Santorini, also known as Thera or Thira, is a volcanic island, the southernmost island in the Cyclades. There are 13 villages on Santorini and fewer than 14,000 people, a number that increases during the summer months when Santorini’s famous beaches are clogged with sun worshipers. From the map, you can see the volcanic structure that, before exploding, formed a single island.
Why go? Where else in such a compact space are you going to see some of the best beaches in the world, spectacular landscapes and breathtaking sunsets, ancient cities, decent restaurants, savor some of the best wines you’ll have in Greece, and walk on a volcano? overlooking everything? Santorini tomatoes are famous too. Yes, Santorini’s Tomato Industrial Museum will tell you about the history of specialty tomatoes and how they were grown without irrigation and processed into a paste with nearby seawater.
Arriving in Santorini
Santorini National Airport is located near Monolithos, eight kilometers southeast of Fira. You can take a domestic flight from Athens that takes just under an hour and a half. It takes about 20 minutes to get from the airport to Fira. Compare rates with Santorini Airport (JTR)
In Greece, ferries are much more numerous in summer than in other seasons. Be careful with this when looking for ferry tickets. The ferry from Piraeus (the port of Athens) will take you to Santorini in 7-9 hours. You can shave for a couple of hours by taking a catamaran or a hydrofoil.
Once in Santorini, you can get frequent ferry connections to other Cyclades islands, as well as to Rhodes, Crete, and Thessaloniki. From Rhodes, you can take a ferry to Turkey.
Places to visit in Santorini
The capital of Santorini is Fira, which is located on the caldera side of the island perched on a cliff 260 meters above the sea. It houses an archaeological museum with the finds from the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri, displayed in the red box south of the modern village of Akrotiri. The Megaron Gyzi Museum contains a collection of images of Fira from before and after the 1956 earthquake. The old port of Fira is for cruise ships, the southernmost port (shown on the map) is used for ferries and cruise ships. There are the usual tourist shops with a strong emphasis on jewelry in Fira.
Imerovigli connects to Fira via a trail through Ferastefani, where you’ll get that Kodak moment when you look back.
Oia is famous for the views of Santorini at sunset, especially near the Kastro (castle) walls, and it is quieter than Fira, although it does get quite crowded on summer’s eve.
Many people think that Perissa has the best beach on the island, a 7 kilometer long black sand beach with many facilities for beach lovers. Perissa has religious festivals on August 29 and September 14. Kamari has the other black beach on the island. Both Kamari and Perissa have dive centers.
If you are looking for a more peaceful, difficult beach experience in Santorini, Vourvoulos in the northeast is as good as it gets.
Megalochori has several interesting churches and is a hub for Santorini wine tasting alongside Messaria, which also offers a lot of shopping for those of you doing that kind of thing on vacation. Messaria also has winding streets and characteristic churches, as well as good taverns.
Emporio has a castle and winding streets that confused pirates in the old days.
You’ll find the Museum of Prehistory Thera in Akrotiri, along with the 17th century BC excavations found south of the modern city. Akrotiri red sand beach is close to the ancient site and there you can take boats to other beaches.
Santorini is also a producer of fine wines. Jacquelyn Vadnais received advice on a hot cellar from a waitress, and her tasting at Domaine Sigalas Santorini is recounted in Yes… There is wine tasting in Santorini, Greece.
When to go
Santorini’s climate is warm in the summer, but it is a dry heat, and there are many beaches waiting to help you dissipate that heat. In fact, Santorini is only one of two places in Europe that is classified as having a desert climate. Spring and fall is the best time to travel, but people flock to the island in summer.
Santorini archeology
Besides the Museum in Akrotiri, the two main archaeological sites in Santorini are ancient Akrotiri and ancient Thira. Ancient Akrotiri is sometimes called “Minoan Pompeii” due to the great volcanic eruption of 1450 BC. In Akrotiri, the people seemed to have escaped; Archaeologists have not discovered human remains.
Ancient Thira is high above the popular beaches of Kamari and Perissa. The city was occupied by the Dorians in the 9th century BC. C.
Where to stay
Romantics often stay in hotels or villas overlooking the caldera, often in Oia and Firá. These can be expensive. Another option is to rent a villa on the island. Or how about a cave house?
