Santorini

Black sand and white houses, turquoise sea and sheer lava cliffs, green fields and grey earth. No other island can compare itself with the wild and natural beauty of the volcanic island of Santorini.

The history of Santorini is quite simply, the life story of an active volcano. Contrasting layers of pumice-stone and santorinean soil bear witness to the eruption of the volcano around 1640 BC, causing three quarters of the island to sink into the sea.

The vivid marks that this catastrophic event left behind together with the discovery of ruins in Akrotiri belonging to a highly advanced civilisation, have lead many to believe that Santorini is the legendary lost Atlantis.

The island (historically called Kallisti) was quickly resettled as ancient Thira, but its inhabitants endured repeated tremors (one of which, in 1956, destroyed the two main villages of Firá and Oía) and fresh eruptions, which created two islets in the caldera.

The impressive caldera dominates the west part of the island whilst the comfortable dry climate and almost continuous sunshine create year round conditions which are perfect for sightseeing and photography under an extraordinary variety of natural light and colour.

Winery tours

The islands traditional trade of winemaking can be traced back to the Minoan period and today, the wines of Santorini are enjoying growing worldwide recognition and an expanding fan base. For a few euros, a winery tour will give you the opportunity to sample some of the most popular varieties.

Walking

There are two spectacular hiking routes on Santoríni: from Imerovígli to Oía on a recently improved and signposted trail skimming the caldera edge (allow 2hrs) and from Périssa to Kamári, along an old cobbled, hillside trail via the ruins of Classical-Roman Thira and the cave of Zoodóhos Piyí, containing the only potable spring on the island (1hr 30min).

Getting there

Over the summer months, most agencies will organise a one day cruise to Santorini which includes a guided tour of the island’s highlights. However, a word of warning: it is a very long and tiring day (pick up is early hours and drop off is late at night) and you will only have around 7 hours on Santorini.

Alternatively, with your own car you can drive to the ferry port (either Rethymno or Heraklion) and catch the high speed catamaran which departs every day at 9:45am and takes around 2 hours. The return ferry leaves Santorini at 6pm each day or you may prefer to stay for a night to soak up the islands magical nighttime atmosphere.