Donkey Walk and Moving Day

There was one more thing on my Santorini bucket list, but I wasn’t sure if my knee would let me tick it off: the walk down to the Old Port and back up again along the same path the donkeys use. I decided if I woke up early, I’d give it a go. And I did—I was up at 6:30am!

The cool morning air made the descent pleasant, though I knew it wouldn’t last on the way back up. 😂 At that time of day, the streets were quiet. I only met one other person, a guy from Melbourne who had already gone down and was nearly back to the top. Otherwise, I had the path to myself until reaching the bottom. There was one cruise ship anchored offshore and another on its way in, but not much else happening down there.

The climb back up was tough, and I thought I might be too early to see any donkeys. Bother! Just as I was thinking that, I heard bells—at first I wondered if they were only in my head from the exertion. Or maybe Santa? But sure enough, around the corner came the donkeys! A couple got a bit too close for comfort, but I managed to stay out of their way before continuing my huffing and puffing up the 588 steps. The numbers were painted in blue near the top—thankfully, not all the way up!

Back at the apartment, I rewarded myself with a coffee before packing up the backpack again. Our ferry wasn’t until 3:30pm, but we checked out at 11. At 11:15 we walked to the bus stop via the bakery. The buses ran at either 12pm or 2:15pm, and we didn’t want to risk the later one. Chaos reigned at the bus stop as usual, with buses “double-stacked.” Luckily, ours backed in just as we arrived. Our strategy is always the same: Sarah hops on with the small bags to secure seats while I stow the big ones. It worked perfectly again, though not everyone made it on board. The driver shouted at those left behind, promising another bus was coming.

The ride to the New Port is only about 8 km, but the final stretch is a dramatic series of switchbacks straight down the mountain. Not for the faint-hearted—you can’t help thinking about the bus brakes and hoping they’re well maintained!

At the terminal, there’s a small building with concrete benches and a covered outdoor area, plus several cafés nearby. Busy, but we managed to find seats inside to wait. 

The ferry boarded and departed right on time. It’s a huge vessel, almost as big as the Interislander ferries back in New Zealand, with escalators up to the passenger decks. We boarded early and snagged comfortable seats with a table. The modern, spotless ship made for a pleasant two-hour sailing, filled with reading and a round of Five Crowns. I lost again—bringing the trip tally to 8–6 in Sarah’s favour. ☹️

Disembarking was a “chop-chop” affair since the ferry continued on to Paros and Athens. Everyone was lined up waiting for the doors to drop and rush off. Once ashore, we found the bus station right beside the pier. First impressions of Naxos: very windy, with some cool-looking historical sites to explore. But the immediate priority was catching a bus to Agios Anna, via Agios Prokopios where we were staying. Tickets cost €2.30 each, which felt pricey for such a short ride.

We were dropped on the roadside near Lagos Hotel and told to look for a dirt driveway about 150m ahead. The village itself was another 600m further on. Google Maps showed our apartment at the end of a marked road, but the “road” was actually that dirt driveway. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong one at first, and it led nowhere. Luckily, we could easily cross over to the right one, and soon spotted our three-storey apartment building ahead—much easier to find once you know what to look for. I’ll post a video so you can get a feel for it. 😂

When we arrived, there was no phone reception and the office was empty. It was just after 6pm, so we hoped someone would show up. We peeked through windows and up the stairs, and eventually a guy appeared and fetched Sofia, the contact I’d messaged on Booking.com. Phew—we were in the right place!

Our room was basic but fine: three beds, a small desk, a simple kitchen, a bathroom, and a terrace with table and chairs. The pool is a little further toward the beach, which I reckon is about 500m away—we’ll find out tomorrow.

We headed into town for supplies. The first thing we saw was a petrol station and then a small supermarket, about the size of a Four Square back home. Prices were higher than Santorini, and the selection was just okay. A basket of breakfast and basic supplies came to €23.

Neither of us felt very hungry or like cooking. We’d planned on eggs on toast, but instead settled for a cold beer followed by peanut butter on toast. Sometimes simple wins!

Another successful, if tiring, travel day.