Santorini sunsets
The first inhabitants on Santorini were there in around 3000 BC, and recent excavations in Akrotiri in the south have revealed two and three storey buildings under a thick layer of ash.
Santorini was originally round, but in 1450 BC, there was a terrible volcanic eruption which blew out the centre of the island leaving it in a crescent shape with smaller islands in the bay. The force was so massive, it produced a 100m tidal wave which swept away the palace of Knossos on Crete and wiped out the Minoan civilisation.
Fira is on the west coast overlooking the caldera (large volcanic crater) which means you get spectacular sunset views. We opted to stay in a 4* boutique hotel on BB called the El Greco, which is a 10 minute walk from the resort centre. Although it has about 250 rooms, the property is only two storey, and separated into smaller areas each with its own pool, so it does retain that intimate feel. The rooms are lovely and ours had a sunny patio which lead out on to the pool terrace – it was just perfect.
The trend is to stay in all-inclusive hotels, but there are so many lovely local restaurants and tavernas in Greece where you can sample the local food. We ate in the hotel the first night as we were tired, but we ate out every other night and the costs were relatively inexpensive with most main courses being between E12-E18 per person.
Oia is the super trendy resort about 11kms further along from Fira, and our hotel ran a daily minibus service up there which gave you about 3 hours to enjoy the sunset, a meal and a wander round the narrow streets with the myriad of shops and boutiques. We did this one evening, and it was just lovely.
We also decided we wanted to go and see the excavations at Akrotiri, so we hired a car for the day and set off. We probably spent about two hours at Akrotiri – it was truly impressive – followed by a cold drink at a beach side taverna just a few minutes stroll away.
We then headed off to Perissa which is one of the beach resorts where we had a swim and lunch.
Lily decided she wanted to go to the Tomato Industrial Museum on the way back. Very reluctantly, I agreed and off we set. We paid a few Euros for our tickets, and joined a small group tour of the site. I have to say, the guide was brilliant and within 5 minutes we were riveted. After the hour long tour, there was an hour long video which the museum had put together with as many of the oldest employees and islands’ inhabitants they could find. The film told all their stories and memories of life growing up on the island, and how their lives revolved around their family’s tomato crop. It was an amazing documentary and worth every bit of that afternoon.
So, Santorini was a definite hit and we enjoyed the week immensely. The hotel was spot on, we had amazing scenery and a few adventures – we would definitely go back!