Santorini and Height "Issues"

We will be doing a family cruise this June with Santorini being one of the ports. One in our group has issues with heights; for example - being on a ski gondola (or similar) would be a problem. He also has trouble driving on roads that have drop offs (he once tried driving on the Pacific Coast Highway - not good!) I can't imagine him doing the donkey ride and not sure about how the cable car is.

SO....question is: What is the best, least scary way ;) for us to get to Fira/Oia and tour the area? Any suggestions/specifics welcome!

Edited to also ask: How long does the cable car ride take? If it's very quick, he might be able to suck it up :)

We will be doing a family cruise this June with Santorini being one of the ports. One in our group has issues with heights; for example - being on a ski gondola (or similar) would be a problem. He also has trouble driving on roads that have drop offs (he once tried driving on the Pacific Coast Highway - not good!) I can't imagine him doing the donkey ride and not sure about how the cable car is.

SO....question is: What is the best, least scary way ;) for us to get to Fira/Oia and tour the area? Any suggestions/specifics welcome!

Edited to also ask: How long does the cable car ride take? If it's very quick, he might be able to suck it up :)

Try this company :

http://www.santoriniplanet.com/

They have boats going from Fira to the base of Oia and then arrange transport up to the town and back to Fira. Their web site is undergoing some adjustments but you can E-mail them.

The alternative cable car will have you up to Fira in 6 minutes.

Try this company :

http://www.santoriniplanet.com/

They have boats going from Fira to the base of Oia and then arrange transport up to the town and back to Fira. Their web site is undergoing some adjustments but you can E-mail them.

The alternative cable car will have you up to Fira in 6 minutes.

If someone takes the boat, how do you get from where the boat drops off (base of Oia) to the town itself? Would that also be an issue for someone with height issues?

To the OP: there is also the option of walking up the steps to Fira, rather than taking the cable car or riding a donkey.

If someone takes the boat, how do you get from where the boat drops off (base of Oia) to the town itself? Would that also be an issue for someone with height issues?

 

To the OP: there is also the option of walking up the steps to Fira, rather than taking the cable car or riding a donkey.

The boat goes from the port of Fira to Amoudi Bay, the port of Oia. From there you get a bus to the town of Oia and also included in the €25 is a bus back to the town of Fira. You can then get the cable car back to the port or even walk it down the steps (trying to avoid the donkeys). No issues with height at all

If someone takes the boat, how do you get from where the boat drops off (base of Oia) to the town itself? Would that also be an issue for someone with height issues?

 

To the OP: there is also the option of walking up the steps to Fira, rather than taking the cable car or riding a donkey.

At Oia, the road comes down to the jetty. The boat trip includes a bus up to the village. It used to also include a shuttle back from Oia to Fira but I think that bit's been deleted & you have to make your own way. I think - but I might be wrong - that you can't take the boat back to the tender jetty below Fira, so you're still faced with the cablecar or 25-minute walk down from Fira to jetty. Sorry to be a bit vague, and possibly out of date - keep an eye on the website & any recent returnees' comments. Perhaps even ask on a recently-returned RollCall, any ship, any cruise line.

The road from Fira to Oia should pose no anxiety.

The walk down the zig-zag path from Fira to tender jetty isn't strenuous, though some stones are shiny & slippery & the wind can blow up the odd little dust storm of what the donkeys (actually they're mules) left behind. But the path is very wide and there's a strong waist-high stone wall all the way down.:)

But the walk up is pretty taxing. :eek:

Simplest - but certainly not least-expensive - is a ship's excursion. These are tendered to a little ferry-harbour where the road comes down to the jetty.

I'm no fan of ships' excursions, but in some circumstances ..............

JB :)

The cable car really stays very close to the rocks up the hillside rather than swinging way out over the water, so hopefully would not be too much of a problem.

To the OP,

I have some issues with heights and was fearful of the Santorini cable car. It is very much like a gondola and I think the ride takes two to three minutes (five minutes tops). I chose to sit with my back to ocean and just kept breathing in and out and reminding myself that it would be quick. It's a bit scary because at times you are sure that the car will hit the rocks and the cement reinforcing walls but, of course, that's crazy.

On the way down, it was dark and I don't remember which side I sat on.

If you send an email to ccrosner at aol dot com, I can send you some pictures if that would be helpful.

The trip is TOTALLY worth it--we LOVED Santorini. I am so glad we did not waste our time and money on the ship's excursion. Loved having lots of time in Oia.

When we return in June 2014, we are going by boat to Oia and then back on the bus (which is part of the package with santoriniplanet.com).

My niece's husband is very much afraid of height. When they went to Santorini with us, he was super nervous about the cable car ride. On the way up, he sat with his back towards the ocean, ducked his head down, and shut his eyes tight. He was fine. He decided to walk back down when it was time to get back on the ship.

Thanks to all who shared their experiences with me (esp. those who had a similar issue). After giving it some thought, I think the cable car may work out OK. It's a short ride and not very high off the ground apparently. I'll have him sit looking away from the water (a win-win - I get the good seat :) ) and I think it will be fine.

I can't wait to get there now! :)

Pictures here and here.

If someone has an issue with heights, wouldn't just being on a large cruise ship be stressful for them?

The ride up in the cable car probably takes little over a minute if one can close your eyes (and think of England !!!!)

You can avoid this issue altogether in Santorini by taking a Ships Shore excursion . The tenders take those pax to another location where road coaches come right down onto the dock. Then sit on the inside of the bus going up and down . Issue fixed .

Thanks for sharing your photos, ROCruiser and lovestx....what amazing shots!

I'll also look into the ship excursion....i do think that based on what I've heard that he can handle the cable cars.

As for whether a large cruise ship would be an issue - I know he's fine with that, as we've already done one other cruise to Alaska on a comparable sized ship. I guess there's different degrees to everything :)

I have the same problem.just closed my eyes,put my head down and prayed.

Was not that bad as it was a really quick ride,

Good luck

Only the person with the fear of heights will be able to make that decision. I knew I WAS NOT riding the cable cars. I booked a ship's excursion. We were tendered to the older port where the coaches were waiting for us. I boarded the coach, and when it took off closed my eyes. The coach has to climb the steep caldera too!!!

And to Pushka, being on the cruise ship doesn't bother me because I avoid going to the highest decks. I try to book my cabin on about deck 8. And I don't get close to the deck railing to look down. I'm fine looking out, but not down on the ship.

We will be doing a family cruise this June with Santorini being one of the ports. One in our group has issues with heights; for example - being on a ski gondola (or similar) would be a problem. He also has trouble driving on roads that have drop offs (he once tried driving on the Pacific Coast Highway - not good!) I can't imagine him doing the donkey ride and not sure about how the cable car is.

SO....question is: What is the best, least scary way ;) for us to get to Fira/Oia and tour the area? Any suggestions/specifics welcome!

Edited to also ask: How long does the cable car ride take? If it's very quick, he might be able to suck it up :)

At about 20 seconds into this shows the gondolas. They are not very high off the ground, so I hope your friend is OK and you all have a great time. Hopefully it will not be necessary but the walk back down the steps to the harbour takes about 20-25 minutes. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]dUwKItPJo-E[/YOUTUBE]

Great video, Cornishpastyman! Thank you for sharing.

We took the boat ride to Oia, then huge bus to Fira. I was very nervous about the cable car also. It does sit sort of close to the ground. I admit I closed my eyes, held onto my husband, and had the others in the cable car first laugh that I was nervous but then talked me thru it. I'm not really afraid of heights in that I fly...but I won't ride on a ski lift sort of thing and this was easier. It's that or walk down which seemed like a bad idea after the donkeys had been walking on those steps all day.

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So some people go to Fira first (donkeys/cable car) and some head to Oia first (boat, then bus to town)? Then do a bus to get between Oia/Fira or Fira/Oia? Is one way or the other overall less stressful on someone with height issues?

Pictures here and here.

Thank you ROCruiser, your pic's are beautiful! I cant wait to go there in October.

Hi, I was wondering if the boats to Oia have to be pre booked through our cruise ship, or can we just take it as we arrive at the port?

We then thought we could catch a bus from Oia back to fira and look around and shopforma while and then make the journey by foot back down to the ship.

We were hoping to do this destination ourselves without organising a tour.

Is this advisable/possible? or should I book a tour?