SANTORINI VIEWS

If you are traveling to Greece for the first time, Santorini is a great introductory island. You can stay in a cave like villa on the rim of a volcano crater, lounge at beach clubs on a black sand beach, enjoy spectacular views and wine tasting at a local winery or explore ruins of an ancient yet modern civilization called Akrotiri dating back to 5000 BC. Celebrities such as Simon Cowell, David Letterman, Jay Z, Beyonce, Diddy, Leonardo Di Caprio are just a few who frequent this island.

We stayed in Oia (pronounced ee-ah) which visually is a true escape from your daily reality. Blue domes, windmills and white washed cave residences dot the rim of the volcano crater as far as you can see. The Grand Canyon like views are awe inspiring and change throughout the day dependent on the sun’s positioning. The location is so popular that during golden hours the area becomes photo shoot heaven for photographers and poser’s alike. Girls in designer dresses and brides and grooms in full wedding regalia climb on top of cave dwellings or perilously perch on steep steps to get that perfect Instagram worthy shot.

Why is SANTORINI so exclusive?

When we were not lounging on our balcony gazing past the blue domes at the sparkling Aegean sea, we would wander throughout the small town filled with cafes and shops. We discovered a few cafes that are perfect for lunch. Terpsien Restaurant was our favorite. The food, service and atmosphere was the best in town. For fresh seafood and a small port experience, Ammoudi Bay is another fun option. Donkey taxi’s can be hailed to take you down the ancient switchbacks to the old port and it’s also where catamaran cruises depart daily to the volcano, hot springs and red sand beach.

Oia like Key West has a special area that everyone flocks to for the communal experience of watching the sunset. This is an exciting thing to do on the first night you arrive and will serve as an official kick off to your trip. Following the sunset, Pelekanos Restaurant is a lively yet romantic place to have dinner and has a great view of the Caldera (volcano crater).

If you are ready for a beach day to relax after your long journey, Perissa beach is the place to go. Tavernas and beach clubs with cosmopolitan lounge areas and DJs line the long black sand beach. If you are not into beach clubs, many of the tavernas also offer lunch service at the adjacent beach chairs with umbrellas for a rental fee.

 For an unforgettable and unique wine experience, Venesantos Winery delivers. The winery was built into the side of a cliff and utilizes a gravity-flow design for its wine making process. The café on the terrace is an amazing place to view the Caldera and Oia at a distance for lunch or sunset.

And FLY LYFE powered by FLY ON MY JET are there to help you with anything from a res­taurant reservation to a wedding and for wine lovers, a rare experience. Santorini is the oldest vineyard in Europe dating back to 3000 BC and you can still see the pruning techniques from ancient times over the landscape. The vines are pruned into bushes that appear to look like baskets and require no irrigation. This is one of the few areas in the world that you will find this type of cultivation technique for growing grape vines. Santorini is known for its white wine called, “Asyrtico” and its sweet wine called, “Vinsanto”.

On our final day in Santorini, we explored the ancient civilization of Akrotiri. Like the ruins of Pompeii, you will see a snapshot of what life was like at the time of the volcanic eruption in 1627 BC for this Bronze Age Minoan society. Excavation at the site shows two and three story buildings with advanced drainage systems, evidence of olive oil and wine commerce and furniture and frescos that are remarkably well preserved.



To describe Santorini in one word…OPA!

10 FACTS ABOUT SANTORINI

1.Santorini is not the islands original name. Santorini has been know as Strogill (the round), Kallisti (the most beautiful), and Theras (the son of a king). After the Crusades of the 13th Century, the island was once again re-named, this time by the Venetians in honor of Saint Irene or Santa Irini. Fast forward a few centuries and the world over knows this sparking gem in the Aegean Sea as Santorini.

2. There are only two ways to arrive at Santorini, by boat or by plane. If you arrive by boat you will travel up via the funicular or ride a donkey up the 980 feet above sea level.

3. This series of volcanic islands in the Aegean Sea is the only inhabited caldera (volcano crater) in the world. Many believe Santorini may be the Atlantis Plato wrote about. The Minoan Eruption at Santorini created a devastating tsunami in the Aegean Sea, believed to have destroyed the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.



4. 3,600 years ago, someone saw the signs and knew when to get out. Scientists believe the nearly 30,000 residents of the island successfully evacuated prior to the volcanic eruption. In the late 1950’s archeologists uncovered the near perfectly preserved city of Akrotiri encased in three to six feet of ash.

5. Santorini remains an active volcano, in a quiet state. Scientists have found evidence of at least twelve large eruptions in the last 200,000 years. An small episode of unrest, now in remission, was recorded as recently as 2011-2012.



6. The volcanic activity of Santorini left behind stunning beaches in vibrant hues of red, white and black stone. On one side of the island, Akrotiri, you can hike the stunning Red Beach.

7. In the town of Perissa, you can enjoy the Black Sand beaches of Santorini. Side note here, the beaches are beautiful but can be painfully hot. The word sand, is used very loosely here as the black sand beach could be more accurately described as a black stone beach.

8. The black sand beaches are nearby at the end of street and there are plenty of beach clubs and cafés ready to welcome you to Santorini.



9. Due to its harsh, dry climate, Santorini has a limited supply of water. Many believe there is more wine than water on the island, you’ll enjoy some of the most delicious and fresh Greek food available. Volcanic soil is mineral rich and the produce on the island.

10. Renting four wheelers and cruising around is a popular way to get around.

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