Top Santorini travel attractions today
High quality Santorini travel attractions today? Together with Fira, Oia is the other must-see tourist attraction in Santorini. As in Fira, you will be amazed by Oia’s pretty white houses, churches with a blue dome, and splendid views over the entire caldera! Oia is also known as the best place to enjoy the sunset in Santorini. At the end of the day, thousands of people are coming to the city for Santorini’s most famous show. When you’ve found the perfect spot to admire the sunset, sit down and don’t leave it! And if you’re looking for a quieter and more romantic atmosphere, you should book a table in one of the many bars and restaurants. Watching the sunset while enjoying a drink is for sure an amazing experience. Find more info at Kamari.
Tight buildings are crossed by narrow (impassable to cars) streets. As on the whole island, we find many churches here – there are over 70 in Oia and the surrounding area. Many houses have been built into the slope – they are located in tunnels hollowed out in the volcanic cliff of the caldera. These are the so-called Hyposkapha – houses belonging to the less prosperous inhabitants, usually terraced sailors, and people servicing ships. The Hyposkapha houses carved into the rock are long and narrow, with a semicircular vault. Their fronts are directed (according to the caldera arrangement) – to the south and west. Usually stacked, one above the other (a fragment of the roof of one house is often at the same time a courtyard of the other).
Nearby the Akrotiri site, you will find the famous Red Beach below a spectacular red cliff wall. The beach is accessible along a path from the town of Akrotiri. You can also take a bus from Fira or drive and park nearby before venturing down a rocky path to reach the beach. The beach is also accessible by boat from Akrotiri, Kamari, and Perissa ports. The small beach gets crowded during the summer, so be sure to get there early to snag a prime spot for great contrasting views of the red rocks against the aquamarine water. Also note that the beach is prone to landslides, and sections have been roped off from visitors.
Wine Tours are among the most popular activities in Santorini. The island is renowned for its excellent white wines, known as some of the best in Greece. You can visit many vineyards (known for being the oldest in the world!) on the island, and taste the best wines. If you’re interested in Santorini’s History, the ancient site of Akrotiri is one of the island’s best place to visit. This archaeological site is often compared to Pompeii, in Italy. Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan city destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1,613 B.C. It was only rediscovered in 1967 during an archaeological excavation. The site is one of the most important in the Aegean Sea. The archaeological excavations are still on going in this very large site. Many remains are probably still undiscovered! In Akrotiri, wooden footbridges allow you to walk in the city. There, you will admire the ancient buildings, the streets and many ceramics. Unlike Pompeii, the city of Akrotiri was uninhabited when the eruption occurred, as no human remains or valuable objects were found on the site. What happened to these people? No one knows yet if they moved elsewhere on the island, or sailed to Crete.
The capital of Santorini, Fira (Thira) is made up of whitewashed cubic houses and terraces, winding lanes, little squares, and blue-domed churches perched on the cliffs 300 meters above the caldera. From the small port of Skala, Fira can be reached either by walking or riding (mules are for hire) up the steep and winding stepped path (587 steps) or by taking the cable-car. It can also be reached from neighboring towns via the Fira to Oia scenic trail that takes you along the caldera cliff. Ferries dock at the port of Athinios, connected to Fira by road, while cruise ships put down anchor in the caldera, and passengers are transported to Skala by tender. Fira lives principally from tourism, and many of its buildings now serve as small hotels, apartments, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and jewelers. Discover even more information on https://santorini-more.com/.
