Today is Santorini day. Thera is the official name of this southernmost island of the Cyclades. Its more common name is owed to its patron Saint Irene, who died here in exile. The island is one of the great natural curiosities of Greece. It’s a huge active volcano on the volcanic arc of the southern Aegean. The center of the once-round island disappeared in the great explosion of prehistoric times. Today we are left with the crescent shaped island of Santorini; on the northwest side is the island of Therasia, and further south continuing the circular remnant of the ancient island is Aspronisi. In the center of the circle is the great caldera, in the middle of which are the “burnt” islands, made of lava and still actively volcanic.
Being in the caldera and looking up at the precipitous cliffs of the western coast of the island, the sight is overwhelming and dramatic. The cliffs are formed by layers of volcanic materials, lava, and pumice, and at the very top are the major towns with their whitewashed houses giving you the impression of snow.
We left the Sea Cloud by tender to disembark at the port of Athinios, where a bus was waiting to take us up the steep cliff to the top of the island. Driving to Oia, the northernmost part of the island, we got to see the eastern coast which slopes gently down to the sea, and the beautiful black sand beaches. The island is treeless, but the volcanic soil is very fertile and favors tomatoes, white eggplants, fava beans, and of course grapevines which give us the highly reputable wines of Santorini.
The town of Oia was delightful, the stereotyped Santorini settlement, built on the slope of the hill, with houses dug into the soft ash, the traditional barrel-vaulted style of buildings, the churches with the blue domes; a photogenic settlement with many beautiful shops and galleries. We had a superb morning which was followed by lunch in a traditional tavern in the village of Pyrgos. That was a great opportunity for us to try the local cuisine and the local products: fava, tomatoes, and wine.
After lunch, free time in the city of Fira, the capital town of the island today and a bustling town full of shops and visitors. And then the decisions had to be made: do we go down by cable car or by donkey?
Our beautiful day on this unique island ended with a swim in the waters of the caldera. The captain and crew of Sea Cloud were expecting us back to the ship with the swimming platform in the water. There is nothing more refreshing than a dip in the Aegean Sea. We stayed in the caldera to see the sunset, and smoothly sailed out later in the evening under the lights of the beautiful villages of Santorini.
