Santorini also known as Thira is located in the Cyclades complex in the south Aegean sea because of its unique morphology it is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, essentially one huge rock inside the deep blue sea, a beautiful site that has been captured by millions of people from around the world, the shape of the island as it appears today was formed in 1613 BCE after a volcanic eruption in the sea, this eruption broke up the big round island into smaller parts with an ocean depth reaching 1,500 meters between them.

Santorini today is a popular cosmopolitan destination making it one of the most expensive places to visit in Greece, however this doesn’t mean that someone on a budget cant visit and experience the magic, although it’s a small island a mere 76 square kilometers there are many beautiful places to explore, To really get a good taste of what the island has to offer you need to spend at least four to five days here, even better if you have your own vehicle otherwise you can get around with local bus services

Fira

Location: 10 km from the main port, Athinaios

Fira is the top capital of Santorini which sits halfway between mainland and Turkey in the Aegean Sea. The blue waters of the Aegean one thousand feet below the town deliver tourists from visiting cruise ships who come to experience what is one of the world’s most unusual and beautiful locations.

The lovely weather and stunning location combined with the distinctive whitewashed houses, many bars, restaurants and nightclubs to provide a perfect distinctive holiday destination, the views from Fira and some of the other nearby towns on Santorini are worth the price of the ticket alone and many come here just to experience what is regarded as one of the best sunset views in the world.

Through the old port they come up to town by either cable car or on donkeys up the steep and slim path. The town has many beautiful paths that are worth walking, every corner entails beautiful scenery in a romantic environment, this being on of the main reasons couples from around the world get married in Santorini. There are many kinds of store and little shops where you can find everything you need likewise there a plethora of cafes and restaurants offering many types of cuisine.

To be honest I didn’t enjoy the nightlife here because the only places where you can get a drink at were either clubs or pubs, I couldn’t  find any typical Greek that are dominant in other Greek islands and that’s what I wanted.

The beaches of Santorini

The beaches of Santorini are located in the south and east sides of the island all of them are well organized with sun loungers and umbrellas but they get very crowded during high season. The most popular beaches are Perissa and Kamari, they are very similar and are separated by the mountain of ancient Thira. Perissa is the southern beach and stretches from the village of Perissa to perivolos and ends at St. George, it’s the longest beach on the island almost three kilometers and is full of cafes and restaurants.

The liveliest area is Perivolos which has many beach bars with loud music starting from noon it is 12 kilometers from Fira and takes about 15 minutes to get there. In the north part of Perissa you will find Kamari beach, there are many options here as well in the one and a half kilometers of beach you can find many cafes and restaurants, if you decide to visit ancient Thira by car you need to pass through Kamari otherwise you have to go on foot from Perissa. The distance from Kamari to Fira is 7 kilometers and takes about 13 minutes.

At these two beaches water sport enthusiasts can find well-organized centers for jet skiing , canoeing, tubing, water biking, or parachuting. West of perissa you will find Vlychada beach a unique natural terrain and an amazing site, the beach here also has ymbrellas and sun loungers but is a quitter environment than Perissa or Kamari beach.

Further west you will find Akrotiri beach, from here you can walk to the red beach which is about a 15 minute walk or you can take the boat there. After the red beach the boat goes to the black and white beach it’s a fun little boat ride that is worth the time.

On the east side of Santorini and north of Kamari the first beach you find is called Monolithos it’s  behind the airport but to reach it you must take another road because the one from Kamari doesn’t  lead there, there are sun loungers and umbrelas the sand is a rich black and there are a few tavernsand cafes.

Moving north to Oia using the Eastern road of the island the next beach that you will come across is Vourvoulos, to get there you have to turn right once you enter the village of Vourvoulos  and then continue for three kilometers it’s a small beach and on the right side of it there’s a small little port and a tavern in front of it, if you continuew the same road the next beach will find is Kouloumpos there is a nice beach bar where you can have a refreshment or cocktail.

Oia

The next stop is Oia so you can capture the beautiful sunset, Oia is one place you cant miss if you go to Santorini, its located in the northwest part of the island on the caldera making it especially beautiful, the view is one of a kind because aside from the deep blue sea you can see Therassia island, the volcano and the south cape of Santorini.

 Oia has many tourist shops restaurants and cafes that are usually busy after noon. You can find interesting hotels in Oia that have amazing views and excellent services, if you want to see the town during a quitter time when it’s not so crowded you have to visit before noon from about 6 o’clock up until sunset the north side is full of people who are there to enjoy the most famous sunset in the world, be prepared for quite the hassle when trying to get back to the center of town right after the sun has set as the streets and walkways are flooded with people. The nightlife He re is quite lively with nice bars to enjoy a few drinks at.

Firostefani

Location: 2 km north of Fira

Description: Firostefani is a small village within a walking distance from Fira. It is like a suburb to the capital of Santorini. It distinguishes for its traditional architecture, the wonderful view and its tourism developement.

Sightseeing: Agios Nikolaos Monastery

ImerovigliLocation: 3 km north west of Fira

Description: Imerovigli is like an extension of Fira but it is situated on a higher cliff. Providing some very romantic views, Imerovigli is more quiet than Fira but still enough tourism developed.

Sightseeing: Skaros Rock