An Overnighter on Santorini and Homeward Bound

This morning I’d set my alarm for 4am. I’d arranged for Radamanthus to pick me up from the square in Anafi Chora at 0430. God I hate these early ferry connectionbut actually prefer them over the late night ones. It was a short journey from Anafi back to Santorini – less than two hours. I arrived at Athinios Port just as the sun began to rise. Thankfully my pre-booked taxi was waiting for me. BTW if you book accommodation on Santorini through Booking.com and you are offered the option to book a transfer through them, do check it out. Pre-booked transfers from Athinios Port can range anywhere between 44-50€. The deal I got with b.com was 23€. If you pick up a taxi directly it can be cheaper but often, demand exceeds the supply. The bus – well I do love the Greek bus service but on Santorini in high (not peak) season, I refuse to put myself through it.

I have an overnight stay on Santorini and will be staying at the unusually named Ifestau.4 Suites. The name and the place was inspired by the late grandfather of the owner. The first part of the name comes from Hephaestus, the God of fire. It is also symbolic of the volcano sitting out on the horizon in front of the suites. Au is the chemical symbol for gold, and has a deep meaning for the family whilst remembering their ‘golden Pappou’. The number 4 represents the four members of the family held so dear.

I’ve booked Ifestau.4 several times for my clients so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it out for myself. The suites are located on the main coastal road along the caldera so yes, it’s a busy road. The suites are above a couple of small businesses with plenty of parking spaces. After heaving my case to the top of the steps I sit and wait for Donia on some very comfortable chairs outside the reception office. Donia starts work at 08.30 so I didn’t have very long to wait before she arrived. After registering, she shows me to my room. It all looks very new and modern and has some very unusual decor – I’m talking about the canopy above the bed which seems to be made from the dried-out leaves of cordyline plants. I’m glad I don’t have to dust it! It’s quite effective though.

There are 4 suites in total, each with their own private terrace separated by a low boundary wall and privacy drapes. To the front are views of the volcano and Thirassia and to the back, Pyrgos Kallistis. I think I can almost make out Cueva Con Vista Studios where I had stayed just 11 days ago. Blimey – Tempus Fugit!

For now I shower and throw myself onto the bed to catch up with some sleep. I don’t plan to go anywhere or do anything today except relax. I’m getting into the habit of it now!

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After a chilled day it’s time to go and find somewhere to eat. Two years ago I’d stayed at Symphony Suites not far from here so I knew that decent tavernas were thin on the ground in this area. I don’t want to go anywhere near Fira so I make my way towards the village of Katerados where there is more choice. The road is busy with a constant stream of speeding traffic including lots of noisy ATV’s being driven in tandem by kids that look too young to hold a license. I hate ATV’s. I know – Bah humbug! In addition to this (with Greece being a very car-centric country), the pavements are sparse and at times, disappear completely. You need to have your wits about you walking along this road.

Eventually, I turn off the coastal road towards Katerados. I’m looking for a traditional taverna – nothing fancy. I want somewhere decent for the last evening meal of my trip. The first taverna I stumbled across is called Katerina’s. It isn’t yet 7pm so there are plenty of free tables. I go through the usual rigmarole of being asked if I am just one person. Well yes, I am just one person and I’m then pleasantly surprised when I’m offered the front row table. Come on you solo travelling ladies – how many times have you been ushered to the crap seats at the back! I never accept a crap table if there are better ones available. Nobody puts Grandma Stephanie in the corner! 😍

Anyway, Katerina’s is a really lovely restaurant with a menu that is a little bit more special than just ordinary Greek fayre. I choose the green and red verdure with brittle green apple, fennel pickle and passion fruit dressing to start, the lamb shank cooked in white wine accompanied with a white aubergine puree for the main meal and a gorgeous lemon mousse with a biscuit crumb for dessert. Tonight I push the boat out and have ouzo AND wine! What a fantastic meal to end the trip!

Later on, the restaurant had filled up – obviously very popular with others staying in the area. I couldn’t face the thought of playing ‘dodge the car/ATV on the way back so I asked the waiter to phone a taxi for me. As I’d finished my meal I asked the waiter if he’d like me to move to another seat to free up the table. He insisted that I stay at the table until my taxi arrived. How lovely!

Ten minutes later the taxi arrived and as we drove back towards Ifestau.4, I saw that the sun was beginning to set. Tonight was going to be a good one, so as soon as I was out of the car I dived across the road (literally) to watch what was probably one of the best sunset of the trip. As I glance beyond the volcano to Thirassia I wonder who was experiencing this little gem right now.

Everywhere is bathed in the warm orange glow – including me. There is something about this incredible light that uplifts your spirit and makes you feel at one with the world. I wish I could bottle it! #nofilter

Surprisingly, I slept very well. I hadn’t been sure how conducive to a good night’s sleep the unusual decor would be. The canopy of dried leaves accentuated by the dim light from the hallway, resembled some kind of medieval torture rack. My over-active imagination conjured up images of being stabbed to death in the night. The steel knives masquerading as dried-out greenery were just a figment of my strange thought processes. Eventually, exhaustion got the better of me and I pushed thoughts of impalement into the deep recesses of my brain. The canopy began to feel quite womb-like and comforting and before I knew it I’d drifted into a deep slumber.

The following morning I was woken by a tap on the door. I’d arranged breakfast for 9am and Donia was waiting on my terrace with a tray of goodies. Quite basic but a more than adequate start to the day.

Now to consider the dilemma that I find myself in. My flight doesn’t depart until this evening so I have a day to hang around. I need to check out of my suite at 11am so what to do? I did consider getting a taxi over to Kamari Beach where I know there are left luggage facilities. Then again I don’t want to get all salty and sandy and have nowhere to shower. I take a quick look at Booking.com to see if I can find a cheap hotel room for the day. Luckily there is a room at Villa Livadaros in Katerados for 50€ a night. It has a pool and b.com had a transfer offer to the airport for 23€. This is a great deal and will make things so much easier for me.

Once I’d completed the booking I contacted the hotel to let them know I would be arriving within the hour. I say that all I need is access to the swimming pool until my room is ready. I received a message back to say that my room was ready and waiting for me. Bonus!

Donia called a taxi for me and I made the short journey to Katerados. A lovely lady called Anastasia showed me to my room. She told me that they do snacks and I can find the menu by the pool. So the day was spent lying on a sunbed (what a luxury), swimming and snacking. I did break the day up by walking into Katerados to look at the churches that I’d glimpsed through the window of the taxi. Such a pretty skyline. I’ve stayed close to Katerados before and I think that this is a really good location for short stays on Santorini.

After a shower and change I throw my bikini and towel onto the low wall at the front of my terrace. Constructed from lava stones, the wall was hot and within 30 minutes my clothes were bone dry. Whilst sitting on my terrace, I heard two young Korean girls taking delivery of a rental ATV. I overheard the ATV rental guy asking them if they’d ever driven one before. Neither of them had. He gave them a quick overview of how to turn it on and how to propel it forward and more importantly how to stop the damn thing. Then it was their turn to try. One of the young women, bit the bullet and seemed to grasp the basics quite well. That is until she tried to reverse at speed towards her friend who screamed “Stop! I’m too young to die!”

Well, that was the afternoon’s entertainment. Now my impromptu trip has come to an end. It has served its purpose and Thirassia and Anafi have been the perfect antidote to my exhaustion. I will return home fully rested and recuperated.

There is something about this trip that has made me look at Santorini in a new light. There have been little glimpses of the island that I would like to come back and explore further – places off the beaten track and away from the mayhem of Fira. I know that Santorini gets a bad rap by a lot of seasoned Greece travellers but there is no doubt that Santorini is an incredible island. Overtourism and in particular the cruise liners that visit the island have made the experience no less than hellish. Maybe I’ll come back one winter and hopefully see it in its raw state and stripped back to its natural beauty. Let’s see. In the meantime, I will begin to plan the next trip. I always have a couple of ideas floating around waiting to be turned into reality. Hopefully soon!

Here’s a little montage of photos from Villa Livadaros and Katerados. Until the next trip! ❤️