Discovery Family Oia Village & Swimming

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Santorini offers kids the opportunity to explore the narrow, cobbled streets of traditional villages, sample fresh local cuisine and swim off the shore of dramatic black sand beaches. Spend a full day on this Discovery Family adventure and make memories together that will last a lifetime.

Tender ashore and board a comfortable motorcoach to begin your ascent of the dramatic, rocky caldera wall. The kids will enjoy the spine-tingling views and twists and turns on the switchbacks. Along the way, your guide will point out the different layers of volcanic lava produced at various phases of the volcano's activity. At the summit, you'll head north through traditional villages to your destination, Oia.

Pronounced "Eee-ah," the village is perched high atop the cliffs of Santorini's northern terminus. The natural beauty and tranquility of Oia's landscape has inspired artists from around the world. A narrated tour takes you down narrow, cobblestone lanes, past whitewashed buildings, quaint shops, sun-bathed cafés and blue-domed churches. Be sure to stop to snap photographs of the surrounding Cycladic isles and the magnificent views of the dazzling caldera.

After the visit to Oia, head toward the other side of the small but dramatically stunning island to the black sands of Perissa Beach. Beach beds and umbrellas have been reserved for you. Please be aware, due to its dark and coarse nature, the black sand can be extremely hot and should not be walked on barefoot.

Perissa is the most popular beach on the island, and during the summer months it's definitely the place to be. Here, you'll have free time to swim and enjoy the amenities. Views are dramatic, and a mammoth rock called Mesa Vouno seems to rise from the sea.

After swimming, you will be served a light lunch at a local taverna before heading back to Fira.

Your tour ends in Fira, but you may stay to explore independently and make your way back to the ship at your leisure, using the cable car (ticket provided). Fira is the cultural and commercial center of Santorini, brimming with galleries, museums, cultural attractions as well as a shopping center. The main square, "Plateia Theotokopoulou," is a lively meeting place. Budding archaeologists will enjoy stepping back in time at the Prehistoric Museum, which displays artifacts recovered from the archaeological site of Akrotiri, Santorini's "Pompeii."

Stop to refresh with an ice cream before taking the cable car, or even a donkey, down to your waiting ship.

Special Notes:

Essential information. The excursion involves 1 hour of walking over cobblestones and with uphill inclines in places. The tour ends in Fira with a walk of 1500 yards to reach the cable car station.

Due to its dark and coarse nature the black sand can be extremely hot and not to be walked on barefoot.