For my second day in Santorini I decided to hire a quad bike and explore the island. Not very big, I could drive the length of the island in just over an hour on my 50cc quad bike which maxed out at about 40km/hr. Armed with a map and some water, I wanted to check out every beach and town on the island in day.
Now, it has to be said that you don't go to Santorini for the beaches. Maybe living in New Zealand has spoiled me but I visited most of the beaches on the island and while I loved the climate and crystal clear water, the beaches themselves didn't excite me.
Red Beach, 'one of the best beaches in the world' according to Trip Advisor was cool to look at and unique with its red volcanic rock but it was very small and (unsurprisingly) packed with tourists, although more than half were content to simply look at the beach from the point (where the photo was taken) and not make the five minute hike around to the beach.
That's one negative (of many) about doing an arranged tour, I heard a tour group arrive and the tour guide say "Right, you've got 10 minutes here and back on the bus". Nowhere is 10 minutes enough time to appreciate what you're looking at or experiencing. The idea of being on such a timetable doesn't interest me.
Other stops along my little quad bike tour of the island were Thira and Oia, clifftop towns with picture perfect views, the island's lighthouse on its southwest tip, a picturesque monestary and a number of other beaches.
Exhausted, I fell asleep on my local beach in Perissa for a couple of hours before waking and enjoying a traditional Greek lamb dish (can't remember what it was called) as the sun set.
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