Santorini is literally the most amazing place I have ever been ! Though most travelers categorize it by its staple white and blue exterior I would say that it is home to the best food, nicest people and saltiest water ever. Everything about this island makes me yearn to return. The fresh salty air (possibly the best place to gain the effortless beachy hair look), beautiful buildings, and rich history.
BUTTTTTTTT just like every place in the world I had a few misadventures during my time there. Don’t let this fool you as Santorini is definitely a MUST DO ! But when you go make sure to learn from my mistakes. Check out my top DO NOT’s for Santorini:
DO NOT :
Get caught infront of a donkey stampede on the
Karavolades Stairs
I know your thinking ” What exactly does that mean”. Its very straight forward. A herd of donkeys running down 588 marble stairs, unable to stop and unwilling to let anyone stay standing. I lived to see any-other day but barely.
What you should know:
Greek Donkeys are more like horses… that bite, stink and poop everywhere. They travel up and down the stairs giving rides to tourists and making cash for their owners. But when there are no tourists at the top to make the most money their owners start herding them quickly back down the stairs to find paying customers at the bottom. But when I say quickly I mean that the owners need them at the bottom ASAP so it turns into all of the donkeys freely running down the stairs racing to get to the bottom.
Karavolades stairs is a set of 588 stairs that connect Fira to the port. On a hot day (so everyday) the stairs become very very slippery so each tourist who likes keeping their feet on solid ground walks down with great caution. There is always allot of people walking up and down the stairs (even though it smells like donkey poop and urine). Don’t be turned off, the views are worth it.
So here’s what happened:
Little old me was feeling good and had made two friends while in Santorini. We collectively decided to walk to the bottom of the stairs to find the boat that would take us our evening sunset cruise. This was the second time I had walked down the stairs so I was familiar with the winding stairs and the many donkeys who frequented it. When we arrived at the stairs I mentally noticed that there was a TON of donkeys waiting at the top. LIKE A TON, like I’d say 100 but it was probably more realistically around 20. So like any tourist would we started on our descent down the stairs, gazing and marveling at the amazing views.
I would estimate that we were about 1/4 down the stairs and that it usually takes a good hour if not longer to walk down them. Suddenly there was very loud clanking noises coming from above us and all the tourists walking has stopped and turned around to see what all the commotion was. In a blink, people started running down the steep stairs as we all realized that a herd of donkeys has began to rush down and their was no place to stop and wait it out. I myself instinctively started to run and survival mode kicked in. Luckily for myself I have very long legs that can carry me quickly when I want them to. As I ran down the stairs, people next to me were falling, trying to crawl over the edge of the stairs out of harms way (really bad idea, cause its a cliff…) and leaving their friends and family members behind.
I reached the bottom of the stairs in 15 minutes. My new friends were nowhere in sight and there were very loud Greek men screaming at the tourists looking for safety at the bottom of the stairs. I right away got as far away from the donkeys and the screaming as I could and waited to see if my pals had made it down in one piece. They eventually turned up dustier, sweatier and smellier (one had stepped in a donkey turd on the way down) than they were when we got separated. We ended up finding some super cool things to check out at the bottom and loved the boat ride. However the experience did make us rethink walking back up the stairs and we instead got a donkey free ride back to Fira in a cable car.
Moral of this misadventure:
Pay attention at the top of the Karavoldes Stairs. If it looks like there are no tourists taking the donkeys down, wait a few minutes and follow the donkeys to the bottom rather than have them chase you to the bottom.
Other DO NOT’s:
- Cliff Jumping is amazing, and you should totally check it out ! My favorite place was Ammoudi Bay. But be careful getting into the water. There are see urchins attached to the walls that will make you shout F*** if you step on them ! (Side Note: Do not bring valuables, there was so many tourists crying about their engagement rings that now belong to the sea) Check out Lonely planet for more info: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/oia/attractions/ammoudi/a/poi-sig/1381222/1336112
2. FYI the ocean surrounding Santorini is the Saltiest on PLANET EARTH. DO NOT jump in, mouth open thinking that its gonna be drinkable fresh water. Its NOT. If you do your insides will feel like dying and you will be forever thirsty. You’ll thank me later.
3. The bus system on the island is honestly the best way to get around. If your paying for a taxi then your doing it wrong. It super super cheap and honestly super easy to understand. The 2 main stops are in Fira and Oia. But DO NOT listen to anyone when they say you can pay the 2 euro bus fair with a 100 euro bill. You CANNOT and you will get allot of eye rolls, rudeness and Greek men loudly making fun of you. Just make sure to carry 5’s or change. It’s just not worth the hassle. – Disclaimer : I did get a free ride though because nobody could break my 100 euro bill. Wasn’t worth it.
Want to know more about Santorini ? Check out My Santorini Must Do’s in the Destinations Uncovered page !
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