4-Wheelin' in Santorini

After a morning shifting between a deck chair and the pool, Kevin and I needed to do a little exploring in the afternoon. It was way too hot to go for a serious hike, which is what going anywhere on foot from Oia would require. Besides, my feet were still aching from Athens. So, we decided to rent an ATV.*

At first we tried to rent a scooter, but as Americans in Greece you need to have an international license. (Ironically, Kevin and I both have international licenses, but we left them in Germany.) We could, however, rent a 4-wheeler no problem.

The ATV cost us 40 Euros for 24 hours. (Scooters are as little as 15 Euros.) At first I was a nervous Nelly on the back, but soon enough I was loving it! It was quite comfortable and had enough power to get us up a hill.

Still, we did try to steer clear of the main road, which was frequented by huge tour buses, opting instead to ride along the beach. The drive was beautiful and the cool breezes were super refreshing.

The first day with the ATV we went to the Ammoudi for a snack and the sunset. Though Ammoudi appears to be a town on maps of the island, upon arrival it appeared to be little more then a harbor with a string of restaurants, some boats, and a great view of the setting sun. That, however, was perfect. We saw the most amazing sunset of our trip.

The second day with the ATV we headed out early-ish to find a beach. Though the guidebooks suggested the red and black beaches around Perissa, we didn't want to spend the hour on the quad to get there. Instead we discovered a beach on the east side of the island outside Fira. I can't imagine a better place on the island.

The beach felt like a private cove, with clear blue water and black rocks contoured to our backs. I loved the super salty water, which allowed us to float easily. And the calm sea meant that we could stay there for hours.

* ATV = All terrain vehicle