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Explore Santorini

Unique for its active volcano, for its association with the mythical Atlantis, for its unique architectural construction and of course, renowned for its beautiful romantic sunsets, Santorini has a lot to offer you.

History - Mythology

An island with rich history

The island complex of Santorini has a majestic history that is lost in the depths of time and is almost masterfully intertwined with the myth.

Historically, the island has been inhabited since the prehistoric times and as everything shows, the history and myth of this unique island are directly connected to the volcano and its activity. The relatively recent excavations that took place on the southern part of the island, in the settlement of Akrotiri, brought to light a coastal city with a culture similar to the Minoan one, but with special local Cycladic elements.

Herodotus mentions it as Stroggyli (round in Greek), due to its circular shape, which according to Mythology emerged from the bottom of the sea from the eruptions of 4 different volcanos around the island. Later, Santorini was named Kallisti because of its special beauty.

Santorini is romantically linked to the lost Atlantis, meaning it was the central part of the island that was lost at sea. Around 1500 BC, the first major volcanic eruption in the history of the island took place which shaped the breathtaking caldera as about the half of the island disappeared.

The volcano of Santorini remains still active and along centuries many eruptions have occasionally occurred. The latest was as recently as 1956 when small volcanic islets emerged from the bottom of the caldera. In one of these eruptions, the islet Nea Kameni emerged, just opposite the caldera villages. This volcano can be visited by boat or jet ski excursions and it is a must-see in Santorini.

Today the municipality of Santorini includes the inhabited islands of Santorini ( Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi , Christiana) and Therasia.

Beaches

Special, unique and varied

The volcanic nature of Santorini has created a unique and incomparable landscape. Red and black rocks, pumice, white pebbles and deep blue crystal clear waters make up an island like no other in the world. The black beaches in Kamari and Perissa, the Red Beach and the huge beach in Vlychada that brings to mind lunar landscapes, cover every taste as the visitor will find beaches with beach bars and deserted bays away from the people and indiscreet looks.

The beaches of Oia, on the north coast of Santorini are not so easily accessible, but they have a special beauty. Most of them are ideal for diving and scuba diving, as Santorini has an extremely rich underwater marine life.

In addition to the famous and crowded beaches of Santorini, visitors can find smaller bays that are not organized, such as: Baxedes, Pori, Vourvoulos, in the center and the beaches of Karterados and Agia Paraskevi and from there to the beaches of the Caldera Mesa Pigadia and Kambia in Akrotiri.

Wineries

Vineyards are the precious heritage of Santorini

Santorini is the oldest vineyard in Europe. It is actually the only one that continuously produces grapes for more than 3000 years.

The first inhabitants of Santorini arrived on the island around 3000 BC. It was a very advanced civilization, as they lived in two and three-story houses, had storage rooms, drainage systems etc. What is important is that they also appreciated wine. And they produced wine back then.

The vineyards of Santorini were all destroyed when the island was buried under a thick layer of lava during the Minoan Eruption of 1640 BC. A new soil was created around 1200 BC. After that, and over the years, different inhabitants tried to cultivate a variety of plants in Santorini. However, grapes were the only ones that survived.

In the middle of the 19th century, the vineyards of Europe were destroyed due to phylloxera. But the vineyards of Santorini were not affected at all, as the volcanic soil makes the vineyard invulnerable.

The vineyards of Santorini have a unique shape, they are like knitted hugs in the soil of the volcano and the precious fruits grow in their embrace.

This way of pruning is ancient and  and was developed based on the climate conditions and equipment old farmers had available back in the day. The sandy soil, in combination with the strong winds during spring and the sunlight during summertime would make it impossible for any typical vine to survive. Pruning the vine like a basket “shelters” the grapes that grow on the inside of that basket and ensures they are protected against the wind and the sun. This basket is also known as “kouloura”.

Santorini’s most famous wine is Vinsanto, which is a sweet wine with a dark bronze color. The grapes for Vinsanto are at least 51% of the Assyrtiko variety, while the remaining percentage should be grapes of the Aidani and Athiri varieties.

Wedding Ceremonies

Exchange vows overlooking the volcano of Santorini

Santorini is the dream of many couples when planning their wedding. After all, it is an island that most people choose when the time comes to kneel and give the ring to their other half. It is estimated that more than 1,000 weddings and wedding ceremonies take place on the island each year.

Weddings and vow renewal ceremonies take place in white small churches, picturesque villages, sunsets, amazing landscapes and even small boats that sail in the Aegean Sea, at a time when the sun is setting and disappearing into the sea.

Once you decide, just call us and we will help you organize the wedding of your dreams.


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