Sailing
3 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
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from
$27.23
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Caldera's Boats Santorini Sea Excursions
Caldera's Boats Santorini Sea Excursions
Caldera's Boats Santorini Sea Excursions
4
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Full view
About
The excursion stars from the meeting point of your village, where a bus* will pick you up and will drive you to Athinios port for embarkation!The first stop of your adventure is the volcano of Santorini in Nea Kameni Island, where you will have the opportunity to climb on the top of the volcano, see and take photos of the active crater and walk on its rims which is a unique experience!The next destination is Palia Kameni where you will dive and swim in the hot springs created by the underwater powers of the volcano!Sailing above the underwater craters from Palia Kameni to Thirasia Island, the boat will anchor close to the island and you will have the time to ship with your wine. Dinner buffet is served!!! Enjoy the endless blue in the famous Caldera of Santorini and the picturesque villages on top! In the north cape of Santorini you will admire the magical view of Oia village with its small famous white houses!The end of the excursion comes on sunset time. The boat sets sails and the sun dives to the sea. This is the most unforgettable experience. Your trip in Santorini in this sanctuary of romance is going to be in your memories and your hearts forever!*If you wish to avoid the bus service, you can take the boat from the old port of Fira at 15:15 and you can disembark at the old port of Fira where the boat sails right after Athinios port.
Tours and Tickets by Caldera's Boats Santorini Sea Excursions
Day Trips
6 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$32.68
per adult
Day Cruises
6 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$81.70
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$54.47
per adult
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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praiseGodalways
Mount Laurel, NJ136 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
Caldera’s boats sunset cruise.
The sunset cruise was a lot of fun. Ulysses provided commentary in English, French and Italian throughout. He was lively and a great guide and very friendly.
First stop is the volcano. It costs an extra 5 euros to go on the island. It was a little steep hike, but some people did it with flip flops and slides for footwear. I would recommend sandals that had straps as the path gravel is very loose in some areas. Commentary is provided on the origin of the volcano island and all of Santorini in general. The second stop is the warm springs. You jump into the ocean in refreshing (aka cold) water and then swim to where the water is warmer. They said it’s only about 5-6 degrees Celsius warmer, so don’t expect hot tub warmth. The third stop is in the port of Thirasia. This is where dinner is provided. Wine and water are complimentary during dinner only. There are other beverages for sale the remainder of the time. The last stop is the sunset at the base of Oia. They put up the sails at this time.
On the way back to port, Ulysses taught us a traditional Greek dance. It was a lovely end to a wonderful stay in Santorini.
The sunset cruise was a lot of fun. Ulysses provided commentary in English, French and Italian throughout. He was lively and a great guide and very friendly.
First stop is the volcano. It costs an extra 5 euros to go on the island. It was a little steep hike, but some people did it with flip flops and slides for footwear. I would recommend sandals that had straps as the path gravel is very loose in some areas. Commentary is provided on the origin of the volcano island and all of Santorini in general. The second stop is the warm springs. You jump into the ocean in refreshing (aka cold) water and then swim to where the water is warmer. They said it’s only about 5-6 degrees Celsius warmer, so don’t expect hot tub warmth. The third stop is in the port of Thirasia. This is where dinner is provided. Wine and water are complimentary during dinner only. There are other beverages for sale the remainder of the time. The last stop is the sunset at the base of Oia. They put up the sails at this time.
On the way back to port, Ulysses taught us a traditional Greek dance. It was a lovely end to a wonderful stay in Santorini.
Written February 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jaye A
Houston, TX64 contributions
May 2022
This was an awesome tour. Be sure to bring your gym shoes for the hike up to the volcano. The boat was really exciting, we sat near the front. The tour guides were the best. Ulysses was extremely funny and helpful. Make sure to tip the tour guides as they are providing you with the best customer service. Awe, and make sure to add on the evening tour to Oia, after you leave the ship, the bus will then take you to Oia to so that you can shop, eat dinner and view the best sunset. Then the buses take you back to your hotel.
Written June 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dannnnnnnnnnnni
Adelaide, Australia56 contributions
Sep 2014
I enjoyed my day but here's some tips:
- I paid €34 for the full day including pick up, sunset in Oia and return to hostel. I spoke to a few people who chose to start their tour at the bottom of Fira and did the same tour as me (minus the bus transfers) and paid €19. So you can save a lot of money by walking and catching public transport (which is easy) rather than getting the Caldera bus.
- Take food and water with you. Lunch wasn't until around 3pm and I think it was probably planned this way so that you'll buy food on the boat. Take snacks and lots of water (especially if you want to hike the volcano - you need 1L water per person minimum just for that!)
- Take walking shoes for the volcano. I only had flip flops and had to sit and wait for 2hrs while those who had proper shoes walked up and back. I didn't mind too much but if you don't like waiting around, take shoes and do the walk.
- The bus situation to get home after Oia sunset is absolutely chaotic. Not to mention the sunset in Oia itself isn't very pleasant due to the large rude crowds of people. Fira sunset is much nicer in my opinion.
- DO NOT RIDE THE DONKEYS. When you get off the boat in Oia you have the chance to take a donkey ride up the stairs or simply walk. I was hot and tired and didn't want to walk so I paid the €5 for a donkey ride and waited in line. When the donkeys came back down to pick us up I looked into the eyes of one of them and he looked like he was crying. You can tell when an animal is unhappy and mistreated. I noticed a lot of them had patches of fur missing, and abrasions on their skin from the saddles cutting into them. One of them even had a limb as it was running downhill being whipped by the Greek man with a cane! The men who own the donkeys are rude and unfriendly, and I would strongly recommend you do NOT support the mistreatment of the donkeys by paying for a ride. I walked away in tears after seeing them, and I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I walked up instead and it was a beautiful walk, I stopped frequently to take photos of the view. I met up with others in my group at the top and they said the donkey ride wasn't enjoyable at all, and one of them said her donkey was trying to buck her off the whole time! Don't support animal cruelty in the name of tourism, please please please. Use your own two legs.
- I paid €34 for the full day including pick up, sunset in Oia and return to hostel. I spoke to a few people who chose to start their tour at the bottom of Fira and did the same tour as me (minus the bus transfers) and paid €19. So you can save a lot of money by walking and catching public transport (which is easy) rather than getting the Caldera bus.
- Take food and water with you. Lunch wasn't until around 3pm and I think it was probably planned this way so that you'll buy food on the boat. Take snacks and lots of water (especially if you want to hike the volcano - you need 1L water per person minimum just for that!)
- Take walking shoes for the volcano. I only had flip flops and had to sit and wait for 2hrs while those who had proper shoes walked up and back. I didn't mind too much but if you don't like waiting around, take shoes and do the walk.
- The bus situation to get home after Oia sunset is absolutely chaotic. Not to mention the sunset in Oia itself isn't very pleasant due to the large rude crowds of people. Fira sunset is much nicer in my opinion.
- DO NOT RIDE THE DONKEYS. When you get off the boat in Oia you have the chance to take a donkey ride up the stairs or simply walk. I was hot and tired and didn't want to walk so I paid the €5 for a donkey ride and waited in line. When the donkeys came back down to pick us up I looked into the eyes of one of them and he looked like he was crying. You can tell when an animal is unhappy and mistreated. I noticed a lot of them had patches of fur missing, and abrasions on their skin from the saddles cutting into them. One of them even had a limb as it was running downhill being whipped by the Greek man with a cane! The men who own the donkeys are rude and unfriendly, and I would strongly recommend you do NOT support the mistreatment of the donkeys by paying for a ride. I walked away in tears after seeing them, and I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I walked up instead and it was a beautiful walk, I stopped frequently to take photos of the view. I met up with others in my group at the top and they said the donkey ride wasn't enjoyable at all, and one of them said her donkey was trying to buck her off the whole time! Don't support animal cruelty in the name of tourism, please please please. Use your own two legs.
Written September 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sridhar K
Tampa, FL42 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
The tour itself is great. You need to know many things before you get to this ride. First, make sure you have cash in hand, a towel, water and a swim suit to get aboard. Next make sure you start at least 2.5 hours before departure time. Arrive at the old port of FIRA. This is not accessible by car. You can walk down the 587 steps or you will have to buy a cable car ride or a donkey taxi ride. So, you need to know that you are going to the old port of Fira and then life becomes easy. Also, these people need printed tickets. Make sure you have them other they will give you some grief. Overall, I liked the experience but I wasn’t aware of anything I stated above which made my life miserable that day. Once on board, you’ll like it. It can be frustrating until you hop on to the vessel. Don’t forget to wear sneakers for the volcano hill hike.
Written June 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Paola S
1 contribution
Aug 2019
General.
I would recommend this nice trip to everyone who choose a lazy-relax vacation mode:on but needs to definitelty reactivate after too much idling away (yep, we're not used to it) or, more broadly, to everyone who enjoy action, excursions, light hiking.
Getting there
Getting to Thyra old port is quite easy if you get there by cablecar (ticket is 6 euro per way – 3 minutes trip - round-trip option is not available). I would definitely not recommend to walk down there since it's a long walk under blazing sun so not healthy nor sporty at all plus you’d have to constantly slaloming donkeys and tourists.
Please avoid donkey ride too, it doesn't have any sense when you have cable-car option (and by the way the ticket costs same as cable-car) or rather hopefully your legs. This way you'll relieve donkeys from carrying such a not exactly light burden (come on, we're not in the middle-age, it's not necessary) and you will definitely save yourself from guaranteed various stinks. Other than this I would suggest to arrive earlier to make sure to get to the box office and print you ticket if not already printed.
The trip
Get ready to share this trip with a crowd of tourists, luckily it will only last 15 minutes and you’ll be able to enjoy the view anyways. Be sure to carry water with you, no heavy bags, just essential stuff (basically water and sunscreen). A small bar is on service on board.
First stop. Once you get to the volcano bay in Nea Kameni you’ll be either free to explore it or, with only €2,5 extra, to follow the assigned guide to the top of the island and sees active craters and fumaroles and enjoy learning some geology of this place. This first stop will last 1,5hours. Remember your boat captain’s name as there will be several ones docked but for safety reasons you can only board on the same one that brought you there.
Second stop. After an ever shorter sailing than the first one you’ll get to Palea Kameni island. Here, if you are a good swimmer, you can enjoy a dive in the blue water swimming to the hot springs where water turns into rusty colours due to the benefic metals it contains. Definitely worthvalue after to soothe for the hard walk on the previous stop at the volcano. Best moment: goats staring at you from the highest top of the cliffs. They will then leave pretty bored.
PS: this irony water definitely stains so be sure to wear a swimsuit you won’t regret to possibly ruin.
I would recommend this nice trip to everyone who choose a lazy-relax vacation mode:on but needs to definitelty reactivate after too much idling away (yep, we're not used to it) or, more broadly, to everyone who enjoy action, excursions, light hiking.
Getting there
Getting to Thyra old port is quite easy if you get there by cablecar (ticket is 6 euro per way – 3 minutes trip - round-trip option is not available). I would definitely not recommend to walk down there since it's a long walk under blazing sun so not healthy nor sporty at all plus you’d have to constantly slaloming donkeys and tourists.
Please avoid donkey ride too, it doesn't have any sense when you have cable-car option (and by the way the ticket costs same as cable-car) or rather hopefully your legs. This way you'll relieve donkeys from carrying such a not exactly light burden (come on, we're not in the middle-age, it's not necessary) and you will definitely save yourself from guaranteed various stinks. Other than this I would suggest to arrive earlier to make sure to get to the box office and print you ticket if not already printed.
The trip
Get ready to share this trip with a crowd of tourists, luckily it will only last 15 minutes and you’ll be able to enjoy the view anyways. Be sure to carry water with you, no heavy bags, just essential stuff (basically water and sunscreen). A small bar is on service on board.
First stop. Once you get to the volcano bay in Nea Kameni you’ll be either free to explore it or, with only €2,5 extra, to follow the assigned guide to the top of the island and sees active craters and fumaroles and enjoy learning some geology of this place. This first stop will last 1,5hours. Remember your boat captain’s name as there will be several ones docked but for safety reasons you can only board on the same one that brought you there.
Second stop. After an ever shorter sailing than the first one you’ll get to Palea Kameni island. Here, if you are a good swimmer, you can enjoy a dive in the blue water swimming to the hot springs where water turns into rusty colours due to the benefic metals it contains. Definitely worthvalue after to soothe for the hard walk on the previous stop at the volcano. Best moment: goats staring at you from the highest top of the cliffs. They will then leave pretty bored.
PS: this irony water definitely stains so be sure to wear a swimsuit you won’t regret to possibly ruin.
Written August 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Amit A
Dubai, United Arab Emirates1 contribution
Aug 2019 • Family
Would have given a negative review if I could. We could not go for this tour as it was not informed anywhere the one mile long queue at the cable car station. We reached early and stood in the queue with our 2 young kids in very hot weather for over 2 hours but still couldn't make it but what is surprising is that the tour company didn't have the decency to inform about the situation at the time of booking or later so we could be prepared in advance.
Written August 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Shweta S
6 contributions
May 2015 • Family
We booked a 5 hours tour with Nomikos Travel in the town of Fira.
When we asked them how many people were on the boat, they said up to 30. So we booked. Many other places we checked out had told us their boats could have over 100 people on the boat. So we passed up on those.
When we ended up at the port the next morning, we saw that there were over 150 people on the boats!!! This is not what we had signed up for. It was like they were really herding people! So we left and went back to Nomikos Travel where we booked and asked for a refund. They were all very rude. They said they have no control on how many people would be on the boat. When I asked why the falsely advertised, they had no answer. The over was extremely rude! He came out to talk to me, said come back after 7:30 pm when the boats are back and simply walked out of the store.
If you are looking for something calm and slightly personal, do not sign up with these guys! There are rude and liars!!!
When we asked them how many people were on the boat, they said up to 30. So we booked. Many other places we checked out had told us their boats could have over 100 people on the boat. So we passed up on those.
When we ended up at the port the next morning, we saw that there were over 150 people on the boats!!! This is not what we had signed up for. It was like they were really herding people! So we left and went back to Nomikos Travel where we booked and asked for a refund. They were all very rude. They said they have no control on how many people would be on the boat. When I asked why the falsely advertised, they had no answer. The over was extremely rude! He came out to talk to me, said come back after 7:30 pm when the boats are back and simply walked out of the store.
If you are looking for something calm and slightly personal, do not sign up with these guys! There are rude and liars!!!
Written May 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
desipanchhi
Chicago, IL13 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
My husband and I enjoyed our half day tour with Caldera’s Boats. We opted to use their transfer service, and are glad we did so that we did not have to find our own confusing path to the small port that this tour departs from (hint: it is neither the old port in Fira nor the Amoudi port in Oia). My only complaint with this excursion is against the English speaking female guide. I believe that her name is Maria. From the moment that the check in process started, she seemed to have an impatient attitude. Specifically, she was reluctant accept our order voucher number to let us board the boat because we were presenting it to her electronically instead of in print. She asked us to speak with the bus driver who brought us to the port to sort it out. That was weird because the bus driver clearly did not work directly for Caldera’s Boats (he was likely contracted) and had left immediately after dropping us off at the port. Thankfully, her much more congenial co-guide was able to reassure her that it was okay to accept our voucher off our phones. Though the confirmation email sent by the company immediately after you book does ask you to print the tickets, we had made the booking less than 24 hours prior to the tour start time and had not had time to find a print service in time for the excursion. Given that this is now 2019, we figured an electronic copy would not cause so much distress as it did to Maria. As the day progressed, we continued to find Maria’s service lacking. She generally had a non-approachable, stand-offish vibe that was accentuated by the fact that she never smiled unless she was talking to one of her coworkers. During the volcano hike, she stormed off ahead of the rest of the English-speaking group. Though some were able to keep pace with her speed, many of us, me included, were not. We never saw her or had the chance to hear her guided tour of the volcano after the meeting point B on the volcano (that comes only 15 minutes into the 1.5 hour guided tour). During the hot spring stop, I personally observed her yelling at a family to come back on board just because their young daughter (likely 3-4 years old and with arm floaters on) was panicking while taking a moment to adjust to the water. Fortunately, the family found a way to calm their daughter and to fend Maria off so that they could continue to enjoy the remainder of their time in the hot spring. During the boat ride back to the port, Maria all but disappeared and failed to provide any English language information about the caldera for a good one hour. Her congenial co-guide, who was primarily responsible for providing information in French, was good enough to pick up her slack. I would recommend booking this excursion with Caldera’s Boats, but hope that the company provides some much needed customer service re-training to Maria. Currently, it does not seem that she much enjoys her work and it detracts from the tourist’s experience if they are relying on her to set the mood for their cruise experience.
Written August 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dawie B
Cape Town, South Africa50 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
We really enjoyed this trip to the two volcanic islands in the centre of the caldera, and to Thirasia, ending in Oia / Fira!
It involved travel on a lovely wooden boat with good views and seating (down take one of the enclosed boats unless wind bothers you a lot), a walk to the volcanic craters of Nea Kameni (with sulfur and heat vents showing the volcanic activity), a interesting swim to the "hot spring" on Palea Kameni, and a walk up to the town on the rim of the Caldera on Thirasia island!
A few pointers if you take this trip:
1. The best of the different boat excursion options in my view is the longer one to Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni, Thirasia and Oia, returning to Fira afterwards.
2. For the walk on Nea Kameni, remember to take comfortable shoes and water - it can be quite hot.
3. For the swim to the "hot springs" at Palea Kameni: The water near the hot spring is not really hot, only a few degrees above the ambient sea water temperature. Be ready for a somewhat cold swim to the warmer waters (as experienced in late April). Be aware that your swim suit may be stained yellow / orange by the sulfurous sands - so a dark swim suit is better than a white / light one.
4. At Thirasia island: we enjoyed the walk up to the Panorama Restaurant at the village on the caldera edge - but it can be quite a bit of effort. As an alternative, you can take a donkey ride up. We walked but I understand you can negotiate the cost of the ride down to 6 Euros.
5. We got off at the Armeni harbour below the town of Oia. Note that the boat stops at this southern harbour, not at the more active harbour of Ammoudi a bit further north. Armeni had no open facilities - except for donkey rides up the caldera edge to Oia
6. Since we were staying at Oia, getting off at Ameni was a much better option than traveling back to Fira, and getting transport back to Oia. For those not staying at Oia: Note that the boat only stops to drop passengers - i.e. it does not wait to allow you to first explore Oia. If you want to explore, get off at Oia, explore and then take the bus back to Fira. There is a bus every 20 minutes and it cost about 1.80 Euro per person.
It involved travel on a lovely wooden boat with good views and seating (down take one of the enclosed boats unless wind bothers you a lot), a walk to the volcanic craters of Nea Kameni (with sulfur and heat vents showing the volcanic activity), a interesting swim to the "hot spring" on Palea Kameni, and a walk up to the town on the rim of the Caldera on Thirasia island!
A few pointers if you take this trip:
1. The best of the different boat excursion options in my view is the longer one to Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni, Thirasia and Oia, returning to Fira afterwards.
2. For the walk on Nea Kameni, remember to take comfortable shoes and water - it can be quite hot.
3. For the swim to the "hot springs" at Palea Kameni: The water near the hot spring is not really hot, only a few degrees above the ambient sea water temperature. Be ready for a somewhat cold swim to the warmer waters (as experienced in late April). Be aware that your swim suit may be stained yellow / orange by the sulfurous sands - so a dark swim suit is better than a white / light one.
4. At Thirasia island: we enjoyed the walk up to the Panorama Restaurant at the village on the caldera edge - but it can be quite a bit of effort. As an alternative, you can take a donkey ride up. We walked but I understand you can negotiate the cost of the ride down to 6 Euros.
5. We got off at the Armeni harbour below the town of Oia. Note that the boat stops at this southern harbour, not at the more active harbour of Ammoudi a bit further north. Armeni had no open facilities - except for donkey rides up the caldera edge to Oia
6. Since we were staying at Oia, getting off at Ameni was a much better option than traveling back to Fira, and getting transport back to Oia. For those not staying at Oia: Note that the boat only stops to drop passengers - i.e. it does not wait to allow you to first explore Oia. If you want to explore, get off at Oia, explore and then take the bus back to Fira. There is a bus every 20 minutes and it cost about 1.80 Euro per person.
Written May 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Heidi S
21 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
We booked this tour for our last full day in Greece. We were hoping it would be the highlight of our three week trip, but instead it was a huge disappointment, at best. We decided to use Caldera's Boats, even though we were staying in Oia, because the tour company in Oia never responded to my email. We were told that since the last stop on this tour was in Oia, we could disembark there and return to our hotel.
We took the taxi from Oia in the morning (15 euros), then the cable car to the port (10 euros). When we boarded the boat, we were herded on like cattle with dozens of other tourists. The first stop was the volcano, which was very interesting (we had educated ourselves beforehand) and quite picturesque. The supposedly guided tour of the volcano was really a hurried explanation of the area at a few stops along the way. We were rushed up and down the mountain so the boat could depart at its scheduled time (which it didn't).
The boat then lurched through very rough seas, due to the wind, and arrived at the next stop, the "hot springs", which, at 80 degrees, were not even as warm as our local swimming pool. Worse yet, if you wanted to go to the hot springs, you had to swim 60 meters through 68 degree water to get there. Even though I'm an experienced swimmer, I passed on the opportunity and am glad I did because those who went swimming came back on board shivering.
Next stop was the island of Thirassia. We were given the choice of staying in the run-down port or going to the town at the top of the hill, which required either climbing 450 steps or riding a donkey. As our legs were very tired after three weeks of walking/hiking all over Greece and we don't care to ride on animals, we chose to stay in the port, which consisted of three or four not so desirable restaurants and one little shop. We were rather surprised to find that, unlike what we were told when I called Caldera's Boats the day before, lunch was not included in the price of the tour. Fortunately, we found a place to eat that took credit cards as we were nearly out of cash. We then hung out for over an hour waiting for the boat to leave.
After Thirassia, we were supposed to be able to get off the boat in Oia, but due to rough seas, the boat didn't stop there and went back to Fira. We had to take the cable car back up the hill (another 10 euros) and taxi back to our hotel (20 euros).
Needless to say, we do not recommend Caldera's Boats in the slightest. We were given erroneous information ahead of time, the tour guide was inexperienced and very unprofessional, and other than the volcano, the trip was an entire waste of time. Furthermore, nobody on the staff seemed to care about all the problems...even though several people wanted to disembark in Oia, there was not as much as a "we're sorry for the inconvenience". Anything the tour guide said over the PA system was so garbled that we couldn't understand what was said. There was never any safety explanation or description of where to find life vests and such, even though the water was beyond rough and we felt even being on the boat was dangerous.
When we booked the tour, I was surprised at how little it cost. As they say, you get what you pay for. If you want a boat tour while on Santorini, pay the price to look elsewhere.
We took the taxi from Oia in the morning (15 euros), then the cable car to the port (10 euros). When we boarded the boat, we were herded on like cattle with dozens of other tourists. The first stop was the volcano, which was very interesting (we had educated ourselves beforehand) and quite picturesque. The supposedly guided tour of the volcano was really a hurried explanation of the area at a few stops along the way. We were rushed up and down the mountain so the boat could depart at its scheduled time (which it didn't).
The boat then lurched through very rough seas, due to the wind, and arrived at the next stop, the "hot springs", which, at 80 degrees, were not even as warm as our local swimming pool. Worse yet, if you wanted to go to the hot springs, you had to swim 60 meters through 68 degree water to get there. Even though I'm an experienced swimmer, I passed on the opportunity and am glad I did because those who went swimming came back on board shivering.
Next stop was the island of Thirassia. We were given the choice of staying in the run-down port or going to the town at the top of the hill, which required either climbing 450 steps or riding a donkey. As our legs were very tired after three weeks of walking/hiking all over Greece and we don't care to ride on animals, we chose to stay in the port, which consisted of three or four not so desirable restaurants and one little shop. We were rather surprised to find that, unlike what we were told when I called Caldera's Boats the day before, lunch was not included in the price of the tour. Fortunately, we found a place to eat that took credit cards as we were nearly out of cash. We then hung out for over an hour waiting for the boat to leave.
After Thirassia, we were supposed to be able to get off the boat in Oia, but due to rough seas, the boat didn't stop there and went back to Fira. We had to take the cable car back up the hill (another 10 euros) and taxi back to our hotel (20 euros).
Needless to say, we do not recommend Caldera's Boats in the slightest. We were given erroneous information ahead of time, the tour guide was inexperienced and very unprofessional, and other than the volcano, the trip was an entire waste of time. Furthermore, nobody on the staff seemed to care about all the problems...even though several people wanted to disembark in Oia, there was not as much as a "we're sorry for the inconvenience". Anything the tour guide said over the PA system was so garbled that we couldn't understand what was said. There was never any safety explanation or description of where to find life vests and such, even though the water was beyond rough and we felt even being on the boat was dangerous.
When we booked the tour, I was surprised at how little it cost. As they say, you get what you pay for. If you want a boat tour while on Santorini, pay the price to look elsewhere.
Written May 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
We are in port 8/24/2022 at Tenatively at 2PM until 10 Pm.. I was wondering if there will possibly be a 3:30 tour to accomadate the NCL passengers?
Steph0407
Sussargues, France38 contributions
Hello,
The website is really unclear (and we cannot even book in advance, the calendar would not let us do that). My understanding is that there is a short excursion that starts at 11:00 from the Fira old harbor. Is this right ? It goes to the caldera (where we can hike to the top), then goes to the hot springs, then goes to Thirassia. But the ultimate question is: at what time does this "short" excursion gets back to the Fira old harbor? Is it a 3-hour tour, meaning that we would be back by 14:00/2:00pm ?
Karen M
Dublin, Ireland187 contributions
Hi there, it is a three hour tour from Fira Old Harbour, with an opportunity to climb to the top of the volcano (bring a bottle of water) and then another stop at the hot springs. We dived off the boat and swam to the shore - a stop of about 30 minutes. Some people had waterproof cameras (we didn't). And back on the boat for another 30 minute trip back to the old port of Fira again. It was one of the highlights of our trip - great value for money. A fun day.
TracyM
Cincinnati, OH751 contributions
Looking at the 3 hour tour. Do you have life jackets or floaty things that the kids can use to swim with? I realize you have some on the ship, but wasn't sure if we could use them during our swim at the hot springs. Also - to clarify, you pickup at Fira? In other words, when our cruise ship docks, I believe we will tender to Fira. And you pickup there, prior to us going up the cable car. Does that sound right? I'm not fully clear on where we tender to, but it appears most are Fira.
Brien H
London, UK52 contributions
Hi so everything you said would be correct. They are docked before the cable car and they do have floaty things for both kids and adults alike to help out with the short swim from where the boat anchors to the actual place for swimming.
Peter
Cape Town Central, South Africa2 contributions
How long will it take to walk down to the harbor and are there any refreshments available on board?
Marcello533
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom47 contributions
To walk from the top will take about 30 minutes but on a hot day with heavy traffic one would not recommend walking.
Refreshments are available onboard the boat and there is also a lunch stop mid-way through the cruise
Ciao, io ho prenotato online la stessa escursione che hai fatto tu per il 10 agosto e leggendo le varie recensioni tra cui la tua immagino che sarà davvero bella! Tuttavia ho visto che dal mio hotel il porto vecchio dista 4 km, ma credo di affittare uno scooter.. che tu sappia posso poi parcheggiarlo lì al porto e riprenderlo tranquillamente dopo l'escursione? Grazie anticipatamente!
PanAnna blog di viaggi
Padua, Italy207 contributions
Ciao Gianluca, al porto c'è un parcheggio molto spazioso, non avrai problemi a lasciare lo scooter!
Atatalia123
133 contributions
1) Approximately how many people will be on the volcano hot springs tour and the premium half day tour?
2) Are their seats for everyone on your boats? I am quite prone to seasick so I do not want to be stuck standing on the boat ride.
3) What is the total traveling time for the Volcano hot springs tour and the Premium Half day tour ? (I.e.: the time we actually spend ON the boat)
Thanks,
Designs_JoanK
Brackley, UK446 contributions
When we did the tour the sea was very calm as you're in the middle of the caldera, surrounded by islands. Ours was an all day tour. We were picked up from near the hotel in a coach and taken to the harbour. We sailed for about 45 mins then did the tour of the volcano, which is about an hour and a half from memory - quite a hard climb. We then sailed round to the hot springs and had a swim - another 45 mins or so. After that, we sailed to Oia and dropped some people off who'd decided to have dinner there (you tell them in advance). Some decided against it when they saw how steep the steps were to climb up to the town from the dock area. We then had a gentle sail back to the main harbour and were taken back by coach to the pickup point. We were picked up at 9.30 and dropped around 5.45pm.
Hello,
Will the bus pick us up from our hotel in Oia or do we have to make arrangements to get to Fira port?
nikolasdak
Santorini, Greece1 contribution
hi
please inform me which tour are you interested for because we provide transfer only for our sunset tour ( tour no 6)
Alison G
York, England, United Kingdom904 contributions
Hi, we are looking at the excursion 2, to the volcano and the hot springs, for our holiday in late October. We have 2 children aged 10 and 7; they can swim but are not that confident; is it ok for them to use arm-bands in the water at the hot springs? Thank you, Alison
FaihPal
Athens, Greece14 contributions
Good evening from Santorini island Mrs. Alison!
Of course they can use their arm-bands at the hot springs. The boat put a ladder and you can get very easy in the water. At first it will be quite cold and deep though, so you should definitely be with them!
Always at your disposal!
Best Regards,
Caldera's Boats.
Chris L
Markham, Canada544 contributions
Hi. Can you buy tickets for the excursions at the old port? We'll will be arriving via a cruise but I'm not sure the exact time we'll be landing because it's a tender. So I don't want to book in advance in case I miss it. Thanks!
nikolasdak
Santorini, Greece1 contribution
hello! Yes of course. We have an agency at the old port with the sign CALDERA'S BOATS - SANTO STAR!
thank you!
How deep is the water when you get off the boat (near the hot water springs). Do we need to know swimming or can we walk to the springs
Δημητρα Χ
Thermi, Greece102 contributions
it is deep. almost ten meters (30feet).you have to know swimming and for safety reasons if you have heart problems or asthma it s better to stay on board.