Santorini, the volcanic island of the Cyclades
In Santorini, you do not have to make plans, but just to let yourself flow. From the sunrise for which it is worth waking up this morning to the spectacular sunset, everything is perfect. Surprised in vibrant images, the island is the place where you want to arrive at least once in a life.
Once we arrived, we were seduced by the magic of the place. The colours are unreal. The churches have domes of a heavenly blue, and the houses are painted in white or in the warmest shades of pink-powder and pale-yellow. Accents of black, green and ocher burst the chromatic when you least expect it.
If you choose like us to spend your holiday here in August, I advise you to make your program so that you go to see the island in the early hours of the morning. You will get rid of the crowds and high heat from noon. Evenings are cool, only good for relaxing on the terraces. Greek music is heard everywhere, and the fun is at her home.
It's a must to see the sunset! Perfect magician, the Sun begins its number in front of the spectators who wait breathlessly to see how it disappears. The show runs slowly. Peace is total. Only the noises made by the flashes of the cameras and the exclamations of astonishment that no longer contain are meant to disturb the balance. The price of a ticket is measured in the applause at the end. Slowly the curtain is down, dark and stellar. The actor is gone. He will be back the next day.
If you decide to see the sunset in Oia, you must know that it takes a whole battle to get the right place. People come two hours ahead to be sure of this. The village becomes impassable, and the terraces from which you can see the sunset very well have high prices, precisely because of this.
We rented an ATV to see the island and got lost on the winding roads. We reached the most perched villages and stopped at the taverns frequented by the locals and tried traditional dishes. We hid and took pictures whenever we saw each other. Arriving in places that did not appear on the map we were scared when the donkeys came out of nowhere.
Life in the village followed its natural course. Quietly, the locals were laughing most often at a table in the yard deciphering crossword. Other times, we could see them through the tiny windows of the stone houses. Small them too. We entered the souvenir shops from which we did not leave empty-handed, admired churches of a white dazzling and we found peace. Perfection in simplicity. We often left to admire the decorations in front of the houses or the cats withdrawn in one corner. In the shade.
We liked Oia so much, with the tangled streets and stuffed with everything. We walked peacefully as long as was not full of tourists and we left as they began to appear. We then reached Fira, at a distance of about 16 kilometers. It took us only 20 minutes with the ATV. From the Port of Fira, there are many possibilities to get to the city. You can opt for a ride with the donkey, the cable car or the stairs. We chose the last version.
What else can you visit!
Firostefani, located about 20 minutes from Fira. This offers a delightful view of the surrounding settlements.
Imergolvi, a village declared a Traditional Settlement, just 3 kilometres away from Fira. Extremely quiet and with a view of the volcano, Imergolvi will surely surprise you.
Pyrgos, only seven and a half kilometres from Fira. It is the place where there are more churches than houses. And cats in a very large number.
Santorini Wine Museum, 10 minutes away by car from Fira. An extremely well-organized museum, open from Monday until Sunday between 10.00 and 19.00.
Akrotiri, located 15 kilometres from Fira, in the southern part of the island. An archaeological site that you should not miss
The Prehistoric Museum from Fira where the most important discoveries from Akrotiri are exposed.
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