Archaeology and Relaxation in Santorini
The Greek isle, a remnant of a long ago volcanic eruption, has most everything a traveler would want: great food and awe-inspiring scenery
- By Kathleen Burke
- Smithsonian.com, July 28, 2011, Subscribe
Santorini’s villages cling to red-and-black cliffs, looking out on a nearly enclosed 400-foot-deep lagoon; this deep harbor was formed when a catastrophic volcanic eruption occurred some 3,600 years, creating a massive crater. Bill Heinsohn / Alamy
Some time ago, I gazed out from a balcony, peering over potted geraniums to the azure Aegean; it seemed, from my aerie, that I was perched at the edge of the world. And so I was, on edenic Santorini, the southernmost isle of the Cyclades. Its dramatic geography is unique, even in this corner of the classical world, where landscapes of rugged beauty rise up for travelers at every turn. Santorini’s villages cling to red-and-black cliffs, looking out on a nearly enclosed 400-foot-deep lagoon; this deep harbor was formed when a catastrophic volcanic eruption occurred some 3,600 years, creating a massive crater. Lawrence Durrell, the 20th-century expatriate British novelist who spent his childhood on the island of Corfu, once wrote that “It is hardly a matter of surprise that few, if any, good descriptions of Santorini have been written: the reality is so astonishing that prose and poetry, however winged, will forever be forced to limp behind.”
I happened to have a copy of Durrell’s The Greek Islands at my side as I took in the vista of sea and sky on that serene evening, anticipating one of the sunsets for which this island is renowned. The meal was ambrosial as well. A friendly taverna owner served swordfish drizzled in sage-infused olive oil; a plate of perfect cherry tomatoes (the island is famous for its tomatoes); a ripe peach sliced and garnished with fresh mint; a slice of walnut pie and a dollop of Greek yogurt with honey. And let me not neglect to mention the wine: Santorini’s volcanic soils produce notable vintages, whites especially, dry, citrusy and delectable. The vineyard owners are welcoming and knowledgeable; later in our stay here, we would spend a day bumping along dusty roads in our rented Jeep, strolling rows of grapes and tasting the offerings.
The beaches, many of them black volcanic sand (which absorbs heat: bring thick towels to stretch out on and do not leave home without sandals) are unspoiled and beckoning; the Aegean is warm and impossibly blue. Tempting as the beaches were—one could easily return there daily for the seaside holiday of one’s dreams— I found that I wanted even more to while away the hours in the narrow streets of our picture-postcard village, Oia. Its residents long ago imposed draconian zoning restrictions; their wisdom is a boon to visitors, who will discover, even today, intact whitewashed architecture; grand 19th-century merchants’ villas; churches roofed in cobalt-blue domes; galleries; small shops where one may search out hand-embroidered tunics or silver bracelets embellished with leaping dolphins; lavender sachets or packets of herbal teas—tisanes—dried and tied in muslin by local farmers.
Santorini is also home to one of the most significant excavation sites in the Mediterranean, Akrotiri, the ruins of an ancient town, well preserved because, like Pompeii, it was buried in a volcanic eruption. (Archaeologists believe, however, that the inhabitants escaped; there has been no evidence uncovered that residents were trapped there.) The nearby Museum of Ancient Thera showcases the artifacts unearthed there; one can easily spend an entire day peering at artifacts, including pottery and jewelry, that vividly evoke the world of a Minoan Bronze Age settlement.
Its essence, however, Santorini’s fundamental attraction is its profound aura of calm. In Oia’s clear air and quiet byways, church bells chime; black-garbed elderly women sit in doorways, shelling fava beans; and chickens cluck in the kitchen gardens. It seems that there are few places in the world where time stands still—but this is one of those rare refuges.
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Comments (8)
Looking over the Santorini caldera at sunset it's magical. Walking on the deserted volcanic islands is an experience that I will never forget.
Posted by Irene - www.greekislandtraveler.com on January 24,2012 | 10:07 PM
I've been taking groups to this island for years and never tire of its beauty. Santorini is every thing they say it is.
Safe Travels,
Walter
Yo! Tours
Posted by Walter on October 10,2011 | 11:42 AM
The article's title is "43 places to see before die". It is enough for me that I have seen the two of them, Santorini and the Parthenon! Greece is fantastic! Come and live your myth here!
Posted by Anargyros on August 14,2011 | 08:20 AM
The volcanic caldera of Santorini is surely one of the most interesting places on our planet. On every step you have a contact to the volcanic history of this archipel. It started 1-3 million years ago and the island Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera is still an active volcano. Lots of earthquakes in the last months show us that in near future there will be the next eruptions.
Walking study tours on Santorini give to you the opportunity to study the geology, discover rare plants and animals and to meet the hospital Greeks.
You can visit Santorini in small groups, guided by ecperienced guides like http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/travel/tours-to-greece.html or you visit Santorini yourself.
It is very easy - just get a flight to Athens airport (stay a nigt or more in Athens) and take a connection flight for example with Aegean Airlines to Santorini. On Santorini there are many hotels and the best places to stay are Acrotiri, Perisa and Ia village.
Even you read a lot of stupid things about Greece in Newspapers - Greece is still a safe place to travel!
Have a nice journey!
Yours
Tobias Schorr
www.VolcanoDiscovery.com
Posted by Tobias Schorr on August 12,2011 | 09:13 AM
The last time we went to Santorini we arrived at night and were staying in Akrotiri across the street from the caldera (volcano). My daughter and her cousin who were 8 and 10 at the time, had gone from the hotel room to the pool and spent the day there and had no idea of their surroundings outside the hotel. I asked them if they wanted to have a big surprise. They said they did and I made them keep their eyes closed and hold my hand which they did willingly. I walked them to the edge of the caldera and then told them to open their eyes. I can say with confidence that what they saw at that moment was the most amazing thing they had ever seen in their lives and that they would never forget it.
Matt Barrett-GreeceTravel.com
Posted by Matt Barrett on August 8,2011 | 08:53 AM
It is important to note that the archaeological site of Akrotiti is at present closed to the public, due to an accident in 2005. It is hoped that it will re-open to the public in September 2011, but this is not confirmed.
Also to help, the caldera was not formed by the eruption in 1620-1600 B.C., but by a catastrophic event many millennia before, recent research places this at around 120,000 years B.C.
Regards
Tony Oswin
A to Z Guide to Santorini
Posted by Tony Oswin on August 7,2011 | 02:17 AM
The astonishing beauty that derived from the complete natural destruction !
Posted by Eleni on August 6,2011 | 01:10 PM
My husband and I were there in the spring of 1979, before the summer influx of visitors. It was all he said. We arrived at night and the hotel person said that we would not believe our eyes when we saw the view. She was right; we were astounded.
Akrotiri was an ongoing excavation then; we were fascinated by our look into such a distant past. Oia is so pristine; don't let anybody change it! It's a walker's paradise.
Posted by Alice Hartsuyker on August 4,2011 | 09:17 PM