Ancient Akrotiri: A Remote Haven in Santorini, Greece

Everyone has known Santorini as a favorite summer destination where parties, weddings, and holidays are spent by thousands of tourists every year. Little did we know, aside from the cosmopolitan villages of Fira and Oia, Santorini takes pride in one of the most beautiful and remote towns on the island, the Ancient Akrotiri.

The Akrotiri village in Santorini, Greece

Santorini, being an active volcano island, sure had a history of a powerful and massive volcanic eruption. This caused the center of Thira (old Santorini) to shrunk leaving a lagoon sea of water which is the Caldera. Now that you’ve heard about the history of Santorini’s topography, let’s check out the remote town we were talking about earlier. Akrotiri is one of the most important (and the coolest!) archeological sites one can visit in Santorini. Despite the repeated incidence of volcanic activity in the past thousands of years, Akrotiri’s ruins and the safe haven left behind by the disaster is still well-preserved.

Where is Akrotiri?
It is located in Thera or the old town of Santorini. Today, many visitors pass by the village to take photos of the place and of course, to have their next-level selfie at the ancient village. Yet, not many travelers stay here for the sake of uncovering facts and late stories about the town, about the island.

What to see and do in Akrotiri?
Here’s one thing you can do in Akrotiri for free. Go time travel! Akrotiri showcases a collection of traditional houses and buildings that were all covered with volcanic materials. Many archeologists have shown their interest and passion of the island’s history. They devote their time to making sure that Akrotiri gets the love it deserves in the form of maintenance and caring of its structures.

The ancient Akrotiri in Santorini, Greece

Some of the buildings that you will see in Akrotiri are the following:
Xeste 3: A seated Goddess
Antelope Wall Fresco
House of the Ladies: Papyrus Fresco
Flotilla Miniature Frieze
Swallows and Lilies
Xeste 4: Male Figure in Procession

Excavation tour in Akrotiri, Santorini

Also, you will be able to trace the interest of the locals of arts and paintings thru the excavated and restored art materials from Akrotiri such as vessels, furniture, paintings, dresses, utensils, and even painted walls.

Where to Stay in Santorini?
There is not much Santorini accommodation available in Akrotiri. So we want you to find a piece of heaven in Santorini hotels in Oia or Fira instead. But you can always try any of the accommodation offered by other villages in Santorini.

Delfini Hotel

Delfini Hotels in Santorini shares a luxurious setting and accommodation experience in the island. With the architecture and design of the posh complex patterned to the traditional home in Santorini, your stay at Delfini Villas will be the most memorable part of your trip! They have a range of services and facilities available for their lovely guests. Some of our favorite features of the Delfini Villas are a swimming pool by the cave suites, a roof garden where you can watch the Caldera, and a pool bar. They also have wedding planning and flower arrangement service, car rental, transport, babysitting, daily maid service, and currency exchange service is also available here. There's no doubt, Delfini Villas is your one-stop getaway home in Santorini, Greece.

Jacuzzi time with the view of the Caldera!

Best Wineries in Santorini in 2016

Santorini is not only known for its majestic Caldera and quaint traditional houses but also for the unique taste of their local white wine, Assyrtiko. When traveling to Santorini, one must make sure that they have the guts to explore the roots of an ancient and now a successful industry in Santorini. Why not join our wine tour today? And together, let’s unravel the best wineries with the best tasting wines in Santorini in 2016!

Before we even get to our list, do you have your Santorini accommodation setup already? If you’re having a hard time of selecting one out of many Santorini hotels, we have to say, go for Strogili Apartments in Oia! Affordable and stylish traditional houses are two of the many things Strogili Apartments can offer to you. Strogili is located in the heart of Oia village where you have access to restaurants and bars that serve the tasty Santorini wines!

Here's the refreshing view from one of the apartments in Strogili.

SantoWines

Where is it? Pyrgos
Let’s start with the largest and most popular winery in Santorini, the SantoWines. It is located at the edge of Caldera where the luscious Santorini grapes are grown. At least 400,000 visitors drop by the humongous vineyard of SantoWines. You will learn a lot about the history of wine making not only of SantoWines founded in 1992 but also of the origin of wineries in Santorini. The guided tour inside the vicinity of the vineyard says it all. At the end of the tour, you will have the chance to taste the special collection of wines produced by the locals themselves.

SantoWines offers you a romantic viewing of the Aegean Sea.

Art Space Winery

Where is it? Exo Gonia
Museum and winery in one? It’s possible here at the Art Space Winery! This winery located in Exo Gonia has their own museum and art gallery. Yes, that is really unique. No, you don’t need to spend a fortune to be able to afford this tour. The museum has all the “old stuff” from this ancient yet newly-restored winery. One would see exhibit dated back to 1861! From old kettle pot to the basins and an old wine mangle, this operating winery turned into an artist’s hub is your new favorite place in Santorini.

Inside the Art Space Winery in Santorini, Greece.

Estate Argyros

Where is it? Episkopi Gonia
One of the oldest running wineries in Santorini is Estate Argyros. Can you believe that this wine-loving company has been working on a long run of a century already? You heard it! Also, it is one of the very first company to export Santorini wines in US, Europe, and in other parts of the world! If you don’t have the time to travel to Greece for the weekend, a bottle pop of their wine will surely take you in Santorini in no time!

Estate Argyros maintains the traditional way of processing their world-class wines.

The Guide to the Best Beaches in Santorini in 2016

Who would not love to spend their time at the beach in Santorini? Hot sun, fun activities, water sports recreations, and unlimited serving of relish food- ah, this is a scene I wouldn't want to miss when in Santorini. As swimming and island hopping are just two of the things you should not miss doing while in Santorini, we wrote down the best beaches in Santorini in 2016 to serve as a guide for your next summer getaway on the beautiful island. Crystalline clear waters, unique sand with colors of red and black, plus the overall aura at the beach in summer equals major happiness!

Kamari beach 
If the vision and feel of white sand don't excite you anymore, why not try Kamari beach in Santorini? Kamari is superb popular among tourists for it has black sand instead of the usual golden brown or white beaches one would see in Greece. Moreover, Kamari is a fully organized beach which is most recommended for family outings. From hotels to restaurants, there are more than enough establishments to keep you warm in Kamari. Kamari is a pretty resort town especially at night when the water and rock formations are shining right next to you.

Kamari beach

Kamari is located at 10km southeast of Fira. It is also favored by its visitors as the beach is easy to access even when you're driving alone.

Red Beach
After visiting a black beach in the southeast of Fira, let's go 12km southwest away from the main city to witness the awesomeness of the Red Beach! When at Red Beach, one does not simply walk on their bare feet! Here, instead of sand, there are pebbles that'll kiss your toes. The pebbles, as well as the backdrop cliff, are in red color! The Red beach has an organized shore where there are sunbeds and umbrellas to shade you from the heat of the sun. It is relatively accessible via car or bus. Only you will need to walk down the cliff for about two minutes to get to the grounds of Red beach.

Red beach

Monolithos
If you want a more secluded place to hang out in Santorini, you should try Monolithos for once. It is the best as the beach is not crowded most of the time, you can bring your children here, and really, it is the best natural place in Santorini where you can take your kids with you. It is a semi-organized beach as there are hotels nearby. There's also a playground for the kids and the sand is perfect for building castles!

Monolithos beach

Accommodation Tips
Are you checking out Santorini apartments and hotels already for your summer vacation in Santorini? As much as we want to let you savor the experience of a well-researched trip, you should consider this tip, anyway. Golden rule: There're only two places where one should settle in Santorini. Either in the villages near the majestic Caldera or in beach towns that are not too far away from Fira, the main city in Santorini. But still, we would love to go with the accommodations that are close to the Caldera because of the breathtaking scenery it provides- end of the conversation. You can stay in Oia, Fira, Imerovigli, or Firostefani and hop on a bus for a short trip to the beach that you desire to go to.

Nikos Villas features a Cycladic architecture to blend with the breathtaking scenery in Santorini.

Oia hotels, for example, give you a grand view of the Caldera. Nikos Villas is one of the hotels that are worth checking out in Santorini. They will give you a lot of options for accommodation- studio, apartment, and suites. Plus, you will be shown what Greek hospitality is like by their lovely and friendly hotels staffs.

Enjoy your stay at Nikos Villas! Make fun memories!

If you will be in Santorini for the summer, you better head your way to Nikos Villas. The earlier you'll be booking your stay, maybe you'll get discounts for it!

Santorini Food and Wine Tour

One of the best activities to add to your Santorini itinerary is to attend a food and wine tour. You will benefit a lot from this tour as you will be walked through to the different places in Santorini (historical and modern) where you'll find the best set of local food! Some travel companies would offer you a 6-hour-long food trip around the island. This includes your transportation, tour fee, and the appetizing lunch/snack and sometimes even dinner of the day. You may also opt for a cooking class with some tour organizers. If you want to know more about how you can explore and taste Santorini at the same time, join us today in our short food trip in Santorini, Greece!

This lovely lunch setup couldn't wait for you any longer!

Joining a food tour is not just enjoyable because of the perks of tasting the local cuisine but also, you'll get to know more about the culture and history of the place you are visiting. Food is part of everyone's culture. In Santorini, they have an abundant source of raw food/seafood that they turn into tempting dishes thru their passion. Moving forward, a typical food and wine tour would cost you, at least, 150€ per person if you will be joining a small group of 8 persons according to Santorini Wine Adventure. Their offer includes a visit to two popular wineries in Santorini. Now, you can look for other tour coordinators who can provide you a cheaper rate with a super awesome travel deal, really, it's up to you if you want to call for a sole food trip or a wine tour instead.

The 1800 Restaurant in Oia is not that hard to reach and find if you are traveling solo.

Now if you want to go solo, it's okay to ditch the group tour and chase the aroma of Greek cuisine being slain in the kitchen of  various Santorini restaurants. Going after the authentic Santorinian dishes won't fail you. In fact, you can check out a fine dining place located on a mountaintop in Oia called The 1800 Restaurant. Known as one of the best restaurants in Oia and Santorini as a whole, you can't blame why many visitors are glad to have their happy dining here! Aside from the delectable Greek menu they serve, The 1800 Restaurant offers you a magnificent view of Santorini's Caldera. Make sure to grab your seat in their roof garden to secure a sunset spot as well.

Roof Garden, 1800 Restaurant in Oia, Santorini

Whether you'll join a group food and wine tour or will go solo to chase the delicious traditional foods in Santorini, you will have the best time of your life here! Be sure to make a lot of room for food as Santorini will prep and serve you only tasty, fresh, and healthy dishes!