Santorini Greece

Ever since I saw the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I have dreamed of visiting Santorini Greece. I have not made it there yet, but plan to do so in 2013. I am simply waiting for Celebrity Cruises (my favorite ships are the Solstice Class ships) to release their 2013 Europe cruise schedule which will happen next month (March 2012). Naturally, I have been researching the island in anticipation of visiting. Most of what is below has come from the website www.santorni-greece.biz.

So, let’s start with a little history of Santorini: The island name comes from ‘Santa Irini’ and it is officially called Thera. Santorini is located in the south of the Cycladic islands, just between Ios and Anafi, 130 nautical miles from Piraeus and 70 nautical miles from Crete. The island covers an area of 96 km2, has a coastline of 69 kilometres and its length reaches 18 km. Santorini has a population of about 6500-7000 inhabitants during winter, a number that rises up to 11.000 during the summer.

During the ancient times, the shape of Santorini was circular and that was the reason it was also called Strongili, which means circular in Greek. The volcano’s eruption destroyed the centre of the island, causing it to sink and to create today’s caldera. The first eruption of the Volcano took place around 1500 BC, and is said to be responsible for the destruction of the great Minoan civilisation of Crete. The last eruption took place in 1956 but the volcano remains active until today. Some believe that the destruction of Santorini could be related to that of the mythical Atlantis.

The most famous beaches of the island of Santorini Greece are Perissa, Kamari, Monolithos and the Red Beach. The beaches of Kamari, Perissa and Monolithos have black sand and deep blue waters. They are situated on the east side of the island and in the tourist areas of the island. These areas offer many hotels, taverns, cafes, bars and beach-bars. The Red Beach near Akrotiri is located in a quieter area. It is however the most famous beach of the island, and attracts many people.

From April to August, the weather in Santorini is bright and sunny. From September and on, it is not rare to see some cloudy days. The rainfalls are very rare.

The most famous villages of the island of Santorini Greece are Oia, Fira and Imerovigli. Those traditional villages are perched at the edge of impressive cliffs and offer incredible views over the volcano, the sea, the sunset and the island of Thirassia. The island of Crete can be seen from there when the visibilty permits it. There are also traditional villages situated in the mainland:
Fira, located 10 km from the main port, Athinaios. As the capital of the island, Fira has 1,600 residents and is located on the west part of the island. Fira is perched on the edge of a 260 meter cliff and offers fantastic views of the volcano.

Oia, located 11 km north of Fira. It is the most beautiful and picturesque village of Santorini (also where The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed). It camly hangs from the cliffs.

Imerovigli is 2km north of Fira. Is is on the lip of a higher cliff. Its name comes from the word “vigla” which means day.

Firostefani is located 2 km north of the capital, Fira. It is a continuation of Fira and is a traditional village perched on the cliffs.

Perissa is located 8km southeast of Fira. It is a beach resort and a big tourist attraction. It has an impressive black sandy beach, and the most noticeable feature is the Mesa Vouno, an enormous rock rising from the sea.

Megalochori is the west side of the island near the port. It is a beautiful and traditional settlement situated in the mainland.

Akrotiri is located 8 km south of Fira. It is next to the famous Red Beach, and is the most important archaeological site of Santorini. There are some amazing two and three story buildings and prehistoric findings dating back to 3600 BC.


Pyrgos is located 8 km southeast of Fira. It is a mountainous village offering 360 degree panoramic views of the island.

Messaria is located 4km southeast of Fira. It is a small traditional village and houses are built in the traditional style of the Cycladic islands.

Mesa & Exo Gonia are traditional farming villages located 8km southeast of Fira. Known for the production and storage of wine.

Finikia is a charming settlement next to Oia. This village is very small, but there are a few hotels to be found.

Emporio is the south part of the island. When approaching Emporio, you can find a string of old windmills on the hillside.


Karderados is south of Fira. The main street contains a number of eateries and shops. This village is geared up for the tourist industry and there are a number of hotels here.

There is so much to see and do. I know I won’t get to it all on my cruise, but I am looking forward to sampling the island. As I am not sure when I will get back to Europe, I think a cruise fits what I am looking for perfectly. There are a few places that I absolutely MUST visit while on my cruise: Rome, Venice, Santorini and Croatia. A cruise is the absolute perfect way to visit these places.

Is there a place on your bucket list? Let me know! I can do some research for you, we can talk about getting there and I can help you plan your perfect trip! You can reach me anytime via email at kfreer@cruiseone.com or toll free at 888-882-5793. Feel free to visit my website and browse some itineraries.

I look forward to hearing from you and helping you bring your dream vacation to life!