The Day I Almost Got Run Over by a Donkey in Santorini

In July 2000, my husband and I visited Santorini during a Greek Islands cruise.

It was beautiful. It was crowded. It was approximately a million degrees outside. And I very nearly got flattened by a herd of donkeys.

But the really embarrassing part? We were experienced travelers who should have known better.

Especially when it came to our footwear.

This adventure happened in July 2000. It’s a personal travel memory, not a description of current conditions or transportation arrangements in Santorini. The steep shared path and cable car are still relevant, but current travelers should consult up-to-date information.

Getting to the Top of Santorini Was the Easy Part

If you’ve never visited Santorini, here’s something you should know: it’s basically a giant rock sticking out of the Aegean Sea.

A very beautiful rock, admittedly, with whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches, and spectacular views. But a rock nonetheless.

Cruise passengers arriving at Santorini’s Old Port find themselves at sea level, while the town of Fira sits high above them on the cliff.

To get up there, you have three choices:

• Take the cable car.
• Ride a donkey or mule.
• Walk approximately 600 steep, winding stone steps along the same path used by the donkeys.

We chose the cable car. Three minutes later, we were at the top. Easy peasy.

We spent the day doing all the usual Santorini things. Wandering around town, shopping, having lunch, admiring the scenery. All very civilized.

Unfortunately, we had made one rather significant mistake when planning this cruise. We went to Greece in July.

Now, I realize July is a popular time to visit Greece. But I’m here to tell you that popular doesn’t necessarily mean pleasant.

Even back in 2000, the crowds were enormous. And the heat? Over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity that made it feel even worse.

We were hot. We were tired. And by late afternoon, we were more than ready to get back to our air-conditioned cruise ship.

Which brings me to our second mistake.

The Cable Car Line From Hell

When we returned to the cable car station for our trip back down, we discovered that approximately every tourist on Santorini had apparently decided to leave at exactly the same time.

The line was enormous. It seemed to wind around the island several times before eventually reaching the cable car station.

Okay, perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration. But standing in that heat, looking at that line, and knowing we had a cruise ship to catch, it certainly felt that way.

Then we noticed people walking down the old stone path.

And we had what seemed, at the time, like a brilliant idea. Why not just walk? After all, we were going DOWN. How difficult could it possibly be?

Famous last words.

Approximately 600 Steps, Several Donkeys, and 2 Very Bad Decisions

The path between Fira and the Old Port is known as the Karavolades Stairs.. It’s a steep, winding, switchback route of stone steps, with walls bordering parts of the path.

And here’s an important detail we hadn’t fully appreciated. It’s also the donkey path.

Not a separate pedestrian walkway alongside the donkeys. The SAME path.

Now, you might imagine the donkeys ambling along at a leisurely pace, occasionally stopping to admire the view. You would be wrong.

These animals knew exactly where they were going, and they weren’t particularly concerned about the tourists who happened to be standing in their way.

And they weren’t just coming down the path. Oh, no. They were going in BOTH directions. Sometimes in packs.

So while we were carefully picking our way downhill, we had donkeys coming up toward us and others charging down behind us.

And here’s the really terrifying part. Even flattening ourselves against the stone walls didn’t guarantee we’d be out of their way. The donkeys brushed right along those walls as they passed.

There was no comfortable place to stand. No handy pedestrian refuge. Just us, hundreds of steep stone steps, and a parade of animals who clearly had places to be.

Did I mention the temperature was over 100 degrees? And the donkeys were hot? And smelly?

And now, I must confess the single most ridiculous detail of this entire adventure.

We were wearing flimsy flip-flops.

Not hiking shoes. Not sturdy walking sandals. Not even respectable sneakers.

Flimsy. Little. Flip-flops.

On a steep cobblestone path. With hundreds of steps. And packs of large animals barreling toward us.

Our practically bare feet were inches away from hooves that could have done some serious damage.

And, of course, the stones weren’t exactly ideal flip-flop terrain, either. Every step required attention. Every approaching group of donkeys required evasive action.

There we were, two supposedly experienced travelers, trying to negotiate our way down a cliff in the blistering Greek heat while avoiding becoming roadkill.

Honestly, what could possibly go wrong?

This isn’t footage from our 2000 visit, but it gives you an idea of what sharing the Santorini donkey path can be like. Video courtesy of Open Earth II.

We Survived the Santorini Donkey Path

Obviously, we made it down. All body parts intact. All toes accounted for.

And, most importantly, we made it back to the ship.

But I can assure you that the walk down those steps was considerably more memorable than our leisurely afternoon shopping in Fira.

Decades later, I still remember those donkeys. I can’t tell you what we had for lunch that day. I couldn’t begin to describe what souvenirs we bought. But those donkeys? Oh, I remember those donkeys.

And I remember the flip-flops. Especially the flip-flops.

Would I Walk Down the Santorini Donkey Path Again?

Not a chance.

If you’re visiting Santorini by cruise ship, my advice is to plan your return to the port carefully. Allow plenty of time for the cable car, particularly when several ships are visiting.

The stone steps are steep and uneven, and pedestrians may share the route with donkeys and mules. Walking them in extreme heat adds another challenge.

And if you do decide to walk, please wear proper footwear. Actual shoes. The kind that stay attached to your feet and offer some protection.

Not the flimsy little rubber things we apparently thought were suitable for navigating a mountainside full of donkeys.

Looking back, this experience is a perfect example of something I’ve learned over decades of traveling. You can plan a trip down to the smallest detail, but sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones you never saw coming.

Or, in our case, the ones you saw coming straight at you and couldn’t get out of the way.

I’ve crossed this particular adventure off my never-ending travel bucket list – and unlike many of the places on that list, I have absolutely no desire to repeat it.

Have you ever made a spectacularly bad decision while traveling? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Bonus points if it involved inappropriate footwear. Extra bonus points if livestock was involved.