Santorini

The island of Santorini is one of the most loved and well-known places, not only in the Cyclades archipelago but in all of Greece, because the intense blue of its waters, the white of the houses built on the rocks and the long black cliff overlooking the sea, make it one of the most beautiful, fascinating, and certainly unforgettable landscapes.

Thanks to its strategic position in the Aegean and the fertility of its land, Santorini has been inhabited in past centuries by a flourishing, rich and evolved civilization, so much so that it is thought to have been the ancient myth of Atlantis narrated by Paltone. This seems to be proven both by the violent volcanic eruption which almost completely destroyed it in 1530 BC, creating the large central caldera entirely submerged by the waters, and by important archaeological evidence. The island, formerly known by the name of Thira, today owes its name to St. Irene of Thessaloniki, the patroness of the island, whose sanctuary dedicated to her was called by the Venetians Santa Erini, later transforming into Santorini over time.

Excursion to the volcano of Nea Kameni

The City of Thira

Thira is the capital of the island 300 meters above sea level, its houses are built along the wall of lava rock, and the contrast of colors that can be admired when arriving from the sea is truly fascinating; the very white houses, the colored domes of the churches and flowered terraces contrast with the blue of the sea and the black of the rocks.

Once docked at the port in the only accessible point for ferries, to reach the town today a modern and comfortable cable car is in operation from which you can enjoy a unique panorama of the volcano's caldera, but our advice is that, if you don't want to face walk the road all steps that climbs in a zig-zag, to use an ancient and traditional means of transport that will surely leave you with a beautiful memory: get carried away on the back of a mule!

Once you reach the town, in addition to enjoying walking freely among the small white streets, we recommend a visit to the Arheologiko Moussio, right near the cable car station, which preserves finds from both the Roman and Mycenaean eras, and a visit to the Museum of Local history housed in an ancient Venetian residence, which preserves furniture, traditional furnishings, prints and documents on the customs of the island.

Information:

Archeologiko Moussio

opening hours: open from 8.30 to 15.00; closed on Mondays.

Local History Museum

hours: open from May to September from 10.00-13.30 and 17.00-20.00; from October 10.30-16.00; closed from November to April.

Not to be missed:

The excavations of Akrotiri about 14 kilometers southwest of Thira, they are a half, from a historical point of view, inevitable on the island, even if only part of the archaeological area is accessible; in the accessible part of the site, where some stupendous frescoes of very ancient origin were found today conserved in the Archaeological Museum of Athens, today it is possible to admire the remains of settlements dating back to the Bronze Age, and archaeologists have been able to point out that the architecture of the houses present on the island, before the violent cataclysm of the 16th century BC, was completely similar to that of the ancient palaces of Minoan origin found in Crete.

The excavation can be visited every day except Monday from 8.30-15.00.

Also not to be missed are the ruins of ancient Thera, always not far from the capital, once an important strategic place for the control of trade in the Aegean Sea; the origins of the ancient city date back to the 9th century BC, you can admire the remains of the ancient theatre, the Royal Gallery where the remains of twelve columns are kept, the sacred area where ancient initiation rites were once celebrated in honor of the god Apollo of which there are also remains of the temple dedicated to him.

Beaches

The beaches on the island are many, all very beautiful and all with unique and often different scenarios; they range from the small and intimate beaches of Almira and of Kambia, at the coves of Ammoudi and of Armenians, near Oia, also frequented by fishermen where, to avoid the crowds, we advise you to take a dip in the morning or late in the evening, at the worldly beaches of Kamari and of Perivolas whose black sand makes the surface of the sea a very dark colour, to the red beach of Kokkini up to the beautiful pebble beach of Vlychada, also frequented by nudists. Almost all the beaches are equipped and in almost all of them it is possible to hole up for lunch in a small tavern for a good lunch of grilled fish.

Having fun in Santorini

In Thira, the capital of the island, is the famous Bar Street where the premises follow one another next to each other, among these certainly among the most famous are the Franco’s where you can enjoy cocktails and champagne lying on elegant chaise longues overlooking the sea, and the Cafe del Mar and Sol from whose panoramic terrace you can watch a spectacular sunset while enjoying an aperitif; among the discos always in the capital, the most famous names are that of theEnigma, especially loved by VIPs, and that of Canava near the port.

Of course, the fun also passes through the many beach bars, such as those in Kamara, Perissa and Blychada, at the beach of Monolithos, where everything happens during the night ... but the most popular is undoubtedly the Wet Stories at the beach of Perivolos where non-stop concerts and parties take place!