Places to Visit in Santorini
Oia
If you have time to visit just one place in the island – choose Oia. That’s what you’ve been dreaming of for so many years looking at the pictures of the white churches with blue domes.
Visiting winery: Domain Sigalas
Church of Panagia : the famous white church with blue dome.
Fira
Fira is the capital of the island. It is located high on the Cliffside and attracts many tourists due to the big shopping area, some small but outstanding museums, restaurants, coffee shops with a great view and its convenient location in the middle of the island.
Kamari
Kamari is a cosmopolitan resort and Kamari Beach is one of the most popular in Santorini. Seemingly endless, with the black volcanic sand in stark contrast to the turquoise blue of the sea, creating a fantastic setting. Kamari also offers many nightlife options with various clubs and bars along the seaside.
Visiting winery: Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum
Perissa
The beautiful beach of Perissa is located at the base of the mountain Mesa Vouno which separates Perissa from Kamari and at the top you can admire the famous archaeological site of ancient Thira and magnificent views. The reason for going to Perissa is to enjoy the excellent beach, which is fully organized with sun beds, umbrellas, beach bars and restaurants.
The beautiful beach of Perissa is located at the base of the mountain Mesa Vouno which separates Perissa from Kamari and at the top you can admire the famous archaeological site of ancient Thira and magnificent views.
Perivolos
After Perissa is Perivolos Beach. A wonderful endless beach, perfect for beach bars and music lovers. The fun starts at noon and continues until sunset!
Pyrgos
However, the beauties of the island include the famous tower Pyrgos. In the center of Pyrgos lies the medieval castle with houses built amphitheatrically around it.
Visiting Winery: Santo wines
Megalohori
Megalochori is a quiet traditional village of Santorini with stone cobblestones. Visit Churches with unique architecture and belfry Visiting Wineries: Antoniou Winery, Boutari Winery, Gavala Winery
Ammoudi Bay
Built on red volcanic rocks, beneath the beautiful Oia, there is a scenic suntrap called Ammoudi, a small harbor overlooking the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Ammoudi used to be the main port of Oia in the 19th and 20th centuries, and thus, an important commercial hub. Its buildings, which were once mainly warehouses that supplied the ships with goods of local production, like the famous Santorini wines, gave a special quality to the quaint bay.
Today Ammoudi is one of the most picturesque places in Santorini and perhaps the most famous spot to enjoy the sunset. Dive from the rocks of Agios Nikolaos and enjoy a delicious meal or dinner at one of the many fish taverns, that serve the catch of the day. You can reach Ammoudi either by climbing the 214 steps from Oia Castle, or from the main road that connects Ammoudi with the rest of the island. From Ammoudi bay you can take a boat to visit Thirassia and Nea Kammeni.
Volcano
One of the most important attractions of Santorini is the volcano, whose monumental eruption in late Bronze Age, begun reforming the terrain of the island. The size and the shape of Santorini were entirely different before the several volcanic eruptions that occurred throughout the years, some of them being submarine. Santorini was a much larger, round island, and its name used to be Strogili, meaning circular.
The result of these eruptions of the past was the creation of five islands, the crescent-shaped Santorini, Therassia, an uninhabited islet called Aspronisi, and the volcanic isles of Palaia Kammeni and Nea Kammeni. Volcanic traces can be found all over the island, especially on the beaches that are covered, in their majority, in black sand and pebbles made of solidified lava. Another spectacular outcome of the eruptions is the formation of the Caldera that runs through the island. This unique morphology is what makes Santorini an exceptional place on earth, and the villages that are built on the cliffs of the Caldera offer a unique view to the Aegean sea and the islets. There are daily tours to the volcano, by boat, offering you the chance to walk on it, discover its crater and other openings bursting with sulfur steam, swim in the springs and get to know all about its activity and history.
