In case you pop over to Santorini just for one day, you’d definitely wish time could stop there and then! Unfortunately, this can happen only in the movies, so let’s see the best way to make the most of the island in one day.
Enjoy amazing views
Begin your day early and make a travel in time! Take the road to Kamari and follow the street signs to ancient Thera. The ancient site was built the around 800 BC from the Spartans, that named the island after their commander. The view is amazing from that point while surrounded by the Royal Arch, the ruins of Artemidoros Temple, the Ancient Agora (Forum), the Temple of Dionysus, the Temple of Apollo Karneios, ancient burial grounds and a Theater.
Continue with a visit to Prophet Elias Monastery, which is built on the highest peak of the island, perched at an altitude of around 565 meters above the sea level. From up there, the panoramic 3 dimensional view of the entire island, the beautiful whitewashed villages and the caldera, surrounded by infinite blue sea and the nearby islands Ios, Folegandros and Sikinos, will blow your mind!
A Folklore Experience in volcanic scenery
Continue your drive to the Old Port, at the bottom of the Caldera cliffs in Fira. You can choose the traditional way to get there, by descending the 588 steps backriding a donkey. From the port, take a boat trip to the volcano and explore the volcanic scenery, learn all about the volcano, swim in the Hot Springs and discover the nearby island, Thirassia. Thirassia is picturesque islet, ideal choice for hiking, swimming and lunch in the little port of Korfos or in the traditional village Manolas.
Akrotiri, the Pompeii of the Aegean
You shouldn’t skip a visit to Akrotiri, the excavation site of a Minoan Bronze Age settlement which was buried by the widespread Theran eruption in the middle of the second millennium BC and is remarkably well-preserved. Thanks to its excellent state of preservation and the wealth of finds it has yielded, it is the most important prehistoric settlement found in the Eastern Mediterranean and could be characterized as the Pompeii of the Aegean.
Enjoy mind-blowing sunsets
Your last stop must definitely be in Oia, the ideal place to relish the sunset. During evenings people gather by the Kastro walls to enjoy the renowned Oia sunset and farewell the day with applauses as the sun fades into the infinite blue sea!
