I was pretty sure when planning my trip to Santorini that I would be attracted to the quieter villages and my first two days had confirmed that. Relying on public transport I had figured out a plan for day 3 that involved taking a bus to Perissa, on the beach side of the island, and either walking or gradually bussing back, stopping at other villages on the way. I chose the Perissa bus route because it seemed to pass through the most recommended villages for a visit. I wasn’t too fussed about how many I got to see, was prepared to wing it and see how the day turned out.
I started early and made my way to Perissa. Again, I thought the beach was underwhelming by Australian standards, but I don’t think Australians come to Santorini for beaches. It was still early in the day and no one much was around so I went for a wander and found breakfast. Perissa has two lovely bakeries and I managed to visit both!
From Perissa I walked to Emborio. It took maybe 20-30 minutes. Emborio has busier areas but also has a lovely Kastro where I spent some time wandering and taking photos before taking time out to sit down and people watch. Not tourist watching but watching families walk small children home from school and the local man selling vegetables at the bus stop. In Emborio I didn’t feel like a tourist in a tourist hotspot I simply felt like someone visiting a place where everyone else was getting on with every day life.
Yes, I like steps and doors.
Feeling I had done enough walking the day before, I waited for the next bus to take me the short trip to Megalochori. My third village of the day.
Megalochori had some cute shops and a town centre with a couple of tavernas. A perfect spot for some lunch and some shopping.
Megalochori was probably a more attractive village than Emborio, but also one that seemed to mostly rely on tourism. I didn’t get the same sense of life going on there as I did in Emborio. I did however get a great lunch and walk out of there with two new dresses! Both villages were worth visiting. And both very photogenic.
I entertained the idea of visiting another village but, with one day left on Santorini I instead took the bus back to Fira for a bit of a rest before sunset. A beautiful Santorini sunset. The color persisted for at least an hour after the sun went down, and although lots of people were around for the sunset, vantage spots soon emptied and I was pretty much on my own photographing the color that followed.
Another full day on Santorini. Most of it spent wandering through and marvelling at the Cycladic architecture, observing village life and some great conversations with locals.
See the World with Me 
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