Santorini
Santorini, one of the best known of the Cyclades, differs from the
other islands in the group thanks to its geological morphology, the
result of action by a volcano now dormant. The landscape on the western
side of the island, where towering cliffs crowned by tiny and blinding
white houses plunge straight into the depths of the sea. The steep
coastline of the west is countered by the vast beaches of the east
side, some of them sandy and others with pebbles.
Fira
From the landing-place, Skala, we can climb up to Fira, the capital,
on foot or on donkey-back. There is a funicular railway for those
who wish to avoid the hundreds of steps. Fira is very attractive,
with winding narrow streets, arcades and a quarter where the Catholic
nobility once dwelt.
There is a most important Museum, with prehistoric finds (mostly pottery),
a large collection of vases dating from the 7th and 6th centuries
BC (including the pieces known as 'Thera ware'), a few Archaic and
Classical pieces, and some Hellenistic and Roman sculptures and portraits.
There is a superb view out from Fira to the Kamenes, the two islets
of black stone created by the volcano. The islets can be visited by
launch.
Ancient Thira is a site of great archaeological interest, which was
occupied by Phoenicians, Dorians, Romans and Byzantines. Down the
center of the city runs the Sacred Way. The buildings include groups
of houses, market-places, baths, theatres, sanctuaries, the residence
of Ptolemy Euergetes, tombs of the Archaic and Classical periods and
Early Christian remains. On the surrounding rocks the names of the
god Apollo and of men and boys are inscribed in the ancient alphabet
of Thira.
The site at Akrotiri has yielded the remains of a Minoan city destroyed
around 1500 BC by an eruption of the volcano on Thira. In effect,
this is a prehistoric version of Pompeii buried beneath volcanic ash,
with two and three-storied houses, with squares, shops, workshops
and so on. Among the finds from the houses were marvelous murals (on
display in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens), vases, and
everyday utensils. On the highest peak of Santorini is a monastery
of the Prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias), where there is a picturesque
religious feast on 20 July each year.
The old-world village of Ia, 11 km. to the north of Fira, is a place
of incomparable beauty. The unique appeal of Ia lies in its little
houses hewn out of the soft rock (some of them whitewashed, others
painted blue or ochre), its neo-classical mansions with their courtyards,
its narrow paved alleys. There is a superb view out to sea.
Among the best bathing beaches - some of them with black sand and
others with pebbles - are Kamari or Armeni, Amoudi, Baxedes Perissa,
Monolithos and Kokini Paralia. The striking landscape, the peculiarities
of the natural environment, the unusual architecture and the outstanding
monuments of Santorini attract very large numbers of visitors in the
summer - so many, in fact, that the excellent tourist amenities of
the island can only just cope with them.
Thirassia
Thirassia, off Santorini near Ia, is the largest of a chain of islets
formed by volcanic activity and the only one inhabited. Its sole village,
Horio, is a pretty place with whitewashed houses, reached by a flight
of 250 steps from the landing-place. In the winter, there are kayaks
from Ia to Thirassia, while in the summer months the travel agencies
of Santorini run trips from Fira and Athinios. There are a few rooms
to rent on the island. |
