Santorini
The Cyclades are islands for every taste. Where just a few years ago it was mainly backpackers who populated the beautiful beaches, in recent years an infrastructure has developed that also meets higher demands. At least on the two most popular and very different islands, Mykonos and Santorini. The island of Delos, which gave the archipelago its name, lies in the immediate vicinity of Mykonos, as the island was one of the most important Greek sanctuaries in ancient times. At that time, it was regarded as a circle (Greek "kyklos") around the sacred Delos, from which the name Cyclades ("ring islands") was derived.
Santorini - The Romantic
Santorini, also known as Thira in Greek, is the southernmost Cycladic island and is located on the South Aegean volcanic belt. With its characteristic shape, the island differs completely from the other Cyclades islands. It is the remnant of a volcano that erupted several times in the past and collapsed more and more. The last major eruption is dated to around 1625 BC. A remnant of the crater rim remained, which is today's Santorini. In the west of the crescent-shaped island, the coast plunges vertically into the "crater mouth", the so-called caldera. This rocky coastline, up to 300 meters high in places, offers spectacular scenery, especially at sunset. The villages of Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia are perched directly above the caldera, their houses extending to the very edge of the crater. To the east, the island slopes gently down to the sea, where there are beautiful volcanic beaches. Santorini is particularly popular with "cruisers" and honeymooners. It is not without reason that children are not allowed in some of the luxurious hotels, which are spectacularly situated on the edge of the crater and offer pure romance. Fira, the main town of Santorini, has now grown together with the two smaller towns of Firostefani and Imerovigli and stretches for a good two and a half kilometers along the crater rim. In the high season, the narrow streets that meander between picturesque houses and small chapels are crowded with cruise ship tourists, who are particularly interested in the numerous jewelry and souvenir, leather, ceramic and handicraft stores. The village of Oia, pronounced "Ia", is located at the northern end of the caldera and was badly destroyed in the 1956 earthquake. Many of the new houses were built in the typical Cycladic style with cubic forms, and Oia is now a pretty little village where a particularly high-quality tourist industry has established itself in recent years. Many of the cave dwellings built into the edge of the crater have been converted into luxury accommodation and offer a direct view of the crater from their rooms - the famous, spectacular caldera view. For swimming, you can drive from the villages on the crater rim through the fertile interior of the island to the volcanic beaches on the east coast. Perissa, for example, is known for its long black beach and is one of the most popular seaside resorts on the island. The town has a wide range of accommodation, tavernas, cafés, bars, beach bars and, more recently, nightclubs.
Photo: ©Helmut J. Salzer / pixelio.de
The beautiful sisters Mykonos and Santorini could not be more different. One offers a party atmosphere on the most beautiful beaches, the other dream views over a unique volcanic landscape. But they do have something in common: both are home to the most spectacular luxury residences Greece has to offer.
Fläche
Santorin: 90 km²
Bevölkerung
17.430
Hauptstadt
Fira
Religion
orthodox
Zeitverschiebung
Mitteleuropäische Zeit (MEZ) mit europäischer Sommerzeit (kein Zeitunterschied).
Währung
Euro
Visa
Bis zu 3 Monate für EU Bürger nicht erforderlich
Santorini food - The best restaurants in Santorini
Santorini has numerous tavernas, restaurants,
cafes and bars - you get all the dishes of Greek cuisine
cuisine as you already know it from other Greek islands.
On Santorini they cost a little more depending on the location of the taverna or
restaurant a little more. Good and cheap food and drink
especially in the tavernas that are not directly on the caldera.
the caldera. Here on the slopes of the caldera it's just
a little more expensive - of course because of the beautiful view.
On Santorini
very good wine is grown. The vines are kept close to the ground
to protect the grapes from excessively harsh winds.
winds. There are several wineries. Well known are those of
winemaker Hatzidakis, whose wines from local grape varieties
in a mountain cellar, and the Boutari winery.
The family estate of Paris
Sigalas family estate. He produces wines that are sometimes characterized by strong
aromas such as pepper and chocolate and a hint of blackberry.
blackberry.
Santorini tips - things to see and do
Santorini is an extremely popular vacation destination. Dreamlike
of Cycladic architecture characterize the islands, whose images are
are synonymous with Greece all over the world. Extensive
sandy beaches and spectacular cliffs characterize the Greek coastline.
The east coast of the island even has something very special to offer: a
beach with black lava sand. Santorini is part of a chain of volcanic
of volcanic islands.
With the most hours of sunshine per year, the archipelago is
hours of sunshine per year, making it the sunniest region in Greece. The average
daytime temperatures reach up to 29°C, the water temperatures up to
25°C in the months of July and August.
In the interior of the country, the soil is very
the soil is very fertile due to the weathered volcanic rock, where wonderful
varieties of wine. Santorini offers something special for every taste.
Shopping in Greece - Santorini shopping paradise
Santorini is a kind of
cosmopolitan island, the number of yachts that dock on this relatively small island alone is very high. Many artists live on the island
the island, and you can buy many original goods, such as handmade umbrellas, ceramics
umbrellas, ceramics, jewelry and much more. You can also buy icons here
but be aware that anything made before 1821 needs a special permit to be exported,
requires a special permit for export.
Even if Fira is considered the best town for shopping, Oia is in no way inferior.
inferior. The fact is that in terms of clothing, handicrafts and
arts and crafts. The small side streets are literally bursting
of small stores selling all kinds of jewelry, paintings, antiques and Venetian mirrors,
antiques, Venetian mirrors and souvenirs. The urban
atmosphere is also somewhat more pleasant than the often hectic streets of Fira.
Due to its location, and the fantastic view, Oia has attracted and inspired many artists.
attracted and inspired many artists.
Hotels
