Santorini Port Guide

Santorini was the first port of call on our recent Norwegian Breakaway Cruise. We arrived in Santorini around 1pm and there were already three other ships in port. Santorini is a tender port and can be very busy.

We took advantage of an early tender off the ship and were able to take the cable car up to Fira without too much of a wait. From speaking to other guests there were significant queues later in the day. Alternative options include walking the 560 + steps up hill or by taking a Donkey Ride (not recommended). The Cable Car is the most popular way to get to Fira and costs €6 pp each way.

If you book a shore excursions, you may not need to take the cable car, but this does vary. Other options available in the port include boat rides to Oia, and other parts of the Island.

Once we reached the top, we started exploring the narrow streets and incredible views. We started off by walking along the Fira to Oia footpath towards the Three Bells of Fira.

Fira is a combination of natural beauty, social life, night life, and shopping, where you can feel the liveliness of the island and where all the action takes place. There is a range of restaurants, cafes and bars where you can relax and enjoy the spectacular views. There is also a good selection of gift shops, souvenir shops, supermarkets and other facilities.

The village of Oia is perhaps the most famous destinations in Santorini and is a popular place to watch the sunset. Due to our all aboard time it was not possible to do this, as there was not sufficient time to return to the ship. However, we were fortunate to be able to watch the sunset from our balcony. Despite some cloud, it really was spectacular.