Hiking on the volcanic island Santorini in Greece

The island of Santorini in Greece is very well connected to international flight connections. There are often quite cheap flight deals and package tours. This enables many to spend the island not only on the beach or in the souvenir shops.

Can you hike Santorini on your own?
Yes - as long as you are well prepared and willing to invest money in good travel guides and maps! A good help is also Google Earth View, with which you can view and print high-resolution aerial photos of the island.

Most of the trails have now been marked somewhat satisfactorily. However, you need a bit of courage to go further where the marking is unclear. And you shouldn't go hiking alone! Firstly, because otherwise you might not get any help if you are out of range of the mobile phone or the battery is empty and because it is not so nice on its own.

Are there any dangers when hiking on Santorini if ​​you hike on your own?
Yes - if you do not know exactly whether a path leads into the steep caldera and continues to the destination or whether it is just a mule track for goats. The caldera should not be underestimated! Climbing is life-threatening because the rock is brittle everywhere and the pumice does not hold. Many places are steep and it often goes down 70-100 meters vertically. Rockfall and demolition of the pumice walls can take place at any time and there was a death in Ia a few years ago when an American tourist was killed by a pumice wall.
You should always keep a safe distance from all rock faces!

The greatest danger on Santorini are the means of transportation!
The quads and motorcycles claim several lives each year. The streets are too crowded so that these leisure devices can drive around safely. They are also usually a traffic obstacle for drivers, who then make dangerous overtaking maneuvers. Better rent a car or take the KTEL bus!