Santorini (Cyclades Islands, Greece)

Santorini Reviews

Santorini Photos

Santorini Information

Overview

Things to do

Country Info (Greece)

Slideshow of Photos

The current shape of Santorini was formed in a massive volcanic explosion in the 15th century BC. The crater of the volcano collapsed into the sea, leaving the E rim jutting sharply from the water. The event was so catastrophic that it has sparked speculation that Santorini could be the mythical Atlantis.

The accommodation on the resort is generally small hotels, apartment blocks and pensions, tending towards middle- to upmarket quality and rates. It attracts visitors of all ages and types, with younger people more prevalent in peak season, especially in Fira and Kamari. Santorini is one of Greece's more upmarket islands, although all budgets can be accommodated. A popular destination for weddings and honeymoons.

The island's two towns, Fira and Ia, are perched on the cliff tops of the highest part of the island. Ferries arrive and depart in the harbour below, and visitors walk or ride donkeys up the steep winding path to the towns.

Fira, the largest town on the island, is perched on a sheer 1,000-ft cliff on the W coast and boasts a stunning approach by boat. The old town is made up of steep, narrow, cobbled streets of shops, tavernas, churches, fast-food eateries, 2 cathedrals, no cars and lots of people. Day-trippers frequently swell tourist numbers.

The original village of Kamari was destroyed by an earthquake in 1956 and rebuilt in local style. Its main beachside road has wall-to-wall hotels, tavernas, discos and tourist agencies.

Locality:

Santorini is located in the Aegean Sea, off the SE Greek mainland and the Peloponnese. It is 65 mls N of Crete, 30 mls S of Naxos. Fira, the capital, is 10 mls NW of the airport, which is near the village of Monolithos. The resort of Kamari on the E coast lies just 1½ mls S of the airport.

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Santorini is popular with all ages and types of holidaymaker, with younger people more prevalent in peak season, especially in Fira and Kamari. Santorini is one of Greece's more upmarket islands, although all budgets can be accommodated. Popular for weddings and honeymoons.

Accommodation is mainly small hotels, apartment blocks and pensions, tending towards middle- to upmarket quality and rates.

Santorini has two swimming beaches, Perissa and Kamari, both characterised by their volcanic black sand. The most popular beaches, which can get crowded, lie on the E coast, offering black volcanic sands, clean water and good swimming, although the sea floor shelves quite steeply, the black sand can become very hot, so sandals are recommended.

Perissa, and the adjoining beach of Perivolos, is a picturesque resort stretching back 2 or 3 mls alongside farmland; this area has a Byzantine church and a couple of Venetian castles to visit.

Daytime offers a variety of beach and water sports, including windsurfing, water-skiing, pedalloes, diving, snorkelling and sailing. Island explorations taking in the ruins of ancient Thira (9th century BC), the monastery of Profitis, Ilias, a Venetian fortress at Pirgos and the ancient site of Akrotiri. Archaeological museums in Fira. And a small water park outside Perissa.

Evenings provide a good choice of bars, discos and nightclubs, especially in Fira. Traditional Greek evenings with dancing and plate-smashing, known as Bouzaki's, plus an open-air cinema at Kamari.

There are more than 300 eateries, offering everything from traditional Greek food to pizza and burgers. International restaurants include Chinese, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. The local cuise is mainly fresh fish with capers and goat's cheese; "tsikoudia", the local wine, is also worth trying. Tap water is chlorinated and safe to drink but it is in short supply, brought in by boat, and in high season might be cut off.

Shopping in the beach resorts offers mostly practical shops such as supermarkets and greengrocers. A wider selection is on offer in Fira, encompassing clothing, local art and handicrafts, and the usual touristy items; jewellery shops abound, catering to the cruise-ferry market.

Full day excursions consist of a variety of boat trips around the island and to the volcanic islets of Palea Kameni, Nea Kameni and Thirasia; archaeological tour of the island; wine-tasting and sightseeing tour; fishing trips.

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Population: 10.668.400
Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Greece - Athens

Country Dialling Code: +30
Voltage: 220V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 Parallel circular prongs

2 parallel circular prongs with an earth connector

2 parallel circular prongs with a female earth connector

'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

Greece appeals to different types of tourist, and very few could fail to find somewhere to suit their taste. From bustling Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the belly button of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even, quite possibly, the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini. Greeks are fierce guardians of tradition, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun. In addition, hot sun and limpid seas conspire to make Greece a perfect place to relax. Whether you're supping in a beachside taverna , sipping coffee in a shady plateia or disco-dancing till dawn.

The Olympic Games were spawned in ancient classical Greece, along with democracy and the fundamentals of philosophy, science and mathematics. Modern Greece is better known as a great place to vacation rather than a centre of learning and culture. Today the country attracts by offering simple pleasures: delicious food at reasonable prices, local wine, beautiful beaches, sunshine, quaint villages, a seemingly endless lacework of coastline and little islands full of scenic surprises.

The country exudes traditional charm, particularly on its ever-popular islands, which cling to their stereotypical architecture and way of life despite being often over-run by tourists. Black-clad women still deliver vegetables to island tavernas on panniered donkeys, while bronzed, lined fishermen sit in the sun, drink thick coffee, and play dominoes or dice. The tourist infrastructure has intruded in many respects, but the timeless aspect of whitewashed buildings clustered on hillsides around narrow pebbled alleys has been retained. The myriad islands in the Aegean Sea are easily accessible from Piraeus, the historic harbour of Greece's mainland capital, Athens, by ferry or hydrofoil, offering a unique chance for 'island-hopping'. Many of the larger islands also have airports with connections to Athens or seasonally with major European cities.

On the mainland the city of Athens in the south is sprawling, overcrowded and polluted but nevertheless enthralls visitors, while Thessaloniki in the north is vibrant and modern with a Byzantine flavour. Athens is dominated by its major landmark, the Parthenon: the remains of other wonders of the ancient Greek classical world are to be found mainly on the Peloponnese Peninsula, south of Corinth, the gateway to a veritable treasure trove of history.

Greece and Greeks welcome with open arms the thousands of visitors that flock to admire their national assets every year - no-one leaves without having been warmed, both by the sun and the hospitality.