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Santorini
With little white churches atop soaring cliffs, big blue skies and sunsets that will make you swoon, Santorini is the zenith of the Greek Islands holiday experience.
Thomson Destinations
reviews Video tour & customer on.co.uk thoms
Hugging an ancient volcanic crater, Santorini's small but perfectly formed. There's sensational scenery, oodles of history and enough nightlife to please the party crowd. And if you don't mind your sand in a darker shade of grey - a legacy of the island's volcanic past - there's plenty of good beach life too. The centre of Santorini's universe is Thira, a bright, white town which clings to the caldera rim, overlooking the azure bay. At first glance it's a typical island capital, with quaint, white-washed houses tumbling down the cliff-side in terraces. But on closer inspection its cosmopolitan side jumps out at you, with shops, bars, hotels and restaurants packed into the web of streets and alleyways. Outside Thira, Santorini's something of a rural idyll. Fields and vineyards are interspersed with cute little villages, and the interior, with its isolated churches and hilltop fortresses, is definitely worth exploring. Just make sure you're back at the coast for the sunset. A nod to the solar god Helios is an essential daily ritual for all Santorini sun-worshippers. Things to see and do Akrotiri Santorini's answer to Pompeii, this is one of the most important archaeological sites in the whole of Greece. Still being excavated, it's a 200-acre section of an ancient Minoan city, buried by volcanic ash in 1550BC. You can walk down a street that was laid around 3500 years ago, and imagine what life was like from the ash imprints of furniture, ceramics and frescoes. Thira The site of ancient Thira, which flourished after the volcanic eruption in the 9th century BC, is on the Mesa Vouno headland between Kamari and Perissa. You can walk to the top or take a donkey taxi. Whichever you choose, it's worth it for the magnificent views. You can also wander around the ruins of the Temples of Artemidoros and Dionysus, the market place and the theatre. Museum of Prehistoric Thira You've seen the site, now see the artefacts. The Museum of Prehistoric Thira houses finds from the excavations at Akrotiri, as well as from other archaeological digs on the island. It's well presented in four sections - the history of research at Thira, the geology of Thira, the island's history from the late Neolithic to the late Cycladic period and the heyday of the city of Akrotiri. Thira Archaeological Museum Built in 1960 to replace the old one destroyed in an earthquake, this museum houses an interesting collection of artefacts, including geometric red and black vases from the 5th century BC and a strange set of erotic Dionysiac figures. Boutari Winery This is the island's largest winery and was the first to open its doors to the public. It has the capacity to produce over 1 million litres per year and has nearly 200 oak barrels where the wine's left to mature. Take a tour and watch a video presentation before getting down to the important stuff - tasting the product - you'll be given half a dozen wines to try, accompanied by some mezes. Oia Sunset Santorini's sunsets are legendary and there's no better place to experience one of them than the northerly town of Oia. A favourite haunt of artists, it offers stellar views over the beautiful blue Aegean with the island of Thirassia to the south west. Nea Kameni Get up close and personal with a volcano by taking a boat trip across the bay to the deserted island of Nea Kameni. A steep walk of around 150 metres will bring you to the rim of the crater, from which sulphurous fumes rise up and turn the landscape yellow. Some believe this is the Lost City of Atlantis'. Certainly, archaeological evidence points to the island once being inhabited by a very affluent and advanced community who had running water, baths and toilets at least 1000 years before the Romans.
Baxedes
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Ammoudi
Thirasia
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Armeni Bay
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Karterados Monolithos Messaria
Athinios Bay
Aspronisi
Balos Bay
Pyrgos Megalohori
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Kamari Ancient Thira
Emporio
Akrotiri
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Perissa
Agios Georgios
SANTORINI
2 km
© TUI 2005
Beaches Don't go to Santorini expecting golden or powder-white beaches. We're talking seriously volcanic here, so the sands are dark grey. They also tend to get pretty hot in the afternoon sun, so a pair of flip-flops is essential beachwear. Colour and temperature aside, Santorini's beaches offer safe bathing and plenty of watersports, so you can cool off with a quick dip or float around on a pedalo to your heart's content. The island's most popular beaches are on the east coast. Monolithos catches the southerly winds so is particularly good for windsurfing. Kamari is quite touristy, but has a relaxed atmosphere and a good diving centre. And just around the cape is Perissa, popular with backpackers. Alternatively, in the far north of the island there's Oia, a favourite haunt of
sunset-gazers. If you don't mind descending a couple of hundred or so steps, Armeni or Ammoudi beaches are worth the effort, and a good place to pick up pumice stone souvenirs, courtesy of the volcano.
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London Santorini
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