I apparently got confused in yesterday’s blog entry, thinking it was Crete that had the switchbacked access to the top of the island. However, the switchbacks were on Santorini. That blog entry has been edited.

Today’s stop was the island of Santorini, considered by most to be Greece’s most beautiful isle. Santorini is one of the world’s most popular islands, known best for its dramatic scenery, whitewashed villages and fiery volcanic activity.

We anchored not far off shore, requiring a tender to the island.

There, we were met with extremely long lines (20+ minutes) to catch the cable car to the top of the island to its capital, Fira, a bustling cliff-top town awash with old cathedrals, enthralling museum collections and cozy tavernas. (The alternative to the cable car was to climb the difficult switchbacks. Regrettably, several people who walked the switchbacks slipped and fell on the rain-slicked cobblestones.)

At Fira, narrow, crowded streets awaited us.

After a brief walk along some of these streets, we again waited in a long line (20+ minutes) to catch the cable car back down the mountain. 

Back at the ship, we had dinner and watched “The Book,” a cirque-type production of the highest quality. The Book is an epic journey for the imagination that brings the magic and tradition of storytelling to life through cutting-edge tech, including a wall of robotic video screens, 12K projection mapping, and talented live performers.