Samos Island, Most Beautiful Islands in Greece – Travel Around The

Most Beautiful Island Greece

Islands In Greece / September 20, 2022

Oia Sunset, Santorini, Greece.

Steve Meacham

Oia Sunset, Santorini, Greece. Photo: iStock

There are 587 steps rising from Skala, the minuscule old port of Santorini, to Thira, the clifftop capital of the most spectacular of Greece's 6000 islands. And I know, because I'm counting each one.

Of course you can catch the cable car up – as most of my fellow cruise ship passengers are doing. Or you can ride one of a hundred docile donkeys to the summit – provided you're prepared to smell like an ass.

Then again, like me, you can struggle up the steps in the 26-degree heat of the October sun because you want to savour Santorini's truly unforgettable harbour.

Blue Dome Church at Firostefani near Fira on Thira Island Santorini. Photo: Alamy

Blue Dome Church at Firostefani near Fira on Thira Island Santorini.No other volcanic creation on earth can match Santorini for sheer beauty. Here, on this stairway, you witness the remains of an enormous eruption 3600 years ago when the centre of the island collapsed thousands of metres into the sea, creating a vast, picturesque caldera protected from the Aegean on three sides by the 300-metre high cliffs of the main croissant-shaped island (also called Thira).

That catastrophic explosion – and the tsunami it provoked – is widely credited with wiping out the Minoan civilisation on Crete. It also created a Greek version of Pompeii. Excavations at Akrotiri since 1967 have revealed a large Minoan town entombed in the solidified ash, enhancing Santorini's links with the legend of Atlantis.

With all this, no wonder Santorini often appears in the top five when lists are made of the best islands in the world to visit.

And yet, as I climb those 587 steps my eyes are constantly diverted from the view. A hundred donkeys don't tread up and down this switchback path every day without leaving piles of donkey manure...

Still the strenuous 15-minute climb is rewarded when you reach the first of the white-washed houses and shops that cling to the rim of the old crater.

Some of the hundreds of stairs that connect Fira village with, Gyalos, the old port of Santorini island, Cyclades.Most cruise visitors are happy to spend their time in Thira. It's a photogenic town, with a warren of cobbled streets containing hundreds of restaurants and shops to keep you entertained. It also has two cathedrals – one Greek Orthodox, one Catholic – and an archaeological museum well worth visiting.

But the famous blue-domed churches of Oia, the island's oldest surviving settlement, are Santorini's most famous postcard shot. So I catch the public bus (Euro 1.80 each way) for the 20-minute ride to Oia.

If there's a more captivating short public bus ride costing less that $5 anywhere in the world, please let me know.

Most of journey is spent on "the back side" of the island – what remains of the volcano's cone-shaped slopes, sweeping down to Santorini's famous volcanic beaches, made of black sand like Perissa and Perivolos or red sand such as Red Beach.

Some of the hundreds of stairs that connect Fira village with, Gyalos, the old port of Santorini island, Cyclades. Photo: Alamy

The black sand beaches with umbrellas and lounge chairs in Kamari on the Greek Island of Santorini.The bus journey also reveals a series of abandoned agricultural terraces. Only later do I discover they're called pezoules, and that they're part of the evidence that Santorini is the oldest, continuously cultivated wine producing district in the world, dating back to 3500BC.

Today there are ten wineries on the island, which all boast of their distinctive "terroir" (rocky volcanic soil, little water) which they attribute to the volcanic explosion around 1600 BC.

Oia is even prettier than Thira, with a classier range of shops, galleries and restaurants.

The black sand beaches with umbrellas and lounge chairs in Kamari on the Greek Island of Santorini. Photo: Alamy

Greek salad of organic vegetables with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives and feta cheese.I choose to have lunch at Scala, which has a large terrace with striking views of part of the village and the beautiful lagoon.

I ask for a Santorini salad, a combination of cherry tomatoes, capers, anchovies, capers and local hard cheese – usually kefalotiri, a hard yellow cheese made either from goat's or sheep milk, or kefalograviera, a nutty sheep's milk.

But my waiter tells it's unavailable, even though it is listed on the menu. Why?

Greek salad of organic vegetables with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives and feta cheese.

"Any restaurant in Oia that serves you a Santorini salad in October is tricking you, " he says. "Cherry tomatoes aren't in season in Santorini. So they will be using Italian tomatoes, and that's not a Santorini salad."

Fair enough. I'm pleased he told me – it shows he cares about the food I'm about to be served.

So I order a Greek salad instead. This version contains raw onions, fat green olives, green peppers, cucumber, capers, fresh (non cherry) tomatoes and a big block of feta with a covering of olive oil and fresh herbs.

The whitewashed houses in Santorini are in complete harmony with its volvanic scenery. Photo: iStock

As I'm waiting for it to be delivered, a conga-line of donkeys makes its way down the stairway to collect more tourists from Armeni, Oia's small port located some 300 metres below.

It's an omen! The Santorini Brewing Company is one of the most celebrated micro breweries in Greece. So I order a Yellow Donkey lager to go with my Greek salad.

what does defecate mean How to add another email to iphone? what do the colors on a mood necklace mean what are red panda related to How to heal a bulging disc naturally How to unfollow on facebook? How to become a contractor How to get your water to break How to land tricks at named locatuon Who is immune to jedi mind tricks How to turn off silent mode on iphone? Tips on how to fall asleep faster what does fall back mean Song lyrics "ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet ?" How to geek windows 10 tips and tricks How to make bloody mary Which is easier to do tricks on a snowboard or a ski How to use curling iron? what does it mean when you see a cardinal what are examples of soft skills Young magician who uses tricks like coming in and out of the screen what does interconnect mean How to get rid of a stuffy nose in minutes? what are symptoms of high blood sugar How to let go of someone you love How to get rid of acid reflux in throat fast? How to become an accountant? what does don mean How to connect airpods to xbox one? How are tips at tgif Tricks on how to get taller what does tiger eye do How to claim tips that my employer did not claim what does perinatal mean 10 tips and tricks that are proposed to improve grades and learning. you majoroed in what? How and when to teach a dog how to do special tricks what does sanctification mean How to unlock phone without password? Why does a spider plant get brown tips How to cook chicken breasts Fictional stories where played tricks on each other for safty At what age should you teach a puppy tricks what are ar 15 guns what does the numbers 1234 mean How to hydrate hair? How to post a question in tips and tricks hq forum what does wyatt mean How to talk dirty to him on text? Where can i buy maguc tricks or magic sets How to make the color brown? what does hipaa protect Tips on how to survive infected on advanced warfare Tips on how to draw quadric surfaces what does oe mean on lg washer Feet tricks when not feeling good How long does it take to boil an egg? How to get rid of man breasts? How to dry up milk supply? Marvel spider man ps4 how to do air tricks How to make headphones louder what is dhcp mean How to put together pastry bag and tips How to take a screenshot on windows How to become a notary in texas How to produce more breast milk How to do toungue tricks How to care for a poinsettia what does ssl stand for what does linguistic mean what time does christiana mall close Without tips being included how much does a waitress get paid in the state of wy? How to get nail polish off without nail polish remover? what does collateral damage mean What size tips fit the kanger subvox How to cook butternut squash what does it mean when the flag is upside down what does low hct mean what does bad ground beef smell like How much is it to build a house What are some cool magic tricks How to like a story on instagram? How to separate egg whites? what does neta mean in spanish How to eat pho? How to restore iphone from backup How to fix baked beef tips what color are turtles How to fast? How to take off gel tips at home How much to install exhaust tips How to use pastry bag tips what are benzos How to get rid of herpes on lip Tricks on how to access the dark web How to end a professional email How to view wifi password on iphone How to allow cookies? How to hook up a generator to your house what does a sonographer do How to remember safe medication dose 5 and 2 tricks How to make a potion of poison? Man who tricks cars with cardboard How to roller skate for beginners what does graded on a curve mean what does gripe mean How long does wood glue take to dry? How to poop fast I am pretty but how can i be beautful tips How to increase chances of getting pregnant? what does jade do what does it mean to be a karen what does frivolous mean what does constant mean How to create an apple id How to buy tips directly How to survive floods hurricanes lizzard tips what does a monarch butterfly mean what does the w-2 form tell you What is the difference between adjusted tips and declared tips on report How to talk to anyone 92 little tricks pdf free Tricks to block someone who blocked me on facebook How to make churros How to say please in spanish what time does biden get inaugurated what does retort mean What is the first video posted by linus tech tips What's the hentai where the teacher tricks girl into fucking in the flower garden Tips on when to kiss after a date Useful tips when snacking myplate How to wire light switch How to make steak tender This is the garden of make believe where flowers chuckle and birds play tricks song How to train my puppy to do tricks what does danganronpa mean Where to buy icing bags and tips How to do cool poker chip tricks How business pays for tax on tips that are unreported by employees what are the freest countries in the world How often to take tylenol How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven what does prolapse mean what does an associate degree mean what does tough mean what are the signs of kidney disease Who has the most hat tricks messi or ronaldo Why are tips of penis mushroom shaped what does zaza mean what does primal mean Helpful tips when working with a pineapple corer How smart is your home?learn 8 tips that could make what does icymi mean How to clean earwax out of airpods? what does seeing stars mean what does each mean in math How to open a business bank account what are the meats at chipotle How to know if someone blocked you on snapchat How to get rid of lice naturally in one day? Tips on how to use coconut oil for a heathy hair How to unlock a locked iphone what does alc mean How to smoke a brisket what does ys mean what does d.a.r.e stand for what does twat mean what are eukaryotes what does persuade mean what does crop mean How to decorate a bookshelf? How to fix blurry pictures How to recover permanently deleted photos? How to fix droopy eyelids? How to use a spooner best tricks Madden 16 fantasy franchise draft how to draft best team tips & tricks How to use google docs How to train a 3 year old dog tricks videos what time does you come out How to be single movie what does ltl freight mean How to use sexual toys? what does lubricant mean How to get to the haligtree elden ring? How to cook frozen salmon? what are mutually exclusive events How do you do tricks sonic and all stars what does ss stand for what does ntr mean in text what does mocking mean How to get on dark web? How to dye my brown hair grow out same blond as tips What are unreported tips in part vii what does btw mean in text what does unrated mean Who did the skateboard tricks in the apple watch commercial What are the top 5 tips to prevent cyberbullying? what does retail mean what does look like How to delete albums on iphone what dose gay mean How to replace spark plugs? Tips on how to start a mecari selling account 21 tips how to tighten belly Card trick central how many tricks How to write an introduction paragraph? what does objection heresay mean How to layer skincare Tips on how to be self disciplined what does excluded mean What are four tips for improving speaking skills How to check icloud storage How to check bone density at home How to find the number of protons what does jump rope work on what do waxing and waning mean what does disband mean How does making tips works on chaturbate what are long tail keywords what does strip mean what does frothy mean How to cook crack How long to renew passport what does conservator mean what does graceful mean How to cut onion what does fungus look like How to make new friends? Why do people stare at you when they do skateboard tricks what does melodramatic mean what does erm mean in text what does ponyo mean what does substrate mean How much tips pay to nair manicure what does immunosuppressed mean what states are new england How much do people get in tips each day what does jaundice look like Should i give my gf tips on how to suck dick? Tricks on how to go to sleep fast what are jews what does ahoy mean How do you treat tips what does woke police mean How to sew a hole How do i reset my ipad to factory settings without the passcode or computer? Where can i get gel nails with tips what kinds of engineers are there what are floating holidays How to sleep on a plane? How to train a dog and tips Tips when recording vinyl into reaper levels How to create a cover letter How to clean neglected stainless steel exhuast tips Show me how to teach my dog some good and funny tricks what does a high red blood cell count mean what does u mean in math what does tough mean How to clean windshield? How much does it cost to drill a well? what does figures mean in money How to treat lower back pain? what does jagged mean How to bake a turkey Tips on how to deliver a good presentation what does subscribe mean on youtube what are the prime numbers Tips on getting hired when you're older what does grieving mean

Source: www.traveller.com.au

LIST OF ATHENS HOTELS