So many visits to Greece, but this was my very first time in the Cyclades, the centre of the Aegean Sea. Our trip was only for a week and combined two islands: Santorini and Naxos.
Arriving in Santorini in early June, our 15 minute taxi ride from the airport on the south-east coast took us to our hotel on the north-west of the island located on the edge of the enormous caldera. I had never before really appreciated the full significance of the caldera – caused by a mighty volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago. It had left a massive crater on the west side of the island which is now filled by the sea and forms almost a perfect circle where the crater once was. The views are beyond stunning and is the main attraction of Santorini. Our hotel, Andromeda Villas, perched on the edge of the cliff side, offers probably the most breath-taking view, straight from our terrace, of any other hotel I have ever stayed in: across the caldera with the picsturesque town of Oia on the right and the an ancient rock citadel of Skala on the left. The sun sets to the west over the caldera and so the focus of every evening was to watch the sun set slowly over the caldera with the many boats gathered below to share in the spectacle. We watched it from our terrace, sophisticated and delicious cocktail in hand made by the expert hotel barmen.
So what else did we do apart from drink in the views? There is plenty to do. We walked along the cliff top from the village of Imerovigli, where Andromeda Villas is located to the main town of Thira- a beautiful half hour walk along a path winding between the small white buildings characteristic of the Cyclades which cling to the cliff side. Thira is a bustling town, with pretty cobbled lanes teaming with tasteful souvenir shops and defiantly worth a visit. It is the capital with some really excellent museums, and the best Akrotiri collections (see below). It is also the main landing spot for the cruise ship visitors as they are ferried in from their moorings in the caldera. From there they ascend to Thira by cable car, steps or donkey back up the steep paths. Depending on the number of ships in port it is likely to be pretty busy there – on one visit it was packed and a few days later much calmer.
We caught the local bus to the ancient site of Akrotiri in the south. Akrotiri, Greece’s Pompei, is a remarkable site. The same eruption which created the caldera, covered Akrotiri in ash, where it lay undiscovered for 3,500 years. Rediscovered in the 1980s it is slowly being uncovered and revealing an astonishing level of sophistication in the lives of its inhabitants all that time ago. Streets, mansions and workshops can be seen and the whole site is covered by a huge building designed to protect the ancient artefacts from the elements.
What else is there to do on Santorini? The island is rightly famous for its wine and a visit to a winery is a must. The most famous variety is the white Assyrtiko, with the bushes lying close to the ground in the dry volcanic soil. There is also a famous sweet white called Vinsanto that you should try. There are many boat trips on offer which take you to unparalleled swimming in the turquoise waters off different beaches of red rock , black rock and white rock. They also take you to swim in the thermal waters in the middle of the caldera Nea Kameni. You can also visit the island of Therassia on the far side of the caldera – relatively unspoilt and a world away from busy Thera. In terms of where to stay the caldera view hotels are the most expensive, followed by caldera village hotels without a view and then hotels on the other side of the island. We opted to stay in Imerovigli which is one of the ‘quieter’ caldera villages. Do bear in mind that if you are on the caldera side there are no beaches so you need to head across to island or join a boat trip to enjoy a dip in the sea.
We ate wondrously when we were there. The village of Imerovigli has a gem of a restaurant – Anogi, where the owner greats you by name after your first visit. The local specialities of tomato fritters and fava bean dip were delicious. We ate the most tender local octopus, sea bream, mussels and rooster and polished them off with the island traditional orange cake and a glass of vinsanto. Our hotel was perfect. As well as an unparalleled setting with sun-lounger terraces stepping down the mountain, it has the most picturesque pool and pool bar. The restaurant has floor to ceiling views over the caldera which offer an almost surreal backdrop to breakfast. The rooms, many of which are excavated from the rock, are beautifully designed in Cycladic style with simple furnishing and cool, deep interiors. All in all very comfortable and the staff very unfailingly helpful and professional. Although at full occupancy it never felt busy and there were plenty of quiet spaces.
So what do we think about Santorini? It is certainly unique – the views are simply staggering and the cliff top hotels are wonderful. There is no doubt that it is huge magnet for visitors from all over the world with those on a whistle-stop tour of Europe making sure they drop by. If you are looking to make an impression on instagram or are an influencer then Santorini is a bit of a mecca. That said as an island there is plenty to see and do plus if you want beaches the southern and eastern coasts have plenty, with lots of black sand. It is a busy island both from those staying there and the daily cruise ship calls, as such it is not really a quiet Greek island to sit back and relax on. As the home of one of the two main international airports in the Cyclades (Mykonos the other one) with direct flights from the UK we use it a lot as a starting or ending point for Greek island hopping holidays. How long should you stay – we would probably suggest 3 nights or so. Of course you can stay longer however it is very expensive, compared to nearby islands, and while it is a truly stunning place it is not nowadays a typical Greek holiday island. Enjoy it for a bit then head elsewhere for some relaxed beach time!
by TMS