|
|
Santorini holidays
 The popularity of Santorini is due to its unique volcanic nature and
its incredible excavations in Akrotiri. This latter brought to light a
prehistoric town from the Minoan era, buried by the massive eruption of
the Santorini volcano 3,500 years ago. Because of these two factors
Santorini is probably one of the most visited places in Greece after
Athens.
Thousands of holiday makers, backpackers, honeymooners, celebrities and
Greeks visit the island every summer for unforgetable holidays, pictures of Santorini with sunset
views are a trademark of the island. Many cruise ships dock at Santorini
every day during the cruise season with hundreds of passengers joining
the holiday makers who arrived by other means like flights to Santorini
at the airport in Kamari.
The centre of all activities in Santorini is Fira. The most important
part of the city is between Erythrou Stavrou Street, which has much of
the nightlife in Santorini, and Ipapantis Street where you will find
many of the upmarket Santorini restaurants and hotels.
On Ipapantis Street you can see the best views to the blue Aegean, the
amazing sunsets and the view of Caldera. In the town there is a museum
and many beautiful churches, with the Cathedral being one of the most
lovely. One kilometre north of Fira is another popular village of
Santorini namely, Imerovigli. The place itself is quieter than Fira and
is an ideal place to stay due to its central location which has the same
beautiful views you can get in Fira. Further to the north, about 10 km.,
is the village of Oia.
Here many holiday makers choose to stay because of its picturesque
atmosphere and the fantastic views high above the sea level.
As a result of its huge popularity as a tourist resort, every kind of
tourist business has been developed on the island. This includes luxury
hotels, pensions, campsites, restaurants, beach bars, souvenir shops as
well as shops selling high fashion, jewellery and furs. In fact,
Santorini
provides everything that a top holiday resort needs - and more. The
plethora of tourist shops in Fira, the main town of Santorini, reminds
me a lot of the Republic of San Marino in Italy. With its narrow streets
and winding steps filled with tourist shops, specialist shops, eateries
and cafes
all bustling with trade.
 One of the most famous products of Santorini is its local wines. A visit
to the local wineries is something you should do and almost every tour
of
the island includes a visit to a Santorini winery. The Santorini beaches
are unique in Greece due to their volcanic nature with grey sand and
black pebbles.
Fira, Oia and Imerovigli are amongst the most popular three towns in
Santorini. However, one of the most important places to visit whilst on
your holiday is Akrotiri. Akrotiri is probably one of the main reasons
that the tourist industry developed on the island. This is because of
the archaeological findings made there that many believe is the Lost
Atlantis. The archaeologists are still slowly bringing to the light of
day the remains of an astonishing ancient town that had a very high
level of civilization.
Other holiday resorts of Santorini are the beach resorts of Koumari and
Perissa to the east, the villages of Vourvoulos north east of Fira,
Emporios, 12 km. southeast of the main town, and Megalochori, with its
fine Cycladic architecture and neo-classical mansions. In Megalochori it
is well
worth visiting the church of the Virgin Mary that contains many old
Russian Icons. Another well known resort, located to the north near to
the town of Oia, is Finikia. Among the villages of Santorini, Pyrgos is
the first village you will find after you disembark from the Santorini
ferries at the Port of Athinios, Pyrgos is an alternative place to stay
as it has lots of cheaper accommodation than you will find in the other,
much advertised resorts, of Santorini. The same can be said for the
small village of Gonia, a bit further east from Pirgos.
 Sunsets
in Oia are thought to be the most spectacular in the Aegean. The
uninterrupted view of the setting sun over the volcanic caldera is
unforgettably magical, leaving you breathless with wonder. As the
sun slowly descends into the sea the sky turns the most glorious
colours of red, orange, lemon, mauve, violet and pink, gradually
increasing in depth of hue as the sun sinks lower and lower.
Furthermore, this amazing palette in the sky is reflected
magnificently in the ripples of the sea, the sails of boats and on
to the surrounding white buildings that cling to the cliff-face. It
is so unexpectedly awe-inspiring that, when the sun finally
disappears below the horizon, the crowds of spectators often burst
into spontaneous applause. Beyond doubt, it is one of the most
dramatic and exciting experiences you will have whilst visiting
Santorini. The down-side, consequently, to all of this is that it is
impossible to experience it alone or just with your loved one. It
does get extremely crowded at sunset, with many people coming to Oia
by coach, car or cruise ship only for this spectacle. Don’t let this
put you off however. Make sure you know when the sun is due to set
on the day you decide to make this trip and ensure you find your
place at least 1 hour before it happens
One thing you should know before you visit the island is that Santorini
is not one of the cheapest islands in Greece and accommodation can be a
problem in
high season if you haven't pre-booked. Many non-European visitors, who
visit Greece as part of their once-in-a-lifetime European tour, have
Athens and
Santorini on their itinerary as both these places are the most
well-known Greek places outside of Greece. Therefore, good advice is to
arrange your accommodation in Santorini before you arrive.
|
