Travel Feature : Santorini, Greece

Everywhere you turn is euphoric, absolutely picture perfect. Santorini (Greece) is so beautiful, that there is no such thing as a bad photograph. Put the camera on burst mode and spin, do a 360 degree, three pictures per second rotation. Walk one block and repeat, that way you can be certain that this is not all a dream.

But before we talk about the island itself, let’s talk about getting there. If you are traveling to Santorini from another Greek island, chances are, you will be riding the Flying Cat 4, a high speed ferry that looks like something right out of a James Bond movie. It is huge, bright red and when it pulls into dock, you know James Bond's arch nemesis has arrived. It just sounds evil, emanating a high pitched whine from its dual turbine engines it can be heard miles away, as you stroll along the cliffs of the island.

 The day we boarded the Flying Cat 4 it was cold with high winds and rough waters, so much so that the passengers departing looked sickly and rather ghostly white. The skies were gray and the huge cowl mouth of the ship was bobbing up and down against the water. The crew was rushing the four hundred passengers into the ship, almost yelling at them, ordering them to go to the right, go to the left, grabbing their luggage and piling them up onto the back of the ship. The wind whipped by like a harsh Canadian winter as you climbed the stairs onto the ship. Meanwhile the smell of diesel fuel hung stagnant in the air as the turbines wailed its high pitched whine. It felt adventurous with the rough waters, the overcast skies and the ultra cool James Bond style ship.

The town of Fira is where many famous photos of Santorini are taken. The sculptured white huts along the cliffs overlooking the ocean below and the orange and red sunset sky above, never seem real from the photographs. Once you are there, walking within the maze of fine restaurants, high fashion stores, art galleries and luxury villas, it appears even more fictional. Imagine awakening from a satisfying slumber in an ultra plush bed surrounded by exquisite décor and then stepping out into a quaint private pool that reaches out to the horizon.

There are so many stores, so much fashion and jewelry that it is dizzying. After a few hours of shopping, pick the highest roof top lounge available and have an exuberantly expensive drink. The view will be worth every penny. In fact you may walk half a block and have another exuberantly expensive drink just for the view. In the evenings, picking a restaurant is just as baffling, between the décor, the food and the perfect view.

 Another thing to do in the city is to take the cable car that runs down the cliff and ride a donkey back up. After a couple days of bopping around town and your senses are on overload, rent a car and head out to the beaches. If you are a fan of white sand there is a beach with beautiful powder white grain, if you want something more exotic there is also a beach with red sand. A drive along the countryside is refreshingly scenic, the windy roads and the ocean air is a wonderful change from suburban or city ambience.

While on your exploration be sure to drop by a winery, test some dessert wines and go for a tour. Art Space is a winery dating back to 1861 that is now a museum, modern winery and an art gallery. The old wine cellars are now caves to display contemporary art making it an amazingly unique gallery.

The perfect ending to a wonderful day is in the village of Oia, 11 km away from Fira. It is the most picturesque village with the most breathtaking sunsets in the world. Walking through this town is like being in a dream state of serenity, tranquility and beauty. Simply let time stall and absorb the surroundings.

Photos + Words : Tobin Cheung