolling around, but you could make it last half an hour or more if you wanted.

One thing I’d neglected to bring out with me was hydration. I made it up to Ancient Thera without any water, but I was quite thirsty by the time I’d finished exploring. Fortunately, a small hut outside the entrance offers small water bottles at a surprisingly reasonable €0.80. It wasn’t particularly cold, but I couldn’t complain and downed it in one go.

Late Lunch, Kamari Beach and Hotel Pit Stop

As you might expect, the walk back down to Kamari was much easier than the way up. By the time I reached sea level, it was close to 3 p.m., and I was hungry and thirsty. Fortunately, there are plenty of dining options in the resort. I chose Meli & Thymari as it was on the way to the beach and had a decent menu. I spotted my favourite Greek dish, moussaka, and had to try it. My appetite got the better of me, so I also ordered some garlic bread and tzatziki, too. And a large Mythos!

I always hope the moussaka is as good as I remember them, but I often end up slightly disappointed. Not today, though. It came in its own clay bowl (100% the best way: tray-baked versions are never as good), was moist and flavoursome and, best of all, didn’t have much aubergine! I don’t actually like aubergine (eggplant for any Americans reading this) despite it being a key ingredient in the dish, so I usually eat around them as best I can.

I polished off most of the food, although the last bit of garlic bread beat me, then paid the bill and set off towards the beach feeling much revived. My mood was further boosted when I spotted some blue sky; the weather was improving!

The beach at Kamari is black volcanic sand, as are all beaches on this side of the island. It was fairly quiet, given the time of year and cool/cloudy weather, but still, a few people were sunbathing. I headed north, first along the sand itself, then back up on the beachfront road, which is lined with tavernas, shops and cafes/bars. The road was much busier than the beach, but nothing compared to my visit last July. The atmosphere was nice, though, much more relaxed than Fira.

The next bus back to Fira should leave Kamari at 4:45 p.m., so I timed my arrival at the bus stop accordingly, stopping along the way to buy a Fanta Lemon. A few people were already waiting, but not enough that I was concerned it might be full. The bus arrived on time, and we were soon heading back uphill towards the caldera.

Akrotiri and Red Beach

My final stop of the day was the village of Akrotiri, famous for its archaeological site, where they excavated an ancient village believed to have been buried during the volcanic eruption that gave Santorini its unique geography. I visited the ruins in 2017 on my first trip to Santorini, so I wasn’t sure whether I would pay to go in again, but I hadn’t explored the island’s south side on this trip, and this would be my opportunity.

Arriving from Kamari at the bus station in Fira, I hopped off and checked at the information kiosk for the number of the Akrotiri bus. Most buses have large signs in the window advertising their route, but I figured it’s best to check. I found the right bus, whose doors were already open, so I jumped on it and grabbed a seat near the front. Only a few others were on board, though it filled up a bit in the few minutes before departure.

Like most bus journeys on Santorini, it took about 20 minutes to reach Akrotiri. Traffic getting out of Fira was quite bad, but it was pretty clear once we were on the main road south. My plan was to see Red Beach first, then backtrack to Akrotiri village, passing the archaeological site on the way. There was a bit of confusion when the bus dropped us off at Akrotiri Beach, advertising it as the Red Beach stop. However, you can’t access the beach on foot from here; you can only go by boat if you want to pay for it. To reach Red Beach on foot, you must take the road directly opposite the archaeological site, so I and a few others who’d left with me had to walk back up the hill again.

Starting from the right place, it takes about ten minutes to reach the start of the red beach path. It’s all downhill on a road, and there’s plenty of parking at the bottom for those who want to visit by car. The path lasts another two or three minutes before you’ll get a first view of the famous red cliffs. The colour is impressive, even on a slightly cloudy late afternoon–in brilliant sunshine, it must be even more stunning.

It’s possible to get down to the beach without too much difficulty, though it does involve navigating some fairly large rocks. There have been landslides here in the past, so it’s not without risk. The beach itself isn’t anything special, so most visitors just take their photos and then head off again. I did venture down onto the sand just to say I’d been, but I didn’t stay long.

Having made it back to the archaeological site entrance, I was surprised at how quiet it was. The car park was empty, too. The penny dropped when I approached the entrance and saw it was closed, with a sign saying that it shuts at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Well, I guess it saved me the decision of whether to see it or not! I began walking up the hill towards the main village instead.

As I was walking, I tried to decide what to do next. Seeing Akrotiri would be nice, and I contemplated having dinner there, but I wasn’t very hungry. I was tired, though, after a long day of sightseeing and yesterday’s travelling and hiking. In the end, fate seemed to decide for me: a local bus passed me in the opposite direction shortly after I set off. Knowing it would have to turn around and come back past me, I found a good visible spot to stand and flag it down.

I wasn’t sure if the bus would stop, but thankfully, it did, and I was soon heading back towards Fira. I regretted not seeing more of Akrotiri, but there’s only so much you can do in a day, and I was exhausted. Like yesterday, I realised the bus would pass through Karterados on its way back to the capital, so I got dropped off close to my hotel. Deciding I could save money (and energy) by not eating dinner out, I went to the supermarket and bought some snacks instead. I also picked up a few bits for breakfast the next day: a chocolate croissant, a Starbucks latte and some orange juice.

Back in my room, I scoffed down a few biscuits, washed them down with orange juice and some water, and then had an early night.