Islands – Scribbles and Snapshots

September 5, 2025

I have dreamed about Santorini since I first had seen a picture of the whitewashed buildings, the blue-domes, and the blue water in the background. I bought a calendar once and I think I kept that picture for years after because I loved that image so much. When Andy and I got engaged – this was where I originally wanted to get married.

One thing led to another and the universe had other plans and we got married in the Dominican Republic instead. This was the port stop that I was most excited to visit because of how long I had dreamed about Santorini for – and honestly, it didn’t let me down.

Santorini is one of Greece’s most iconic islands, but what makes it truly unique, is that it sits on the rim of an active volcanic caldera. The result of a massive eruption thousands of years ago that shaped its dramatic cliffs and crescent shape.

One of things to note about Santorini is that all of the villages are on the cliffs, and tourists have limited options to get to the top. You can climb up 588 stairs to the top of Fira, ride a donkey, ride a cable car and pay 10 euro per person (one way), or book an excursion with the cruise ship who will arrange travel for you.

We opted for the last option, which took the guess work out of it for us. It did mean we had an early wake up call for us, but we got on tender who brought us over to the new port where our bus was waiting for us. These roads were teeny tiny and would have had anyone who was afraid of heights pinching their eyes closed and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible.

Our first stop was Oia, with its winding alleys and the famous blue domes. We were one of the first busses to pull into the parking lot, and our tour guide was so excited that she hustled us to the meeting point and told us to get to the “Instagram” point as quickly as possible because the crowds would be getting there soon and the lines would get long for the picture.

This is where things got funny. Andy and I ended up splitting up on accident because she told us that the there were two different vantage points for the domes, and both of us were in too deep with our respective lines. Andy’s line moved faster. He then came over to my line to be the ever-dutiful Instagram husband and take my pictures. Another bucket list item secured!

Since he waited, he got his line’s vantage point

Our next stop was a winery – Artemis Karamolegos. We sampled three wines: a crisp white Assyrtiko, a dry rosé Assyrtiko, and a sweet wine that they were famous for, the Vinsanto. Santorini has some of the oldest grapes in Europe because they were resistant to phylloxera, which had devastated the rest of Europe’s vines. We enjoyed our time there before getting back on the bus for our last stop.

They had some local cheese, tomatoes, and olives as a pairing

They have a unique way of weaving a “basket” with the vines underground.

We made our way to the capital, Fira. This is where most tourists make the pilgrimage from the old port (the 588 steps or the donkey route). Thankfully, we were already at the top. We had an hour here, so we made our way to the edge and snuck a peek of the caldera and the donkeys before doing a little shopping.

The height of the coach bus really highlighted the crazy switchbacks headed down to the new port- sorry to the moms out there following along…

We made our way back to the cruise ship after our stop in Fira. Andy and I discussed, and we realized that everything had worked out the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to get married in the Dominican Republic. Santorini was stunning, and beautiful. But it was small – and I think we would have been bored after a day or two. It’s funny how things work out and you just don’t know it at the time!

Up Next:
Naples

April 20-23, 2025

The San Blas Islands are a stunning chain of about 365 islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, one for every day of the year! (Plus I think there’s actually a few extra if you’re feeling extra adventurous!) Only around 50 are actually inhabited, mostly by the Guna people. The Guna people have lived there for centuries and still run the islands today. Tourists have the option to get there by taking a 4×4 ride from Panama City to the coast and then hopping on a boat to reach the islands. It’s a bit of a trek but totally worth it.

However, since we wanted to capitalize on both our time together and seeing more of Panama we opted to take a privately chartered plane there. During all of my research, it took me a while to find a company that offered both the sailing portion and the flight over to the islands. We decided to book with San Blas Sailing. This company really took care of everything, had outstanding communication during the booking process, and helped ensure that they understood each of our individual dietary needs (we would be eating all of our meals on the catamaran). And at this point, most of you already know that your girl has a lot of food quirks. 😉

So on Sunday, we were picked up bright and early by a van that took us to the regional airport. We got some conflicting information on how long the flight would take – ranging from 4 to 45 minutes. Either way, we knew it would be a quick flight over there, which really beat the 4×4 option! San Blas Sailing recommended that we leave our larger hard-sided luggage behind in their office, due to the small storage space on the boat.

It took a little bit before the plane got there, but before too long we were off! They let us know it was actually going to be more like a 20 minute flight over to the islands. We were technically landing at an “airport”, but I’d say it was actually just a landing strip with a crew waiting to help us with our bags. We were quickly shuttled over to a dinghy that would take us over to our boat.

This was the beginning of our adventure! Once we all made it over to the boat – we got to choose from four different cabins. Honestly, it’s surprising when you see these catamarans from the outside that they can have four bedrooms with their own bathrooms attached. Each room had a queen sized bed and a small closet to hang some clothes and other cupboards for storage. It was snug, but the company did a great job of preparing us how small it would be.

Thanks Melisa for capturing pictures of the cabins!

The crew was incredible: Yuri (the Captain), Isabela (the cook and the unfortunate one who had to deal with my food nuances!), and Bali. They were so warm and charming – they really made sure that we rarely had to ask for anything. Bali was slinging fresh drinks and setting us up for our different activities – and Isabela cooked three fresh meals each day!

One of our favorite parts was the fact that the local people would paddle up to our boat and sell the crew their recent catches. These ranged from crab, to snapper, and spiny lobsters! We really enjoyed all of the food – and how fresh everything was. (Including the produce!)

Throughout our time there, we stopped at about 7 different islands. (But we sailed past so many more!) They ranged in size, but most of them you could walk around within 10 minutes. All of them had wonderful white sand beaches and warm water that surrounded them. One of the first islands we stopped at even had a bar! Unfortunately it was Easter, so they didn’t have a whole lot going on – and only 5 beers. 😂

The islands were perfect for water activities: snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, swimming, and floating. We had the option to kayak, but I don’t think any of us actually asked to have them taken out. One of the islands Bali dropped us off in the dingy (this is where the bar was!).

The crew even helped decorate for Andy’s 40th birthday and baked him a cake. It truly was one of the more memorable trips we’ve been on. It was incredible to see these islands in such an untouched way – a lot of the residents living without electricity and in huts. But with one of the best views you could ever imagine.

Wednesday morning we made our way back to the airstrip for our flight back to Panama City – where we would be reunited with our luggage and move on to our resort!

Up Next:
– Westin Playa Bonita
– Panama Canal Visitor Center
– Casca Antigua
– Ecotour

Tag: Islands

A Postcard from Santorini

Sailing through San Blas Islands