3/07/2016

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!

3/01/2016

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.