Nea Kameni

For those who enjoy “wilder” tours, off the usual tourist routes, even crowded Santorini offers something to enjoy. Please note: tourists you will find, many, too many, as always during the summer! But if you want to enjoy a show entirely organized by Mother Nature, in which the hand of man has absolutely nothing to do with it, then Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni are for you.

Famous for being the most recent “products” of Santorini’s volcano activity, the two islets are of fairly recent emergence; Nea Kameni emerged from the waters around 1500.
Recent eruptions (the most recent were in the middle of the last century) have opened up new craters on the island, which can now be visited and are definitely worth the modest effort of walking the 134 meters to the top (and enjoying the view of Fira and Santorini, priceless!).

We take it for granted that you know what it means to approach Santorini in the high season, but if you still don’t, be prepared to fight with a knife between your teeth to secure a berth. Nea Kameni is no exception; it must be said that you can also visit it during the day, passing through to or from Santorini, or even boarding one of the many gulets that bring tourists back and forth daily; but that does not detract from the fact that it is still possible to spend a night at anchor along its shores.

The natural spectacle is assured: lava flows, sea taking unusual hues due to the impurities present, landscape obviously barren and almost lunar in appearance. Somewhere there are also reports of an unusual presence of large rats: without causing alarm, keep an eye open, however.

The islet of Nea Kameni offers two main anchorages to which are added numerous bays and coves along the east coast, but make no mistake: they will surely all be occupied by now! In fact, Nea Kameni is a favorite destination for gulets making daily or two-day cruises from Fira.
In any case, you can dirge north, where you will find a flared-shaped bay that is chock-full of boats in summer; you can anchor and pull a mooring line to the concrete pier or directly to the rocky shoreline. Anchoring operations are made more difficult by water made murky by sulfur emissions abundant throughout the island. Also be careful not to “fish” for someone else’s chains or anchors, which is very easy. The seabed is sandy.

The choice of choice, in terms of the ridge offered, would be the smaller bay located at the southeastern end of the islet, well sheltered (although open east, you suffer a bit with the meltemi), and obviously crowded with caiques. Virtually impossible to find dock space. You can anchor in the bay, depth 5 to 12 meters, sandy bottom, recommended to pull a mooring line ashore.

Palea Kameni is an even smaller islet located west of Nea Kameni. The only bay here is on the north coast, and is open to the wind in this direction. Not recommended in case of meltemi, and in any case not recommended in generally less than optimal weather conditions, the bay is – needless to say – prey to tourists who are dumped here by caiques for the purpose of bathing: the water here is hot, sulfurous and ferrous, it turns from yellow to red and… deserves a bath, without a doubt! Not so much for its supposed thermal properties as just to have the experience.
The bay is enchanting, with orange water and a very white, centrally located little church. Rocks and cliffs where to secure a summit are not lacking, the possibility of stopping is contingent on finding the bay more or less free… On the small island there is obviously nothing: relaxation and beautiful scenery is what the house offers