The
Greek island of Santorini
is a
place of whitewashed villages perched atop sheer volcanic cliffs, glistening
black- and red-sand beaches, ancient ruins, winding
cobbled streets, blue-domed roofs, and generous bursts of bright-colored
bougainvillea. On top of all that, the views—which confront you everywhere—just might be the
best in the world.
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The southernmost member of
Greece’s Cycladic islands, Santorini was a round island until, about 3500
years ago, it became the site of one of history’s greatest volcanic
explosions. The island’s center fell into the sea—giving rise, historians say,
to the myth of Atlantis. Left behind was a crescent-shaped island whose high,
sheer-sided cliffs overlook the deep, water-filled crater (or caldera). Today,
when arriving at Santorini by ferry and crossing the caldera’s intense blue
waters, visitors are confronted by those cliffs. Like beautiful guardians, the
island’s two major villages cling to the top—Oia (ee-yah) at the northern end, and
Thira (also
called Fira) in the center. The beauty of it all is overwhelming. Before you
even step from the ferry you’ll be planning a return visit.
Autumn is a
wonderful time to visit Santorini. Summer’s tourist frenzy is over, the island
is serene, and the weather is still warm enough for swimming. Best of all, the price of accommodations plummets from
summer’s inflated rates.
Thira:
When your boat docks, be prepared to make a decision: should you walk up the
588 zig-zagging, narrow steps to Thira, perched nine-hundred feet above the
caldera? Should you ride on the back of a donkey led by its owner? Or should
you just hop in the cable car and be whisked to the top? Whatever you
decide, you'll soon be planted atop, staring back the way you came while
marveling over the magical views. Santorini’s capital, Thira—also called
Fira—is known for its blue-domed churches, barrel-roofed cave houses, lively
tavernas, and sheer beauty. Just
strolling the winding cobbled streets lined with whitewashed houses is a
pleasure. The night life here is formidable, with plenty of clubs and discos
going on into the wee hours. One thing you must do while here is visit
the Archeological Museum, which is crammed with fabulous treasures unearthed
on the island's Akrotiri (described below).
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Beachin' It: The island’s most popular
and crowded beach, black-sand Kamari is alive with outdoor cafés,
bouzouki music, and scads of international sun worshippers. It's a long
beach, over 3 miles, with exceptionally clear water and a lifeguard on duty.
Overlooking the beach is majestic Mount Vouno. ~ Perissa
Beach, a bit more peaceful, is a favored destination for water sports,
and it's favored with many tavernas and small hotels. A few trees near the water
provide shade—so welcome on a hot summer day. ~ If you’d
like your surroundings to be an uptick quieter, head to gorgeous Red Beach,
close to the archaeological site of Akrotiri. The black sand, combined with
the red-colored volcanic rocks and cliffs, will linger in your mind for years.
This beach allows nudism. ~ One of the island's most isolated sand spots, Koloumbo Beach is in the northeast, near the
village of Finikia. The walk from your car is a bit long, but don't let that
stop you; the trek is worth it, with peace, quiet, great Aegean views, and
calm water. No facilities here, so bring plenty of water and a picnic. ~
These are just a few of the beaches on Santorini. Our advice, as always, is
to try one or all of these—but to also create your own adventures by discovering
"your" beach spots.
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Akrotiri: Santorini’s version of
Pompeii,
Akrotiri
was a thriving Minoan port town until a massive volcanic explosion around 1650 BC covered and preserved it with volcanic ash.
Some historians believe that a tsunami resulint from this eruption led to
the collapse of the Minoan civilization on Crete.
Frescoes, jewelry, pottery, buildings, furniture, and even drainage systems
have been discovered here—but no skeletons, which indicates that islanders
had enough warning to evacuate safely (unlike the eruption in Pompeii about
1750 years later). Modern excavations have turned the site into an archeological wonder,
one that can be comfortably observed and photographed from a flyover walking bridge.
The magnificent frescoes recovered here—including the famous
"Antelopes" and "Boxing Children"—are on view at Fira’s Archeological
Museum.
Santorini Wines: The island's
unique wines, made from two indigenous grapes—Akkyrtiko and Vinsanto— have a 3500-year history.
The grapes are grown atop ash, lava, and
pumice, with the sun and sea as constant companions. They receive little or
no irrigation, absorbing moisture instead from the misty sea air. You'll learn all about
it at Volcan Wine Museum & Winery,
which itself dates back to 1880. Take the opportunity to sample Volcan’s unique
Nyherti wine; the grapes are picked at night. ~ Or enjoy lunch at nearby
Canava Roussos, munching
Santorini specialties and tasting wines beneath flower-wrapped trellises
overlooking the sea. ~ Cliff-top
Santo Wines—a
small-growers’ coop—offers outdoor panoramic views; it’s a great place to
slowly sip a gold-colored wine and watch the sun slip beneath the horizon.
Local Comfort Food:
Santorini’s
tomatoes are legendary. Grown with meager water, on ashy volcanic soil,
under conditions of high heat and strong wind, the fruit produced has the
concentrated essence of everything tomato. Dwarflike, dense, exceptionally
sweet, and possessed of an unusually firm skin, the tomatoes of Santorini
just may be the world’s best—and they grow nowhere else. In the first half
of the 20th century, more than a dozen island canneries processed
the tomatoes for export. A 1956 earthquake wrote “finis” to most of that
industry; one cannery, on Monolithos Beach, still exists (chef alert: bring
back a can or two). If you’re here at tomato time—June through August—by all
means try the island’s iconic tomato delicacy, Tomatokeftedes. In English?
Tomato Fritters or Tomato Croquettes.
»»Here's a recipe
Ancient Thira:
The extensive ruins of this
ancient town are poised high above the sea on Mount Vouno along Santorini’s
southeast coast. Thira was founded in the 9th century BC by Dorians, and it
remained inhabited until the early Byzantine era (the ruins here
belong to the Hellenistic and Roman periods). You’ll explore dramatic remains of temples
dedicated to Egyptian gods, Hellenic homes, a Roman theater, an early
Christian basilica—and graffiti dating back to 800 B.C. The views are truly wonderful, but be prepared to do some steep walking.
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Oia: Greek villages just don’t
come more gorgeous than this, which accounts for the fact that Oia is so frequently photographed. Situated atop
(and sprawling down) a
high northern cliff,
the quiet, artsy place offers incredible views of the caldera, the Burnt Islands, and
the Aegean Sea diminishing into the horizon. Whitewashed houses are
partially carved into the volcanic rock; the squarish, extended portions
combine to form white, cubistic structures that seem to hang off the
mountainside. It's an amazingly beautiful place. ~ A steep walk 300 steps down the cliff brings you to a
small port. From the lovely
beach there you can plunge right into the caldera—and, later, relax over
lunch at a seafood taverna. The sunsets viewed from Oia are so vast and high-colored
that they're almost impossible to believe even when they're happening.
The Burnt Islands: For an only-in-Santorini
treat, take the half-day excursion to the caldera’s two tiny lava islands,
Palaia Kameni and Nea Kameni (kameni means "burned," accounting for the
combined islands' name). A short walk through
Nea Kameni’s frozen-lava landscape, dotted with steaming sulphur springs,
brings you to the volcanic cone and crater—an awesome sight. Then it’s
off to Palaia Kameni for a heart-stopping leap into the hot springs.
