Making Friends in Santorini
When I made the decision to travel back to Europe, my initial motive was to visit famous buildings and cities that I had not previously explored. I decided to plan the trips on my own since I did not want to worry about working around other people’s schedules or itinerary preferences.
Although I would show up to a hostel alone in a foreign country, I soon realized that I was never actually alone. Throughout my travels, one of my favorite aspects has been meeting amazing people from all over the world. When I visited Santorini, I met three other travelers from my hostel that quickly became my best friends on the trip!
I had just come back from a long sightseeing adventure around the island. After taking a quick rest, I headed out onto the hostel’s terrace to have a beer and get to know other travelers. Similar to the other hostels I stayed at, there were guests from all over the world. While outside, I met Mirt from Estonia, Mary-Anne from British Columbia, and Changhee from South Korea.
Mirt offered us shots of a special Estonian gin. While I am not a gin drinker, I always like to try new liquors from around the world. All of us were traveling solo. While I was only in Greece for a quick stop in Santorini, the others were visiting multiple islands throughout the country.
Santorini’s Bars
The majority of the hostel guests were getting ready to head into town for a night out. In Fira, the bars are located on one street near the caldera. Although Mykonos takes the crown for having the best nightlife in the Greek islands, there are still plenty of fun places in Santorini. Instead of following the main crowd of travelers, who were getting quite rowdy, Mirt, Mary-Anne, Changhee, and I decided to hit up a nearby hookah bar.
This bar had a more laid back atmosphere than some of the others. After some hookah and a bottle of wine, we headed back towards the main nightlife area. We entered a crowded bar where the rest of the hostel guests were hanging out. I went over to the bartender and ordered one of the cheapest drinks on the menu.
“One headshot please,” I asked the bartender.
He handed over a helmet and asked me to put it on as he poured me a shot of ouzo. Before I even had the chance to grab my drink, he pulled out a large bat and hit me on the head! I drank the shot right after. Now I know why it was called a “headshot.” At least I can say I tried ouzo (which is not very good).
After this bar, the three of us went over to a nearby McDonalds for some late-night food (yes, they have one on the island). We had a really fun night out and all agreed to meet up and explore the island together the following afternoon.
Exploring the Island with New Friends
I woke up late the following morning and walked back into town in search of a cup of coffee. I found a café at a cute square, where I ordered a small latte and sat outside. After soaking in the charming streets of Fira for one last time, I returned to my hostel to meet up with the others.
Although I had already been to Oia, the rest of the group had not, and I was definitely up for going back. Mirt, Mary-Anne, Changhee, and I headed to the bus terminal and hopped onto the crowded bus towards the northern tip of the island.
Since I was the only one in the group who had visited Oia, I was the group’s “tour guide.” I showed my friends around the village’s narrow streets and alleys, which led to the best views of the caldera. I wanted to find the blue domes again. On the way over, we popped into a local art gallery.
The shop’s owner was seriously one of the nicest people I have ever met. She showed us her collection of artwork and handmade jewelry. Mary-Anne even bought one of her necklaces. The owner also gave us all a sample of some local wine! It is moments like these that make me really appreciate traveling and meeting locals in new places.
We circled back up through the village and came across the vantage point of the three blue domes. This will always be my favorite view on the entire island, and one of my favorites in the world.
Returning to Katharos Beach
After exploring Oia, I suggested that we all visit the hidden black sand beach that I discovered two days ago. We walked down the hill and back onto Katharos Beach. Once again, there were barely any crowds, so we got to enjoy the beach to ourselves.
We climbed up some nearby rocks and were rewarded to amazing views of the Aegean. The rest of the group enjoyed this hidden beach as much as I did when I discovered it.
As we were all getting hungry, we went to the beach’s restaurant on the hillside. We grabbed some drinks and some amazing Greek hummus while enjoying the beautiful water views.
When we were finished eating, we decided to head back up towards the village. It was around 6:00 p.m., a couple of hours before the sunset. Back along the main street, we entered a small park next to another Greek chapel. This chapel seemed like a miniature version of the Panagia Platsani church. The building is Cycladic in design and features a vaulted roof and a small stacked bell tower. Visitors walk right onto the roof of the chapel, which makes for a great photo spot.
The Last Sunset
After each of us took our picture at the chapel, I led the group towards the Byzantine Castle Ruins for the highlight of the evening: the sunset. We went to the nearby market to grab a couple bottles of wine. Thankfully, Greek wine is both tasty and inexpensive.
It was already getting crowded around 7:30 p.m., but we managed to get a spot on some nearby steps. We were seated on the main thoroughfare for the village’s donkeys, which shuttle tourists to and from the port at Amoudi Bay.
I enjoyed my final sunset of the trip with my newly made friends. We drank wine and watched the sun set into the horizon. As there was barely any cloud cover that night, the sun sank right into the water.
As night fell, we walked back towards the bus stop. The village lights were shining, giving Oia a sparkling appearance against the night sky. Unfortunately, there was an even larger crowd watching the sunset that night, so we had to wait in a long line to get on a bus back to Fira. Thankfully, there was a tasty Greek restaurant next to the bus stop, where I grabbed a delicious gyro sandwich to go.
A Sad Goodbye
We arrived back at the hostel, where it was sadly time to part ways. Mirt had an early morning ferry to Athens the following day, while Changhee was headed to Crete to continue exploring Greece. Mary-Anne still had one more full day on the island and was planning to rent an ATV. I gave her all of my tips on places to visit around the island.
Even though the four of us were only together for one day, we exchanged contact info and shared the pictures of our fun memories touring Santorini. I told everyone to let me know if they were ever in Miami.
For me, traveling is more than just about the buildings and cities I visit, but about the