Page 55 - ANDRONIS MAGAZINE 2023

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NO W H E RE O N E A R TH Q UI TE C O M P A RE S W I TH TH E W I L D

N AT U R A L B E A U T Y O F T H I S F A B U L OU S V O L C A N I C I S L A N D .
Ask Any sAntorini locAl what question they get asked S A NT O R I N I ’ S I M P O S S I B L E -
the most and you’ll get the same answer every single time: What
are the best places to visit/things to do in Santorini? People come L OO K I N G L A N D SC A P E S
here from all over the world wanting to see, do and experience G R OU N D Y OU I N T H E H E R E
all the best things our island has to offer, and more than that,
they want the experience to be authentic. A N D NO W , E N SU R I N G Y O U ’ RE
It’s great that people are so enthusiastic about exploring and
experiencing our island, but when asked to pick “bests” on an TR U LY P RE S E NT I N E V E R Y
island like Santorini, where do you even begin? More than G L OR I O U S MOM E N T
gorgeous picture-perfect sunsets and out-of-this-world vistas,
Santorini is our heritage and our legacy, a multifaceted, complex
place that celebrates its past while forever evolving. And that’s
exactly where this island’s magnetic allure comes from.

EMBRACE THE LANDSCAPE
From the very first moment you step foot on Santorini, it’s
impossible to forget that you’re standing on a volcano. There’s
the red and black volcanic sand, the lava stones, the sheer cliffs experience with a relaxing soak at the islands’ natural volcanic
that plunge into the Aegean Sea around the iconic caldera hot springs. The best tip? Make sure to choose appropriate
(which, if you’re wondering, is a geology term for the large footwear for the hike (you don’t want sandals for this one!) and
depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses). The pack a hat, sunblock, snacks and plenty of water. The islands,
fact that Santorini is an active volcano has shaped our history which are also included in the Natura 2000 European network
and culture in a thousand different ways, but first and foremost, of protected areas, are barren and wild and you’ll find no shade
it has given us an island unlike any other. An environment so or amenities in their magnificent landscape.
extraordinary that when you’re in it, it’s practically impossible to
find anything mundane. Hands down the single most important DISCOVER ANCIENT SANTORINI
thing to see and experience. Growing up in a place of considerable historical significance
Blessed with such a unique landscape, crystal clear waters doesn’t really mean that much when you’re a kid and the most
and fantastic weather, makes Santorini is ideal for all kinds of important things in your life are trips to the beach, playing
outdoor activities, which in turn are a great way to experience outside and being allowed an extra scoop of ice cream on a hot
even more of the island! Stay on land for leisurely strolls or active summer afternoon. But then you grow up, and there comes a
hikes to take in the sights or to go horseback riding along the moment when you feel like you’re seeing your surrounding for
beaches and clifftops and mix it up with a change of perspective, the very first time. The significance of all these things you took
kayaking along the coast to secluded coves, trying exhilarating for granted suddenly hits you and you kind of need to stop and
watersports, or diving in the caldera. catch your breath. And that’s the secret to the most common
sightseeing recommendation on the island: Visiting Ancient
JOURNEY TO THE HEART Akrotiri and Ancient Thera isn’t about checking the big names
OF THE VOLCANO off a list; it is about tapping into that sense of awe, of seeing
When it comes to culture, art, dining and nightlife, all the something magnificent for the very first time.
action is on Thira (the crescent-shaped main island), but when Ancient Akrotiri (which according to many is the inspiration
it comes to volcanism, all the action is on Nea Kameni, the tiny behind the mythical lost city of Atlantis) is home to a prehistoric
island in the heart of the caldera. The youngest volcanic islets Minoan city that was buried under ash during a violent volcanic
in the Mediterranean, Nea Kameni and neighbouring Palia eruption around 1600 BCE. Excavations in the second half of
Kameni are essentially the summits of Santorini’s active – but the 20th century revealed a remarkably well preserved ancient
dormant – volcano. town, with whole streets, houses, stunning frescoes, furniture and
Whether privately or as part of a group tour (boat tours to other precious antiquities that offer a rare glimpse back through
Nea Kameni run daily from Fira, Oia, Athinios and Vlychada), a time to how our ancient ancestors once lived. Meanwhile,
visit to the Kameni islands is one of the best and most authentic on the other side of the island, the hilltop ruins of Ancient
experiences to be had in Santorini: humbling, awe-inspiring and Thera bear witness to the island’s legacy through the centuries: With rugged crimson
fun. Explore Nea Kameni, hike up to the five craters, enjoy a Founded in the 9th century BCE, the settlement was in turn cliffs plunging into the
dip at one of the tiny, otherworldly beaches, go scuba diving under Greek, Ptolemaic, Roman and Byzantine control before crystalline blue waters
to explore underwater lava formations, and then wrap up the another volcanic eruption led to its abandonment in the 8th ‣ of the Aegean Sea,
Santorini’s Red Beach
is often celebrated as
one of the world’s most
spectacular beaches.
54 • ANDRONIS • Magazine