Santorini [1] is a volcanic island in the
Cyclades group of the
Greek islands. It is located between
Ios and
Anafi islands. It is famous for dramatic views, stunning sunsets from
Oia town, the strange white aubergine (eggplant), the town of
Thira
and naturally its very own active volcano. There are naturally
fantastic beaches such as the beach of Perissa, maybe the best beach in
Santorini, the black pebble beach of
Kamari, white beach and red beach.
Villages
There are several villages on Santorini Island.
- Fira - the main stunning cliff-perched town, featuring all that Oia has, but much more overcrowded.
- Karterados - 2km south of Fira. Here you can find the traditional Santorini architecture
- Kamari - black pebble beach.
- Firostefani - just 10 minutes walking distance from Fira, offering unique views of the volcano and sunset.
- Imerovigli
- small resort town a short bus ride away from Fira. Has absolutely
stunning views of the sunset (all the way down to the horizon) and of
Oia.
- Oia or Ia - for unforgettable sunsets, probably the most charming place on the island.
- Pyrgos - highest point on the island; picturesque monastery and streets, can compete with Oia.
- Perissa - Nice, well-organized beaches and good Greek fish taverns.
- Megalochori -Traditional village with a lot of old white cycladic churches.
- Akrotiri -Visit the archeological site of Aktotiri. Stunning history.
- Mesaria
- The centre of the island. There is a small market on the road every
morning with fresh fish. Do not miss the Argiros Estate to see a 19th
century house fully rebuilt.
- Monolithos- Nice beach and a few good taverns. Very good for children, as the water is shallow.
- Vlichada - a small village and a beach.
- Vothonas
- a small rock village, the church of St. Ann is here. Architecturally
it is the strangest village on the island, as all the buildings were cut
from the ravine that it is in.
Also there's
Thirasia,
a village on the nearby island with the same name--visited by fewer
tourists. There are daily excurisions to the Kameni (volcano) Island
which also reach Thirasia island.
An alternative name for Santorini is Thira. Santorini is also a name
for the family of islands surrounding Thira, once forming a single
island prior to a major volcanic event in approximately 1628 B.C.E.
The small island cradles a rich variety of landscapes and
villages. Visit traditional architecture in the small village of Mesa
Gonia containing a mixture of ruins from the 1956 earthquake and
restored villas as well as a winery at the foot of the settlement.
Pyrgos is another notable village set inland with its grand old houses,
remains of a Venetian castle and several Byzantine churches.
The island has no natural source of fresh water. Prior to the
early 1990's, it was necessary for water to be delivered to the island
via tanker from Crete. However, most hotels and homes now have access to
water provided by a local desalination plant. While this water is
potable, it is still rather salty, so most everyone drinks bottled water
while visiting Santorini.
Fira is the fiery capital, a marriage of Venetian and Cycladic
architecture, whose white cobblestone streets bustle with shops,
tavernas, hotels and cafes, while clinging to the rim of the caldera
nine hundred feet above the its port. If arriving by sea you can take a
cable car up from the port or alternatively take a trip on one of the
hundreds of mules up the 588 zigzagging steps. You could also attempt to
walk up the steps but be warned, they are winding, narrow in parts with
only low walls, they are covered in donkey excrement and the donkeys
themselves will make no attempt to avoid you.
Walking along a path for about twenty minutes will bring you to
Imerovigli where you can take in the magnificent views of the island’s
unique scenery from the tiny town.
Just above Fira at the highest point of the island is the
quintessentially Santorininian town of Ia, also sometimes spelled Oia,
with its whitewashed walls sunk into the volcanic rock and its blue
domes rising above the sterling beauty of the stunning, russet Ammoudi
Bay. At dusk, the town attracts crowds of people venturing to see the
sunset. Santorini's sunsets, as viewed from Oia, are reputed to be among
the world's most beautiful.
Due to the spectacular and unique natural beauty of Santorini,
many Greek singers have chosen the island as the setting of their
videos. Greek and Brazilian TV series have been shot of Santorini, as
well as some Hollywood movies (
e.g. Tomb Raider II). Generally Santorini is a pole of attraction for Greek and international celebrities.
The season starts April 1, or around Greek Easter. The period from
December through March is very much the off-season and marked by colder
temperatures, rain and winds. Although the temperature is rarely cold,
the poor weather makes for a less than optimal experience on this
beautiful island. Most of the businesses, including hotels and guest
houses, may be closed. Ideal times to visit, for milder weather, prices
and crowds, are April-June and September-October.
Getting in from Athens by air is faster and not prone to sea
sickness, compared to ferries. However, in season air tickets sell out
well before most of the ferries.
Santorini (Thira) National Airport
[2] is an airport in Santorini/Thira, Greece (IATA: JTR, ICAO: LGSR), located north of the village of Kamari.
With regular flights from
Athens by Olympic Air
[3], Aegean Airlines
[4] and AirSea Lines
[5] (a seaplane airline). Flight duration from Athens to Santorini is about 30 minutes. During summer, Sky Express
[6] connects Santorini with other popular islands such as
Crete (
Heraklion),
Rhodes and
Mykonos. During the months of July and August Astra Airlines
[7] flies from
[8].
From May till October charter airlines fly directly to Santorini from many European airports.
- Air Berlin [9] flies from Berlin Tegel (TXL), Düsseldorf (DUS) , Hamburg (HAM), Nuremberg (NUE) and Vienna (VIE);
- Condor [10] flies from Dusseldorf (DUS), Stuttgart (STR), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Hamburg (HAM);
- EasyJet [11] flies from London Gatwick (LGW) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) and from this year Manchester (MAN);
- Edelweiss Air [12] flies from Zurich (ZRH);
- Germanwings [13] flies from Cologne/Bonn (CGN), Munich (MUC) and Stuttgart (STR);
- Jetairfly [14]flies from Brussels (BRU);
- Meridiana [15] flies from Milan Malpensa (MXP));
- Norwegian [16] flies from Copenhagen (CPH), Oslo (OSL) and Stockholm (ARN);
- ThomasCook [17] [18] flies from London Gatwick (LGW), Manchester (MAN) and Brussels (BRU);
- Thompson [19] flies from Manchester (MAN)
- Transavia [20] flies from Amsterdam (AMS).
From the airport there are buses to
Fira,
where you can change to buses for other towns. Taxis are also usually
waiting at the airport, but competition for them can be keen. Many
Santorini hotels offer airport transfers, usually for a fee that's more
than a taxi would charge you, but some may find it worth it for the
convenience.
By sea
Take the ferry from
Piraeus past
Paros and
Naxos to the new port on Santorini. More details in the
Cyclades article. There is also daily connection between
Heraklion (
Crete) and Santorini during high season.
If you prefer sea, your best bet is high-speed catamarans. The trip from
Pireaus to Santorini takes 4.5hrs with a high speed ferry.
Ferries dock at the port of Athinios
[21],
where buses and taxis meet each arrival to transport passengers to Oia,
Fira, and elsewhere. All vehicles climb a very steep, winding road (it
makes seven 180 degree turns) to get anywhere from Athinios.
If you arrive by
cruise ship,
the experience will surely leave you with lasting memories. Cruise
ships that reach the island do not anchor near Athinios port, but one or
two miles north, also within the caldron, but below Thira (aka Fira)
[22].
Locals with fishing boats occasionally transfer cruisers to the old
port (which seems not to have changed over the last 50 years), and
larger, decorated shuttle boats take large-ship cruisers to/from the
nearby docks below Thira. From the "Thira docks", you can use the cable
car to reach the town, taking perhaps 5 minutes for the ride. Or if
you like small adventures you can ride a donkey, which climbs up a small
path on the cliff (weight limits imposed).
- With one or more large cruise ships off-shore, long lines may
queue at the bottom of the cable car. Casual Thira walkers/shoppers may
meet many others at the top returning after a few hours, and other
queues form somewhat before passengers are expected back aboard their
ship(s). Plan accordingly.
- The donkey ride will last longer, may have no queues, and is
definitely a unique experience for those meeting the weight limits.
- If weight proves a problem and you're fit, ask if you might walk up along the donkey path (no charge, but no mean feat).
Transport by sea is always dependent on weather. For safety,
especially in winter or raining monsoon, cruise ships may delay or
cancel shuttles to/from shore, and ferries their departure times to or
from the island.
Getting around
The island has a public bus service, with buses costing € 1.60, €
1.80 and € 2.20. Buses run between every 30 minutes to every other hour.
Timetables are available at website
[23].
The buses occasionally miss trips, and some drivers are less than
friendly. Travellers should know that there is also a shuttle bus
service
[24]
operating to and from the airport and port but requires pre-booking.
In addition, there are "hop on hop off" private bus services,
[25].
Boats also run between major coastal towns on the island.
Cars can be rented from about € 40- 45 a day. An international
driving permit is recommended. Without one, many car rental places will
rent cars, but travel guides have mentioned tourists having insurance
problems in case of accident. Scooters and 4-wheelers (quads or
all-terrain-vehicles) are available to rent starting at about €15 or €30
per day, respectively. A drivers license is required to rent these
4-wheelers. Be aware that most of the people in Santorini are tourists.
As a result, road conditions are extremely unsafe, with many people
driving by the laws and conventions of nearly every country in the
world.
A popular method of getting around is to rent ATVs, though the
"all-terrain" part is a misnomer, as most ATV riders are tourists riding
on the paved road. ATVs share the road with other drivers and are
usually all over the island. The island is small enough to travel around
on an ATV, and is a cost-effective way to self-explore the further
reaches of Santorini. ATV rental shops are all around the island, so
it's best to ask your hotel owner/concierge on the closest/most trusted
vendor. You will need your local driver's license to ride one of these,
and a helmet is recommended.
Some hotels advise booking a
taxi in advance, as there are
not enough available taxis on the island during high season. As is the
rule in the Cyclades, taxi fares are typically shared between multiple
passengers, so don't be surprised if your cabbie picks up more
passengers during your trip.
It takes about 50 minutes to drive the island from end to end (from
Vlichada to
Ia).
By bicycle
The island is small enough that it can be thoroughly explored by
bicycle, or with a few bus trips, by foot. Bicycle rentals are fairly
hard to find -- most places advertising bike rentals refer to
motorbikes, rather than bicycles. The maps are designed for hikers,
however, so the recommended routes are impassable by bicycle.
Santorini is not very bicycle-friendly -- there are no dedicated
bicycle routes, so you must share roads with vehicular traffic. In
addition, the island is very hilly. The traffic was more friendly to
bicycles than to pedestrians or other vehicular traffic, however.
Recommended routes by foot include the amazing walk from Fira to Oia
(note that this walk is less nice in reverse, it can take less than
three hours but can be difficult, for up and downhill climbs, the rocky
surface at times, and the proximity to unprotected cliffs that drop
sharply into the caldera) along the caldera, as well as the paths over
Perissa Rock connecting Perissa, Kamari, and Pyrgos. The walk between
Perissa and Kamari is fairly short (via Ancient Thira), while the walk
to Pyrgos is somewhat longer, passing through the highest point on the
island.
Santorini is one of the great natural wonders of the world, and its
main attraction is the landscape and seascape of the island itself. The
configuration of the present, roughly semicircular island is the result
of an enormous volcanic explosion which occurred probably around 1630
bce, literally blowing the top off the island and changing what had been
a typical half-submerged mountain of an Aegean island into a flooded
crescent caldera, in the middle of which a few small smoking islands
still bear witness to volcanic activity. Some have speculated that this
event was the inspiration for the myth of Atlantis. The towns of
Fira,
Ia (also known as
Oia) and
Thirasis
cling to the steep cliffs facing into the caldera bay. Tours to the
central "smoking" islands are readily available and one can see and feel
steam vents and recent (1950s) lava flows.
Another popular reason for coming to Santorini are the legendary sunsets, some of the most spectacular in the world.
Ia
is one of the few places on the island which is both close to a sea and
offers a good view to a sunset over the sea: in other towns, the sun
disappears behind the volcano.
Additionally the town of
Fira is stunning.
Donkeys Carrying Bags of Cement
Be sure to explore the areas outside of the towns. There is beautiful
countryside where tradition still survives. Cave houses (both abandoned
and occupied), gardens, vineyards, small family business, and tiny
churches are there to be discovered.
Santorini ranks among top destinations for wedding celebrations
for at least 4 years -- primarily for sunset and peace, like those in
Oia.
Couples often arrive with few friends, stay in Ia (places like Fanari
Villas). Groups often arrive in the beginning of the week -- judging by
demand for cabrios and number of corteges seen on Mondays compared to
weekends.
While the island is full of medium- and top-cost hotels and
villas, there are still lots of abandoned caves and modest private
houses where noone seems to live for a long time -- even in western
Oia where every inch seems to be occupied by some villa. And this doesn't seem to change for years, judging by 2001-2005.
- Thirassia: small island near Santorini; place with more
authentic villages, buildings and even churches. Take a look at
hymnasia: in the yard, pupil painted children on the walls.
- Boat excursions: volcano island (Nea Kameni) - hot springs (Palia Kameni) - Thirassia
- From Ia: departure from Ammoudi bay at 10:50AM (starting and end point); a bit later from Armeni bay.
1hr 30min at volcano island; 45min for hot springs; 2hrs for Thirassia
(incl. time for lunch). Meals are not included, normally the guide
advises you to visit Captain Jack's tavern, which is self service if you
arrive with a big group or operates with waiters if you don't. This
restaurant serves amazing fresh seafood at the cheapest prices.
Testament to how good it is, is the fact you will notice that none of
the adjacent restaurants are ever busy. Only this one.
- Faros. A lighthouse near Akrotiri,
west of the southern part of the island. Rocky cliff, interesting for
taking photos. Although you cannot enter the lighthouse, which is run by
Greek Navy, it's a great and tranquil place for taking photos. edit
- a viewpoint behind Iris hotel (close to center of the island): great for taking sunset photos with a sea and palm trees.
Beaches
Public beaches do not seem to have showers or places for changing.
- Black Beach- see Kamari and Perissa
- Red Beach- it's worth taking the Red Beach/Akrotiri bus
from Fira and then climbing over the very rocky trails to get here
(though there are water taxis and various schooners that make their way
here as well). Red Beach earns its name from the iron-rich sedimentary
rocks in the cliff face towering above you, as well as the red sand.
It's quite crowded; you can rent an umbrella and a pair of chaise
lounges for € 8, though there is also some good free space nearby that
gets packed by midday. The first few meters of the water near the shore
are quite gravelly, so be prepared to step on some stones. Women are
frequently topless. Many distant yachts can be seen from the beach -- it
looks really romantic at sunset time. Great snorkeling - an abundance
of sea life is present, as with Perissa. The tavernas built into the
caves on Red Beach seem to have no electricity or running water, so if
you eat or use the washrooms there, bring along hand sanitizer!
- White Beach- available only from the sea; get there by
boat from Red Beach or Akrotiri. There is no pier so the only way to get
there is by getting of the boat and walking through water that starts
at about you waist. It is very small with only a few beds.
- Vlichada- this is a nude beach. On the left side
of the beach, you will see that people are clothed, but as you go toward
the right, you will find everyone in nude. An umbrella with 2 chaise
longues cost €5 if you stay on the left side of the beach.
- Amoudi- this is not really a beach with sand, but is a
wonderfully secluded swimming area reachable from Oia. There is a road
around the far side of Oia that leads down to a small parking lot. From
there, you can reach the swimming area on foot past a few small
restaurants. There is also a platform on a large rock that people can
swim to and dive off.
- Perivolos- lighter sand than Perissa beach, and is very
enjoyable when the North Wind is blowing. It has beach bars and
restaurants that makes it feel like a "beach day club".
- Monolithos- quiet but well organized beach with all the comforts of the other beaches such as clubs, restaurants, and umbrellas.
- Baxedes- this is the main beach at the north side of the
Island. Baxedes is a peaceful place with black sand, it is much more
like how Santorini was like before tourists discovered the island. This
is not the best beach when the north wind is blowing. It is easiest to
get there by rented or private car or motorbike.
- Pori- this is an amazing beach on the east side of
Santorini where the rocks have a very unique red color to them. This is
an excellent beach for those who do not mind walking a bit to get
there. No facilities, restaurants, or shopping is located here.
- Mesa pigadia- A beautiful rocky beach near the nature
side of the island by the town Akrotiri. About 800 meters away from the
Akrotiri main road there are restaurants on the beach itself. There are
several ways to reach the beach which include driving, biking, or taking
a small boat from Akrotiri. The price is about € 7 for the ride and
another € 7 to rent an umbrella.
- Agios georgios- at the southern tip of the Santorini
this beach has everything from water sports to beach bars. There are a
few small taverns here and it is the perfect spot to have a quiet swim
and avoid the massive crowds. You can reach this beach from Emporio and
Perissa by rented or private car. Walking is also an option.
Wineries
- Volcan Wines Museum & Winery: [26];+30 2286 31322. open 12PM-8PM.
- Santo Wines: [27]; open 9AM-sunset
- Argiros Estate: Mesa Gonia near Kamari
- Roussos winery: Mesa Gonia near Kamari
- Boutari winery: Megalochori
- Hatzidakis winery: Pyrgos
- Antoniou Winery: Megalochori
- Sigalas Winery; Oia
To Do
- Walk along the caldera from Fira to Oia
- Climb to see Ancient Thira, or more ambitiously, the
monastery, for an amazing view of the ocean, beaches, and island from up
high.
- Horseback riding in Exo Gonia
- Scuba diving and snorkling. Even non-qualified divers can dive up to 14 metres down on a wreck next to the volcano.
- Caldera Cruise and Oia Sunset
- Plan your wedding in Santorini
Historic sights
Akrotiri, in the south, a roughly 3,500 year old Minoan town
preserved in volcanic ash like Pompeii, is one of Santorini's
"must-sees". The excavation site is covered by a roofing system, which
makes it something that you can comfortably visit no matter what time of
year. The ruins are extremely well preserved. Streets, buildings,
stairs and even second floors of buildings are still visible. Visitors
can stand in the ruins and look at Minoan pottery and frescoes, and with
a little imagination, feel what it would have been like to live in
ancient Greece. Due to an accident in September 2005, the excavation
site was temporarily closed to the public, but as of April 2012, the
site is once again open.
Ancient Thera, the Classical city of the island is on Mesa Vouno,
396 m. above sea level. It was founded in the 9th century B.C. by
Dorian colonists whose leader was Theras, and continued to be inhabited
until the early Byzantine period.
The preserved ruins belong to the Hellenistic and Roman phases of the
city. The residential area and the larger part of the cemeteries were
excavated by German archaeologists between 1895 and 1902. The cemeteries
on the NE and NW slopes of Sellada were excavated by N. Zapheiropoulos
in the years 1961-1982.
Fira has the
Museum of Prehistoric Thira
that contains some of the artifacts, which were found in the ruins of
Akrotiri. So first visit Akrotini, where the items came from and then
Thira to understand what the items are. The museum has more pots,
pottery and other household items than you can shake an antique stick
at, but the highlight is the frescoes of the blue monkeys -- a mystery
since historians say there is no evidence that there were ever monkeys
on Santorini.
Also in
Fira, near the cable car station, is the
Archeological Museum
that contains artifacts from various eras. Most of the exhibits are
dated from the Classic and Roman period from the ancient town of Thera
and it's cemeteries.
Architecture
The Cycladic Islands are world-famous for their picturesque towns of
cubic white-washed homes and blue-domed churches. SantorÃni is
especially famous for the towns of Firá and OÃa, whose white and
pastel-colored homes and churches-- seemingly stacked on top of each
other-- are perched on the cliffs of the caldera. Many of these
traditional homes are built on cliff-side caves, thus having a much
larger interior than their exterior would suggest. The architecture of
SantorÃni's picturesque towns is typically Cycladic, but with strong
neoclassical and baroque influences visible in many of the island's
churches and public buildings.
The arts
While Santorini cannot claim a prominent art collection, why not see some local and international artists work by visiting the
Art Space Gallery and Winery
in the small village of Exo Gonia, on the way between Fira and Kamari.
Art Space is a winery built in 1830, an old canava. Also an museum with
old installations for raki and tomato-juice. Owned by the same family
(Argyros) for three generations.
Scenery and nature
The landscape here --the blue sky, the little white houses perched on
gigantic rocks on hills that plummet to the sea, the lemon and orange
groves, the pink and white churches that look like pastrycakes, the
faces and warmth and expressiveness of the Greek people -- little wonder
this may be the most photographed scenery in the world.
Scuba and Snorkelling
Santorini has 5 dive shops. Prices are typically around € 80 for two
dives, including equipment rental, transport, and usually, a light
lunch. The offerings are otherwise quite similar. Prices are sometimes
lower when booked directly through dive shop, rather than through a
travel agency. Try the Mediterranean Dive Club divecenter.gr],
info@divecenter.gr). Their dive station is on Caldera Beach near
Akrotiri, but they also have an office on Perissa Beach. There are also
two dive shops in Kamari: Navy's Waterworld Dive Center (+30 22860 28
190,
[28]), and Aegean Divers (+30 22860 33210, info@aegeandivers.com,
[29]).
Diving, visibility is amazing, but there are not as many fish as
more popular scuba and snorkelling locations. Dive sites include a wreck
near the volcano, caverns, reefs, as well as wall diving. The wall dive
is the most interesting. Octopus are not uncommon. To minimize
environmental damage, all five dive shops go to the same locations
(although not at the same time), with moorings shared by all the dive
shops. If you want to go to a specific dive site, call ahead, and find
out which dive shops are heading to which locations on which day (or ask
to go to a specific location).
Recommended sites for snorkelling include Mesa Pigadia beach,
somewhat out (some people recommended a diving buoy for boat safety),
the beach South of Oia, as well as Perissa Rock (esp. somewhat further
around the rock). There are supposed to be some nice spots between
Perivolos and Vlichada Beach as well. The beach on Thirasia also has
some reasonable snorkelling. Caldera Beach, near Akrotiri, has a few
amazing snorkelling spots. When walking down to Caldera Beach (follow
the signs to Santorini Dive Center), you will see some rock formations
further out into the water. If you can find those once in the water, and
swim to them, you will find wonderful snorkelling.
Virtually all beach-side shops will sell cheap, low-quality snorkelling gear (mask for around 10EU, fins for around 20EU).
Buy
- Atlantis Books, [30]. The largest selection of English language books on the island. Also stocks Greek, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch.
- SantorÃni is one of Greece's most prominent wine regions, whose wines
enjoy special designation of origin status from the European Union. The
method of growing grapes (with vines close to the earth and individual
vines spaced far apart from each other) is unique to the island, with
its dry soil and windy climate. Wineries open to the public are located
throughout the island.
- Buy Santorini wines on Iama Wine Store in Oia.Very nice shop
with all Santorini wines and over 350 labels of other Greek and
international wines.
- Activities Santorini Sea Kayak, Akrotiri, ☎ 00306951801051, [31]. Sea Kayak, Stand Up Paddling, Rock Climbing and hiking activities. edit
Eat
Santorini specials include: the white aubergine (eggplant); fava caper ; a variety of
tomato keftedes,
with whole slices of tomatoes fried in batter; dolmades, stuffed vine
leaves. Another must-try is fresh fish grilled in tavernas, esp. those
close to a sea.
If you decide to eat or drink in a taverna overlooking the
caldera or having a good view to a sunset, expect higher prices than a
similar establishment in one of the many side-streets as you are charged
extra for the view –- but what a view!
For those who enjoy the Mediterranean diet -- fresh fish,
vegetables, and meat dishes can be found at several moderately priced
restaurants (average 40 Euros for two) in Imerovigli, Oia, and Fira. To
save money, stay away from places that are overtly commercial and go to
the family run fish taverns located nearby the smaller beaches and
communities.
Gyros places are everywhere.
Don't miss the traditional
fried tomato balls of
tomato keftedes
and be sure to ask for local tomatoes in your salad. They may be the
best tasting you have ever had. Santorini is particularly well known for
its
cherry tomatoes which are very sweet.
Wineries
Tour local wineries and enjoy the local wines, well thought of, if
not world famous. A combination of climatic factors and the tastes of
those who have occupied and lived on the island have formed an eclectic
cuisine.
