Day 15: Santorini to Malia, Crete

Today is my last day in Santorini, and with my ferry to Crete not departing until 5:30 p.m., I wanted to make the most of it. Before breakfast, I headed to reception to check on a late check-out option. They told me to come back after 10 a.m., when the reservations team would be in.

Breakfast was the same fare as usual, and afterwards, I took advantage of the pool, soaking up the last of that Santorini sun. By 10 am, I was back at reception, crossing my fingers for an extension. Luck was on my side—since no one else had booked my room, I could stay until 2 pm! With that settled, I spent a leisurely morning by the pool and returned around noon to shower and pack up. Even though I had until 2, I checked out a little early, around 1:15, leaving my suitcase at reception so I could enjoy my last afternoon freely. I scheduled a 4:15 pm transfer to the port—a good deal for only €12.

I strolled back into Fira for a final lunch, and yes, it was another gyro at Nick’s Grill! I couldn’t resist. Afterwards, I treated myself to ice cream and found a shady spot under a tree, savouring my final hours on the island.

Back at the hotel, I changed clothes (the afternoon heat made sure of that!), and relaxed in the lobby with my Kindle until it was time for the transfer. We arrived at the port a bit early, but to my surprise, the Highspeed 7 ferry was already docked, with passengers queuing up. We were allowed to board within 15–20 minutes, and I settled in. After a rocky crossing from Ios, I took a travel sickness tablet just in case, but the sea was calm, so I needn’t have worried.

A last view of Fira from the ferry. Santorini is lovely, though a bit crowded for my liking. I’d recommend going outside of peak season. The high-speed ferry to Crete was a very smooth and quick crossing.

As it turned out, this was the smoothest crossing of my whole trip—calm waters, the sleek catamaran design, and a tailwind made it a breeze. The tablet (plus a little celebratory beer) meant I got a nice nap along the way, waking up refreshed just 10 minutes from Heraklion.

Once ashore, I’d already mapped out where to find the bus station, so I wheeled my suitcase over in just 10 minutes. I bought a €4.10 ticket to Malia and, with perfect timing, the bus was leaving in just a few minutes. The route hugged the coast, which was scenic but slowed us down through Hersonissos due to traffic. Finally, we reached Malia around 9 pm, and I hopped off at the second stop in the centre of the old town.

For this last part of my journey, I booked the Royal Heights Resort Hotel. I briefly considered grabbing a taxi, knowing the hotel was up quite a hill, but seeing none around, I figured, “How bad could the walk be?” Spoiler alert: it was worse than I expected! As the road got steeper and darker, I spotted lights far off that I hoped were the hotel, but they looked a long way up. With no turning back, I kept pushing forward, feeling sweatier and more determined (if not slightly foolish) with each step. Finally, I reached the hotel lobby, where the receptionist raised an eyebrow and asked if I’d walked up the hill. When I confirmed, she laughed and said I must be crazy. “Yep, just a little bit,” I replied, laughing.

After check-in and a very necessary shower, I managed to catch the hotel restaurant just before closing. The meal was fantastic—complimentary bread and dips, sweet and sour spring rolls, and chicken risotto, all delicious.

Exhausted but happy, I strolled back to my room and pretty much collapsed onto the bed, ready to sleep off the day’s adventures.