Discover Santorini’s Best in One Day

The natural beauty of Oia village in combination with its traditional architecture which consists of white washed houses, old mansions where captains used to live, narrow streets and blue domed churches, make this village unique thus extremely popular to the visitors. Photos and postal cards with the sunset of Oia, the caldera view and the churches with the blue domes have travelled all over the world advertising the incomparable beauty of the village and making even more people wishing to visit it!

Next stop, Immerovigli that it is a picturesque village. It is situated at the north of Santorini, only 2 km away from the capital of Fira. It is a continuation of Fira and one of the most beautiful balconies of the island. The name of Imerovigli comes from the word vigla which means view spot. The position of the village provides a clear view of the caldera, and during the old times it allowed villagers to see the pirate ships approaching. Today, Immerovigli is one of the recognized traditional settlements. Hotels and traditional houses are plentiful in Imerovigli. There are also many taverns and cafes with stunning views to the caldera. In front of Immerovigli lies an enormous rock called Scaros. On top of it is a castle that was built during the 13th century but it was abandoned in the early 1800s. The castle housed all the administrative offices of the island. This part of the island collapsed after an earthquake, and only the huge hill of Scaros is left today. Immerovigli has numerous chapels and churches built on the rocks overlooking the blue sea. The village is known as the ultimate romantic destination.

On the way, we’ll make a short stop in Firostefani to see the famous Blue Dome Church, the subject of so many Santorini’s postcards.

The highest spot of the island (567 meters) is located between Pyrgos and Kamari. The Mountain’s name is ProfitisIlias (Prophet Elijah), coming from the Monastery with the same name on its peak. From this vantage point, you will enjoy a striking view of the entire island, from the patchwork agricultural plains to the hilltop village of Oia. The Monastery was built in 1712. The walls round the Monastery remind of a fortress. The history of ProfitisIlias is long and very importand for the life of Santorini during the centuries. In earlier times, owned its’ own ship which conducted private business for the benefit of the monastery and at the same time the Monastery was an active intellectual and patriotic influence. From 1806 to 1845 it ran a school where the Greek language and literature were taugh. The monastery’s decline began in 1860; buildings suffered serious damage in the 1956 earthquakes. The monastery today has an important collection of icons and bibles, and artefacts of the Greek Orthodox religion, ecclesiastical objects, books and ethnographic material. It also hosts displays on shoemaking, printing, candle making, wine making and of typical local food.

Akrotiri is located next to the famous Red Beach. It is ampitheatrically built at the southeastern side of the island. Akrotiri was originally a Minoan settlement and today is one of the major tourist attractions and the most important archeological site of Santorini. The prehistoric town was destroyed due to a massive volcanic erruption around 1600 BC. Nowadays, the picturesque streets, the two-storey buildings, the lovely frescoes and plenty of tools witness the way of life in the prehistoric times. Today, the beautiful frescoes of the ancient city of Akrotiri can only be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Some splendid houses are dotted around the village as well as a traditional windmill. Many tour boats arrive in Akrotiri and tourists are scattered to the nearby beaches of the area. Another place of interest is the Venetian castle that dominates the settlement of Akrotiri. The town has lovely hotels and also many local taverns with a splendid view to the sea. Akrotiri has plenty of churches to visit and one of the most beautiful is the church of Agios Nikolaos built right above the impressive redish rocks, on the way to the Red Beach.

Next stop, Red beach that it is arguably one of the most famous and beautiful beaches of Santorini. It is located only some steps away from the ancient site of Akrotiri. The small size of the beach creates a much crowded atmosphere and there are many days where most of the visitors choose not to make it all the way down to the beach and instead admire this unique landscape of red volcanic rocks from the headland.

Black beach is a beautiful beach situated 15 km southeast of Fira extending for 7 km on the southeastern side of Santorini. The beach features unique charateristics, black sand, crystalline waters and various beach facilities. However, the enormous rock called Mesa Vouno that rises from the sea is the main attraction of the beach and the entire area. Visitors are left spellbound by the stunning view of the rock especially when it shines in the dark. Perissa is a nice tourist resort witnessing a huge tourist movement that starts from in the middle of the summer season. The village offers a great variety of hotels for all tastes and budgets, restaurants, taverns, cafes and bars. The area is extremely developed with modern amenities and quite inviting while retaining its strong traditional character.