Destinations S a n t o r i n i (Thira) o r K A L L I S T I Even before disembarking you remain breathless. In front of the steep vertical rocks in deep red color combined to black , the white houses, like an angry wave in the deep blue sea of the greek sky. There is only one word to describe this miracle. Eyes! Your eyes only can narrate this marvelous story. The picture of Santorini, wild and peaceful, excitation and calmness ,that created this strange sculptor, the Volcano. In the arms of the islands crescent, exactly above the crater of the Volcano is where the small islands , old and new Kameni and the far away Thirasia hide .
Fira Fira is the islands capital built in a peculiar and unique way. On top of the steep rocks. There is only white and blue over there, identified to the sea and the sky. In Fira you will walk through the narrow streets, filled with well placed shops, restaurants and cafeterias. A unique pleasure is the view of the Volcano throughout the sea and the sky. Special characteristics of the architecture are the simple houses and hotels built one next to the other. On the rocks root, we find the old harbor. Places worth a visit are the Venetian Gyzi building in Fira, where we can find an exhibition of paintings, maps and documents and more material about Santorini and the rest of Cyclades .Also the Archaeological museum with exhibits of Thirean vessels and findings from the excavations on the island.
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Fira are found on the western side of the island , with the steep rocks. On this side there are no beaches. The access to the Old Harbor and Skala is by foot, donkeys or the cable car.
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Thirasia, old and new Kameni
All day long,there are itineraries of little boats from Skala to the island of Thirasia, where only 250 people live in. There you will walk the 250 steps that will lead you from the harbor to the village with the few white little houses. Due to the volcanic origin of the island, the shores are abrupt and not suitable for swimming. From Skala there are also daily excursions to the Volcano. In new Kameni, you will be able to see sulphur and warm gas coming out of the Volcanos crater. Swimming possibility in the green and hot waters next to old Kameni.
Imerovigli Built in the rocks highest spot , on 300 meters, (its name means observatory ), Imerovigli offers the best view between Fira and Ia. In front of the literally magical view of the sea and the Volcano, you will feel peace and euphoria, wishing for the time to stop .The traditional houses, beautiful churches and narrow streets are the combination of a beautiful preservable settlement. It is only one km away from Firostefani .The monastery of Agios Nikolaos, built in 1674 is worth a visit, located between Imerovigli and Firostefani. The Agios Nikolaos church, built on the rocks edge, also offers a marvelous view.
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Ia Thousands of visitors from Greece and all over the world come to Ia to enjoy the unique love of the goldreddish sun beams as they sink in the deep blue peaceful waters of the Aegean. Thousand camera clicks is the only fact that can spoil a bit the ritual of the sunset. Ia, built in 350 meters tall rocks, combines colors such as blue, ochre and mauve that remain exactly the same since the big earthquake. The traditional settlement of Finikia ,is one of the places worth a visit. Just 1 km, is located the Nautical Museum where we can find rich material from nautical exhibits and also a big library. Ia is the most suitable place for fairy tale and peaceful vacation. In its graphic narrow streets you can find many shops with wonderful things to shop. If you want to swim, you have to descend 286 steps to Armeni beach and 214 steps to Amoudi beach, while 3km from Ia is located the big Baxedes beach. Moreover with a small boat from Ia, you can visit the opposite island, Thirasia.
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Monolithos Is located near the airport, and got its name from an isolated rock, close to the Agios Giannis little church It is 9 km far from Fira and there you can find the Islands best beach .
Pyrgos From Pyrgos, you literally have all Santorini at your feet. It is a large Mediterranean village, built in the side of Profitis Ilias on the tallest spot of the island, 7.5 km from Fira. The monastery of Profitis Ilias, located on the top of the mountain, is 4km away from the village.It was built in 1711 and many heirlooms and ecclesiastic treasures are kept there.
Kamari Tourist center with large sandy beaches and black pebble, is a perfect offer for your swimming. It is 10km away from Fyra and it differs architecturally from the capitals traditional, with modern houses, many restaurants and lots of green. Places worth a visit are the Byzantine church of Perikopi, Profitis Ilias and the Ruins of Old Settlements near the sea.
Megalohori Ascending from the Athinio port , 6km from Fyra, it is the first village in your way. Traditional, has kept the Aegean beauty, with neoclassical houses and narrow little streets. The wine factory of the Boutari company, as well as the Antoniou wine factory, where you can have a conducted tour through their installations and taste the exceptional wines of Santorini, definitely worth a visit
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Perissa Settlement with great tourist movement, on the southern side of the Island, with black sand, many taverns and cafeterias on the beach and behind the central road. Ascending to Mesa Vouno, you can sea the ruins of the Ancient Town of Thira. The excavations brought to light the city, which according to scientists goes back to the 8th century B.C. and is believed to have been in constant acne until the Roman Years. Beside the building blocks of houses of different ages, Perissa has markets, theatres, sanctuaries, the house of Ptolemaios the Benefactor, graves of Ancient and Classic Period etc. On the surrounding rocks there are names of god Appolon in Ancient Thiraic alphabet and great statues.
Akrotiri, Archaeological Place One of the greatest Archaeological places, discovered in 1967. During the excavations came to light a full prehistoric settlement aged back to 3000 B.C. that was destroyed and covered with volcanic ash, after the Volcanos eruption. There you can see two and three-floored buildings, untouched steps, walls, a rich collection of findings of daily life objects and marvelous murals that give us important information on the life on the island. It is worth mentioning that on this prehistoric village were found only a few animal bones, which means that its citizens were warned long before the eruption and had the time to evacuate the settlement. It is possible though, that the big wave caused by the eruption caught them while they were still in the sea and their traces were lost. The excavations stopped after the man in charge, Spyros Marinatos, was killed in an accident, inside during the excavations, in the exact spot where now you can see his grave. In the Akrotiri area , is located the famous Red beach, with the red sand and the clean waters.
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Santorini (Thira), Akrotiri, the Spring Fresco One of the most important centers of the Aegean in the prehistoric period. During the early Bronze Age (3rd Millenium B.C.) there was a settlement in Akrotiri. Later on (20th -17th century B.C.), the settlement was expanded and became one of the most significant centers and ports of the Aegean . Its large extent , its perfect urban organization ,its sewage network , the artistic multi-floored buildings with some magnificent mural decorations and the rich furnishing , witness its great development. The variety of imported products found within those buildings show the extension of the foreign relations of Akrotiri. They kept strong relations with Minoan Crete , but they had communication with continental Greece, Dodecanese ,Cyprus, Syria and Egypt. Life in the city came to an abrupt end during the last quarter of the 17th century , when its residents decided to abandon it due to heavy earthquakes. The eruption of the volcano followed. The volcanic elements that covered the city and the whole island protected the buildings and their contents, until today, just like in Pompey. Elements about the settlements in Akrotiri came into light during the second half of 19th century A.C. Systematic excavations began there in 1967 by professor Spyridon Marinatos under the aegis of the Archaeological Company based in Athens. Marinatos decided to excavate in Akrotiri, hoping to verify an old theory of his , published in the 30s , that the eruption of the Thira volcano caused the destruction of the Minoan civilization. After Marinatos death , in 1974, the excavation continued under the observance of professor Christos Doumas. No interventions were made on the revealing monuments, except in cases where fixing was needed. The Spring mural was found on D2 group of the Akrotiri settlement and it is dated back to 1550 B.C. (a while before the eruption). Today it is exhibited in the Archaelogical Museum of Athens. Group D it is constituted by four buildings .A room in the Eastern building was decorated with the Spring mural .The artist attributed with great sensitivity a rocky landscape with blooming red flowers , with swallows flying within . This mural covered three walls of a ground floor room and reaches the flooring. We observe a line of volcanic rocks in three colors , yellow , red and blue(or black) , that give us an idea of what the whole island looked like. The upper part of the wall is white and is litted up with red flowers ( lilium cchalcedonicum) with yellow stalks sprouting in three. The flowers seem to move as wind blows. On the north wall two birds with held open the arcs of their wings seem to be making out. On the western wall the birds still seem to be making out , while a third one is coming towards them. On the southern wall the birds with their wings lowered and their head down are moving in opposite directions one another .Their attitude shows the sorrow of breaking up. The mural is a hymn to the coming of Spring and comes by a room , that is believed was built for worshiping reasons. The birds remind the corresponding ones in the Cycladic angiography , while the portrayal of the flowers brings to mind the vessels of Phytical rhythm from Crete. But here the birds are not static like they were in the Minoan Crete art. They are described with thin and thick lines .The flowers look like those of the Ancient Triad in Crete and with those found in the house of murals, in Knosos. Moreover such flowers decorated the walls of the mansion in Amnisos
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