In the morning we decided we would extend the ATV hire for another day, so that we could drive South to Akrotiri and the lighthouse at the southern end of Thira.
We lounged around for a while in our hotel room, recovering from the big day yesterday. We made our way to the market around in Fira and have breakfast: pancakes with banana and some coffee. I tried a Freddo Coffee, which is a black iced coffee with a layer of milk on top. We’d seen it around a few of the café’s in Greece.
On the ATV, we travelled to Exo Gialos, a beach on the eastern side of Thira. The sand is black from volcanic activity and Chantal picked up a pumice as a souvenir. We’re pretty sure we saw people laying in the sun naked. So we stayed far away from them.
Back on the ATV, Chantal drove from the beach to a restaurant with a caldera view on the way to Akrotiri. We stopped for pizza and another coffee while enjoying the view. When we finally made it to Akrotiri we stopped by the prehistoric excavation (https://www.santorini.com/archaeology/akrotiri.htm). The old city beneath the ground was built around the early bronze age but was devastated by multiple earthquakes and volcanic activity. Remarkably a lot was preserved, including wall paintings and frescos such as the boxing boys and the fisherman.
On the way out we ran into at least 5 cats which we were excited to see (of course).
After this we went to the lighthouse and checked out the view. It was quite high up, with no barriers to prevent you falling to your death. I was glad to get out of there quickly and alive. As we travelled back we saw some goats which Chantal was super excited to see and take photos of.
We came back to Fira to have dinner and some glasses of wine as we watched the sunset. I tried a moussaka, which is a traditional Greek dish of mince, egglplant, potato, and tomato. It’s very much like a lasagne and tastes delicious. Chantal had a seafood platter of fried shrimp, calamari, octopus, and sardines. We tried the house wine which was very drinkable and the staff were impressive.
What we’ve noticed during our time in Santorini is that the locals love to give gifts of free things even when we are customers. We scored a plate of bread and dip at the restaurant and we also were gifted a tin of olive oil at the Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum.
Overall it was a very cruisy day as we travelled all around Thira looking at the amazing views.
Goats walking near the road. 
About to get back on the ATV 
Enjoying the view at lunch. 
The black sand beach. 
Our banana pancakes. 
A Freddo Coffee. 
Another sunset at Fira. 
Romantic moment at the lighthouse. 
The view from the lighthouse. 
One part of the prehistoric city. 
The caldera we stopped by.
Chris and Chantal 