The Santorini archipelago is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in Greece. According to legend, the five islands of the archipelago are the remnants of the former greatness of Atlantis, which went under water. Nowadays, hundreds of thousands of tourists come to sunbathe on the volcanic beaches of the islands and admire the snow-white houses built on the rocks.
Santorini consists of 5 islands, the largest of which is Fira (or Thira). It is its image that is printed on all advertising brochures about Greece. The two volcanic islands of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni are popular destinations for excursions.
Santorini is a place to visit at least once. Snow-white walls of houses, blue domes of churches, which are here about as many as there are days in a year and colorful beaches will turn your vacation into a real fairy tale.
Climate and weather of Santorini
Santorini has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and warm winters. The bathing season starts in May and ends in September. The best time for vacation is considered to be the summer months, as well as late spring and early fall.
Beaches of Santorini
Santorini’s beaches are a complete attraction. The islands were formed due to a volcanic eruption 3500 years ago. The “inheritance” from the ancient catastrophe left amazing beaches with multicolored sand. There are areas with black sand (just like in Tenerife), there are areas with red sand (like at the dunes in Mui Ne), and there are snow-white and golden beaches, which are a pleasure to relax on.
There are not many beaches on the island – only 15, but each of them is unique and beautiful. The depth is serious almost everywhere, the water is cool, clear, turquoise, green and even black depending on the sand or pebbles at the bottom.
Perivolos is the longest and most popular beach on the island of Fira. On 3 kilometers of black sand, umbrellas and sun loungers are set up, and the owners of numerous taverns and restaurants are waiting on the promenade. As almost everywhere in Santorini, the depth begins quickly, so families with children should be careful and make sure that the kids splash near the shore.
In the evenings there are discos on Perivolos and Perissa beach. There is an aqua park near Perissa Beach, and you can wait out the midday heat with a trip to the Mineral and Fossil Museum.
Red beach attracts not only bathers, but also people with cameras. Red pebbles and red rocks, turquoise water – an amazing combination. If red is not your favorite color, you can choose White Beach – it is studded with snow-white pebbles. The only problem is that you can reach it only by boat, although this is also an advantage – there will be no crowds.
Kamari beach is the widest on the island. It has a well-developed infrastructure and there are enough sun beds and umbrellas for everyone. The beach has been awarded the Blue Flag for the cleanliness of the water. When you are tired of lying on the sand, you can go to the Archaeological Reserve of Fira to admire the sea view.
The depth of the sea in Santorini is decent everywhere, but for families with children and unsure bathers there is a beautiful beach Monolifos, where the entrance to the water is gentle and you can fearlessly let your heirs go swimming. The sand on the beach is dark, sunbeds and umbrellas are available, you can have a bite to eat in the taverns nearby.
For vivid impressions you can go to the beaches of the islands of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni – by the way, their names are quite telling, meaning “burnt”. Tourists are led to the crater of an ancient volcano, where they can bathe in thermal springs.
Attractions
Santorini is a symphony of three colors: blue, white and ochre. According to Greek traditions, white symbolizes faith and justice; blue symbolizes the sky; yellow-brown, ochre symbolizes the power of nature and the power of the volcano.
There are almost as many churches on Santorini as there are days in the year – 352. The most beautiful and famous is Ayiou Mina, nestled on a cliff. The bells chime from all corners of the island of Fira in the mornings and evenings.
You can learn about the past of the volcanic islands at the Archaeological Museum and the City Museum. The volcanic eruption has reshaped the history of the area: for example, there is even its own “Pompeii” – on Cape Akrotiri there are the ruins of a city buried under a layer of ash. You can touch the medieval history of the archipelago at the ruins of the Venetian castle in Imerovigli. By the way, this is one of the best places to watch the sunset.
The most popular excursion is to the volcanic islands of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni. The volcano exploded 3500 years ago, and the echoes of the eruption can still be heard today: the last activity was only 65 years ago. The underwater volcano boils water – there are therapeutic thermal springs here, and the soil itself is very hot. The excursion includes a trip to the island by boat, climbing to the crater, bathing in the healing springs.
Orthodox holidays in Santorini are celebrated with great fanfare. During the tourist season you can visit the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 15), Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6). In addition, each church has its patron saint, whose day is also celebrated by the islanders with big festivities and church services.
Santorini hosts a jazz festival in July and a volcano festival in August. Eyewitnesses say it is an incredible spectacle, rivaling Chinese New Year in the abundance of pyrotechnics.
Santorini cuisine
Due to its volcanic origin, the soil on the islands of Santorini allows the cultivation of amazing varieties of familiar fruits and vegetables.
Residents are very proud of their white eggplants – they taste sweet, are fried in oil with thyme and served with seafood such as fresh charcoal-grilled octopus.
The traditional Greek salad, “choryatiki salata”, also has a special flavor in Santorini. There are special small cherry tomatoes of the “Santorini” variety, which are added to the salad and used to make tomatokeftedes – vegetable meatballs. Cucumbers in Santorini are not simple either – the variety is called “katsouni”. And although feta cheese is traditionally added to the salad choriatiki, you can ask to add chloro cheese – a special goat cheese with a creamy texture.
A specialty dish in Santorini will definitely contain fava, a special type of pea. It is especially good with pork, eggplant and tomatoes. You can also try it as a separate dish – the islanders have succeeded in having their precious fava recognized as a gastronomic treasure at the state level.
Santorini’s wines are special too, with the Asirtiko grape, which is used to make the excellent Vinsanto wine, which has citrus, fig or coffee flavors. A dry white Asyrtiko or a fortified white Nyhteri would make excellent aperitifs before a meal in the Greek tradition.
