Maria Spassova

Santorini has always been a top-tourist destination but the image of the island suffered last year, when in the beginning of April the luxurious cruise Sea Diamond sunk in the port and environmentalists were expecting an ecological catastrophe. The last three studies of the waters around the crash (today it’s fenced with four rubber oil tanks – on the photo) provide very optimistic results. They show that the water is clean but there is only a little increase in the heavy metals content – zinc, copper, cadmium, and lead. The court date, which the port authorities in Santorini asked for, is coming up. The defendant is Luis Hellenic, which is the owner of Sea Diamond and it is accused for ecological damages and compensations. The sinking of the ship is only another attraction for tourists – they take pictures, ask for details and after that comment everything over a glass of frappe.

There are many reasons why a person should include Santorini in his travel plans to Greece.  If you are a historical mystery lover, you will love to visit the place, which is connected to the disappearance of the mythical continent Atlantis. If you are a nature lover, you will be left breathless by the famous Santorini sunrises and sunsets, where the sun appears and disappears at the same place. If you are a healthy but delicious food lover, then the kitchen of the Aegean Sea Pearl is for you. If you are an architecture lover, interior design and applied arts – then, you will certainly find out how the island can please your eye.

You can get a fast and comfortable ride to Santorini. If you choose to fly – the flight from Athens is 40 minutes but if you choose the fast ferries – not longer than 4 hours from the port in Pieria. The first look at the island takes your breath away – curtly, high rock, on top of which you can see small villages and hotel resorts. It seems as if snow has covered the top. If you choose a hotel, always remember to ask whether it is on top of the rock. Hotels there are more expensive – the price for a double room without any extras (with refrigerator and a mini bar, but without room service) is about ?120 per night. The price of the same room in a luxurious hotel starts from ?250 per night. What you get more for that money is the magnificent view, which you can see from everywhere – from the restaurant, the pool, the gym, the balcony of your room and even from the bathroom window.

Santorini is famous as the Aegean Pompeii. It was created as a result of the volcanic activity in the region, which dates from 26 million years ago. The excavations in Akrotiri prove the presence of an advanced civilization from about 2000 BC, which suddenly disappears 500 years later, when it was in the peak of its development. Those dates coincide with the upsurge and the destruction of the mythical continent Atlantis, which is mentioned also by Plato and Solon. The coincidence gives place for speculations, that Santorini is the missing Atlantis but until now, scientists have not found any proof of that. Actually, the magnificent view, which I mentioned is the crater of the Nea Kamena volcano (on the photo), which has blue reflections during sunrise and crimson at sunset. The volcano is still smoldering, because the sea water around it is hot. Every day, firms in Santorini organize few hours long trips with a boat to Nea Kamena and depending on which one you choose, you can see different parts of the volcano and you can even take a walk till the crater.

 Even though the island’s architecture can belong to the traditional Aegean one, it is very original due to Santorini’s volcano. It is as if the buildings are inscribed in the original relief of the rock without interrupting with its silhouette and form far away, they look like a white vale covering the stone peaks. Take a look at Fira (on the photo) or at Terasia from far away and you will see. On the outside, the buildings look like stone dug-outs, which dress the rocks with different attires and from the inside, they express the luxurious island style also by the “sudden” view from the windows of the sea.

From an architectural point of view, the restaurants on the rock are one of a kind…and the kitchen should not be underestimated as well. In order to attract more clients, each restaurant offers a mixture of different cuisines but also a rich variety of local foods. Examples are the famous Santorini fava (purée form yellow lentils), a variation of the Greek salad but with tomatoes as small as cherries or with dried tomatoes.  The island is also famous for its white wines. All big Greek wine producers have Santorini brands but there are also local producers, which make quality wines. Ask the waiter, he will always offer you the best wine, which the restaurant has. The local staff working on the island is a mixture between Albanians, Bulgarians, Serbs and Romanians – all very friendly and kind.

Until now I have only been talking about the rock but we should underestimate the East part of the island with its attractive beaches, sea, and water sports. The number one Santorini beach is Perivolos (on the photo). It is famous for its fine black volcanic sand and its stylistic coffee shops and restaurants. The long and wide beach is full of every kind of water sport schools and at the end it blends into the Perisa beach, which also deserves enough attention. Another interesting beach is the stone one called Kamari, which is also covered with black volcanic rocks. On this side of the island, the hotels and restaurants are cheaper but the nature is not much different than other Aegean islands. The unique thing about Santorini is the rock.