Santorini is as beautiful as I remember from 30 years ago. The concerns about over tourism are real and we had to wait about 40 minutes to board the cable car to the port. However, the walk along the caldera from Fira toward Oia was as lovely as ever. Within 5 minutes of leaving the busy town of Fira, the pathway cleared up and we only encountered occasional travelers. There are plenty of places to stop along the way for stunning views. The walk lacks shade for most of the path so it's essential to bring sun protection and LOTS of water.
Food and beverage along the caldera walk are hit and miss. We found a lovely, reasonably priced cafe with breathtaking views and shade to take a break from the sun and grab some beverages. However, closer to midday as we were returning toward Fira, we ended up with some truly unappetizing, overpriced Greek food (virtually an oxymoron since you have to try to make Greek cuisine poorly). I think the key is likely getting as far outside of the tourist areas as possible or carefully checking reviews.
In the. afternoon, we took a local bus across to the black sand beach of Kamari on the other side of the island. The beach, at least in the middle of July, has become a tacky tourist beach, overrun by paid sun loungers. It lacks changing facilities, restrooms, or even sufficient garbage cans. Had we had more time or our own car, we would have given this a quick miss and moved on to less touristy areas.
All in all, Santorini is still an incredible destination, currently in the midst of trying to find the best way forward for sustainable tourism in the future. In the meantime, travelers will want to consider visiting off season or spending more time to be able to venture further off the beaten path. It's not the best choice for a day stop on a cruise.
