FIRA, CAPITOL OF ISLAND
Fira is centrally placed at 10km away from the Port
of Athinios. It is built amphitheatrically hanging from the cliff,
offering a direct view to the volcano and probably the best view you
have ever seen. Try to find accommodation with volcano-view since
it is definitely worth it to wake up in the morning and see such a
view.The village of Fira has expanded due to the tourism explosion of the
island and along with Firostefani and Imerovigli form a large village
on top of the cliff, offering lots of places to stay, drink, eat and
enjoy the view. You can stroll around the alleys at the edge of the
cliff, shop at the numerous traditional and modern shops, or do some
serious clubbing in the various bars and clubs. In order to appreciate
the more quite side of Fira you can walk around the small churches,
monasteries (Orthodox and Catholic) and the Archaeological Museum.
On the right
side while looking at the volcano you will see Skaros an impressive
rock formation where an old Venetian castle used to be. To the right,
behind the volcano, you will see Thirasia a small island with two tiny
villages. This island is part of the original island of Santorini before
the eruption of the volcano, and it offers an equally magnificent opposite
view of the island.
OIA
It is by far the most beautiful and picturesque village on Santorini,
since it is hanging from the cliff on the north side of island and offering
a magnificent sunset, where the sun falls ‘in the sea’. It
is ideal for quite vacations, strolls around the alleys, romantic diners,
breathtaking views and elegant shopping. Oia gives you a different
view of the islands that constitute the volcano (Palia & Nea Kameni)and of the small island of Thirasia.All
views are breathtaking. From Oia you can also take the
boat to Thirasia.
KAMARI
Northwest and in a distance
of 10 kilometers from Fira we come across Kamari. During the ancient
times Kamari used to be the seaport and it was called Ia. Many ancient
findings have been discovered here. Kamari was quickly developed because
of the sea and its beach. It has a beautiful beach that looks to the east with black sand and
protected on its south side by the vertical rocky volume of Mesa Vouno.
MEGALOCHORI
Megalohori is a rock village (dug into the bed of torrent) in the interior
of the island that is known to have existed since at least of the 17th
century. A small place (its name means "big village" but that
appears to be more euphemism), but a lively community with a fairly
large permanent population.
Megalohori attracts a fair number of tourist, who choose it as a handy base for exploring the island:
it is not to far from Fira (9 km), and within easy distance of both Akrotiri and the beaches of the Southeastern coast.
EMBORIO
Emborio is built on a plane, and for many years was (as the name indicates)
the island's commercial centre , the marketplace, for all its local
produce. Today it is one of the island biggest villages, with the largest
permanent population (many of seasonal businesses in Perisa are run
by people from Emborio), several shops, a medical centre, a newagent's
and a school.
MESSARIA
Messaria has two faces : on the one hand , there is the busy
cross-roads with the hotels, the main petrol station and the constant
bustle, and on the other there is the traditional rock village, with
noble mansions lining the main square and the abandoned Markezinis
knitting-mill, a memorial to the time when Messaria was the industrial
center of the island. Today it is lively village, with a fairly large
permanent population. The newer section, built on on the edge of "the
old town" is the bussines and commercial area: printer's, craft
industries, hair dreser's, beauty parlour, shops, hotels, tavernas.
Messaria is prefered by those who like to stay in central location,
whether they choose the comfort and of an ordinary hotel with none of
special features of Caldera or simply a rental room. Fira is not far
away and as for the beaches...all roads lead from Messaria: Monolithos,
Akrotiri, Perissa, and Kamari all lie at its feet.
PYRGOS
In Pyrgos you come face to face with medieval Santorini. The village still
preserves the structure and characteristics of the fortified Venetian
town, surmounted by its castle. Pyrgos was one of five fortified towns
built by the Venetians in th 15th century.
Climbing from the square up to the castle walls (cars are not allowed
within the village), the stone houses crowd more densely together and
the labyrinth of narrow vaulted lanes becomes more tortuos. But once you come out to the top, the fabulous panoramic view of the island will take your brath away.
And if you happen to be there in the late afternoon, be sure to stay to
watch the sun go down - you''ll never see anything like it again.
IMEROVIGLI
A unique atmosphere: verandes
hanging over the caldera, luxurios semi under ground apartments, swimming
pools on the edge of cliffs. Imerovigli is an ideal "balcony "
to the Caldera, and that explain the fact that it has developed into
a "hotel-village" of postcard beauty.
Couples in love actually create this village's profile. Romance, view
and peace. Fira is only five minutes away by car and 20 minutes on foot
using the path along Caldera that passes trough Firostefani.Anyway, the evening hours are the best for walk up to Skaros, the lonely
rock that rises up from the sea right in front of Imerovigli. It is
here that the Venetians had built their most important fortified settlement.
PERISSA
Perissa is effectively a village that "opens" in
October, with lots of tavernas, few good hotels and pleny of rooms to
let. It is also the location of the best campground on the island ,
whose beach bar is the scene of the liveliest beach parties and happenings.
Young faces everywhere, endless hours lazing on the fine black sand,
beach parties, fun and games on the water slides.
Perissa is the longest beach on the island and it is separeted from
Kamari by the rocky mass of Messa Vouno.For young people whose idea of a good holiday is "the sea, lounge chair and umbrella five minutes from my bed, and endless bar -hopping on the black sand, this place is absolute paradise.
PERIVOLAS
Wet black pebbles, deep cold water, jet ski races, beach volley
tournaments...Perisa and Perivolas are growing into one another, as hotels
and rental units continue to built between them. Perivolas is the place
for those who want to be right on the sea, but do not want the night life
and the noise of neighbouring Perissa. Accommodations ranges from luxury
hotels to simple rented rooms.Perivolas is synonymous with water sports, good food and fun on the beach,
making a day here a must for visitors to the island.
MESSA GONIA
Messa Gonia was one of the island's major wine producing centres. The
1956' quake levelled what was once a prosperous farming village, and its
inhabitants moved down ti Kamari.
Today, an idea of its former glory can be gleaned from visit to the Roussos
and Argyros wineries. It is only very recently that the first houses have
begunto repaired.
Tourist usually pas right trough the village and go straight on to the
only "sight" in this area, the church of the Panagia
Episkopi, the most important Byzantine monument on the island.
Built in the 11th century by Emperor Alexios I comnenus, it has an ornately
carved screen ( a rare example of using stone and mastic together) and
fine wall paintings.
EXO GONIA
In tiny Exo Gonia you are in another world entirely, with nothing to remind
you that you are actually on the most tourist island in the Aegean. In
the evening people gather in the courtyards of the houses, grannies sit
gossiping on the stoops, friendly dogs rub against your legs.
If a quiet evening is what you want Exo Gonia, built on slope behind Pyrgos,
is right place.
Drop in to the taverna foe supper, and enjoy the wiev towards the sea
and the flat land where airport lies. You can either come down from Pyrgos
or snake up the sandy road to Kamari, which continues to Perissa.
FINIKIA
Salmon and green domes roofing the houses. Embroidered curtains fluttering
in their windows. Cactuses peering over the walls and the shadow of a
palm tree playing on the ochre-tinted walls of the Panagia Matrona. Once
you have passed through the dark stone gateway (yes, the village has a
main gate), there spread before you is a brightly coloured scene reminiscent
of Morocco. Finikia is a small, well-preserved rock village just outside
la which, when la was a prosperous shipping town, housed the farmers who
cultivated the plain. Back then, it was almost an insult, in fact, to
be called a "Finikian". Today's villagers still work their fields
on the plain, but they also include wine-makers and people in the tourist
business; in addition, a number of architects who appreciate the style
and sim-plicity of the place have bought houses here. The few small hotels
and rooming houses are clustered around the main road.
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VOURVOULOS
You pass through Vourvoulos on your way to or from the beaches north
of la. The village is not particularly interesting from the architectural
point of view, nor does it have any special features or sights. The
road that comes down from Imerovigli (there is also a way up from la)
is paved with stone and quite steep, - a car can travel through -but
the view is well worth the trouble.
Vourvoulos is not on the tourist map, and you will probably not see
anyone but the local farmers who actually live there and the few foreigners
who have built houses in the village.
The single hotel and few rooms to let will attract those who want real
isolation and easy access to the beaches north of la.
VOTHONAS
The classic example of a rock village. As the coastal villagers did with
the Caldera, so the people of the interior dug their houses into rocky
walls of a ravine five kilometres long. The soft volcanic soil was easy
to work, and proved to be an excellent building material. Indeed, the
domed roofs they cast and then sealed with a mortar of lime and volcanic
rock can stand alone, without requiring a support structure of rafters.
A stroll down the main street of the village (which is simply the bed
of the ravine) leaves you in awe of the wisdom and ingenuity of those
village craftsmen, who knew how to build strong houses with the cheapest
of materials and how to exploit the depth of the gully to pro-tect them
from the winds. Architecturally, this is the strangest village on the
island, and is worth a visit just for that reason.
MONOLITHOS
Your first impression of Monolithos is domi-nated by the solitary rocky
outcrop, which gives this coast its name, and the soaring smokestack of
the tomato paste plant (the only one still in operation on the island).
With its broad beach of fine black sand and seemingly endless shallows,
Monolithos has inevitably developed into a family resort. Small children
can splash happily in the shallow water and play with their buckets and
spades in the sand. When they're tired, the hotel is right there, and
so are the taver-nas. Monolithos is organised around these three focal
points: hotel, beach, restaurant.
KARTERADOS
Karterados is just a small inland village, with children playing in the
cobbled streets and a few hotels and rooms to let for those who are looking
for cheaper accommodation within easy distance of Fira. The older part
of the village is all but invisible from the main street. The rock houses
have been dug out of the bed of a torrent, and their roofs are on a level
with the pavement. The main road is all hotels, shops and tavernas.
THIRASSIA
Thirassia is pure Aegean village. From the moment you dock at Riva and the "taxi" arrives to take you up the hill, you'd swear the clock had rolled back thirty years. Long before the Caldera is lost to view, the landscape has become wild - burning sun, cactus, shrubs, tomato plants -and total wilderness. The air is filled with the scent of the wild herbs that grow in profusion everywhere. Before long, you catch sight of Potamos, the smaller of the island's two vil-lages. Tinted bell towers and brightly coloured houses: yellow, blue, turquoise, pink and green - you might almost think you were in Sicily.
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