Santorini is a majestic destination, which is the epitome of natural beauty. You may have heard about the great volcano of the island, but we can assure you that there are plenty more reasons to visit Santorini. In this article, we are going to refer to the most important of them in order to help the first-time visitors of the island to have the time of their life, having a taste of the true essence of this paradise on earth.
Visit the impressive caldera
One of the most important reasons to visit Santorini is to admire its imposing volcanic caldera, one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth. You may be wondering what exactly is a caldera. A caldera is a geological formation that occurs when a volcano explodes and then collapses. In other words, it is a huge crater. The creation of Santorini caldera caused a big part of the island to submerge under the sea, giving it its present crescent shape. The cliffs of the caldera is where are settled some of the most picturesque settlements of the island, offering breath-taking views on the azure blue Aegean Sea. Visiting them, you will have the chance to admire some of the most scenic landscapes you have ever seen while you relax in a cafeteria or a restaurant.
Watch the sunset
The sunset of Santorini is one of the most amazing experiences that the island offers you. The dimming light of the setting sun, combined with the blue sea, create an amazingly beautiful canvas, that is one of the most photographed summer scenes in the world. The most famous place to watch the sunset in Santorini is the picturesque Settlement Oia.
Oia is a picturesque village located on the Caldera cliffs. Its colorful traditional buildings compliment even more the amazing views of Santorini sunset. If you are not a fan of the popular attractions and you are looking for an equally beautiful but secluded place to watch the sunset, we definitely recommend you to visit The Akrotiri Lighting house, a place with ethereal views that is preferred by the locals who want to watch the sunset.
Visit Santorini Wineries
Santorini island has a long tradition in viticulture, as exquisite grape varieties have been cultivated on the islands for thousands of years. This is indicated by the various exhibits found on Ancient Akrotiri. Today Santorini is home to many high-class labels that are exported all over the world. So one of the most amazing things to do once you set foot on the island is to visit some of its amazing wineries.
Koutsoyanopoulos Museum
In order to understand better Santorini wine history, the place that you should visit first, is the Koutsoyiannopoulos wine museum.The museum is actually nested in a cave. Because of the unique morphology of the cave, it took Koutsoyannopoulos family over 20 years to build it! In the museum, you will have the chance to see waxworks depicting moments of the agricultural life on the island, as it was decades ago. Moreover, you will have the chance to see up close tools that were used for wine production in the past.
Venetsanos Winney
Venetsanos family has a really long tradition in winemaking. In 1947, members of the family built the first industrial winery on the island. There, the force of gravity was used in order to provide energy for the wine production, in a time where access to electricity was limited.
Today, visitors of Venetsanos winery have the opportunity to enjoy guided tours, following step by step the winemaking procedure. After that, you can enjoy a wonderful wine tasting experience. Taking part in a wine tasting you will have the chance to taste the most famous Venetsanos wines, combined with local treats.
Visit Ancient Akrotiri
Ancient Akrotiri, was one of the most important Minoan cities and one of the most important ports of the Aegean. Trading with other important cities of the time in Egypt and Syria. The settlement was abandoned because of the volcanic eruption that took place in 1500 BC. Today, visitors can walk through the settlement and admire the finding from the various excavations that have taken place on the settlement.
Akrotiri had an elaborate drainage system, and also multi-storey buildings that were decorated with colorful wall-paintings. The quality and quantity of the pots, tools and artworks in Akrotiri are silent witnesses of the towns’ prosperity that was put to an end abruptly.
Visit volcanic beaches
Due to its volcanic nature, in Santorini you will have the chance to visit some beaches of out-wordly beauty. The black sand Perisa beach is ideal if you want to enjoy swimming and sunbathing on a well-organized beach where you can enjoy your meal or your cocktail. If you are a fan of the most secluded beaches, you should definitely visit the red beach. It is absolutely sure that the amazing red sand of this unique beach combined with the azure water of the Aegean sea will leave you in awe.
Visit the hot springs of Santorini
Visiting the hot springs of Santorini you will have the amazing opportunity to enjoy the experience of a natural spa. The hot springs are actually located on the small volcanic island Nea Kameni, on the caldera gulf, in the heart of Santorini volcano. You can visit hot springs taking part on an organized boat tour and enjoy a relaxing bath in the warm water, which has a temperature around 30 degrees Celsius.
Santorini is a paradise on earth that offers you countless reasons to visit it! In this article we provided you just a little taste of which are the most amazing experiences you should enjoy once you set foot on the island!
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