Sarakiniko from the Sea and Sifnos in Afternoon

We left our spot in Adamas Bay this morning and spent a few hours exploring Sarakiniko from the water side.  We went in Zodiak dinghies to visit shallow caves.  It was a beautiful day and the colors of the sea were magnificent!  

After lunch on the ship, we motored to the island of Sifnos by 16h00, stopping in the port village of Kamares, and promptly went on a bus tour of the island.  We visited the Monastery of Chrysopigi, the island’s most famous religious site.  We then traveled to the village of Apollonia and took a walk along the stone paved streets.  Our last stop was in the medieval village of Kastro, dating back 5000 years, with most of the current buildings built under Venetian rule in the 14th century.  We walked out to the Church of the Seven Martyrs, located on a rocky outcrop in the Aegean.  We were amazed along the drive at the miles of terraced stone walls on the hills of Sifnos.  We ended our day with ice cream and a crepe in Kamares.  

Sarakiniko Beach on Milos

Soon after breakfast this morning, Papa and I took a tender into the pretty waterfront village of Adamas, then walked to the taxi stand.  We took a taxi to Sarakiniko Beach, on the north shore of Milos. Waves and erosion have shaped grayish-white volcanic rock into shapes, caves, and bridges, creating a moonscape and one of the most photographed landscapes in Greece and the Aegean.  We thought it was beautiful!  We explored one of the long hand hewn catacombs, up, down, and all around.  Stunning!

We walked back to Adamas for lunch on the waterfront and explored the village a bit.  We like the island of Milos - laid back, slower moving, with a large protected harbor and beautiful beaches.

Santorini in the Rain

Fortunately, we had been to Santorini once before, so we chose to leave the masses behind, and we took a bus to Akrotiri Ruins.  “The earliest evidence for human habitation of Akrotiri can be traced back as early as the 5th millennium BCE when it was a small fishing and farming village.  The community developed and expanded significantly, due to trade relations established with other culture in the Aegean.  Akrotiri is positioned on the primary sailing route between Cyprus and Minoan Crete.  It was important in the trade of copper.  Akrotiri’s prosperity continued another 500 years, with paved streets, an extensive drainage system, and the production of high quality pottery.  All came to an end in the 16th century BCE with the volcanic eruption of Thera. The settlement was destroyed, buried in volcanic ash, which preserved the remains of fine frescoes and many objects and artworks.  Akrotiri has been excavated since 1967.”  We enjoyed a self tour of Akrotiri under a large covered roof.  It was fascinating to imagine life there over 7000 years ago.

We took the bus back to Fira and had a snack, then got in the long line to ride the tram back to the waterfront to take a small boat back to our boat.  The tram was the only way to return to the boat as the walkway was closed.  Nothing to do but be patient and chat with others in line!  We had dinner on our boat and rode overnight to our next stop.  

Naxos

Just after breakfast this morning, our boat anchored off a beach of Naxos for a few hours.  Naxos is mountainous and has beautiful beaches.  We enjoyed the magnificent views.

The boat moved to Naxos Town after lunch.  Papa and I walked to the ancient doorway to the Temple of Apollo, begun in 530 BC, and never finished.  We walked around the narrow lanes of the old city, including the 13th century Venetian Castle.