Caldera Views, Fira, Firostefani, The Red Beach, Pyrgos, and Ancient Thera

Santorini is the most visited island in Greece, with over three million visitors annually, in large part because of its stunning and romantic white villages that are perched precariously on dramatic cliffs, one thousand feet above the sea. It is a crescent-shaped island that was once part of a large volcano that had a catacylsmic eruption in 1600 BCE. Known as the Minoan Eruption, the blast created a massive flooded caldera, with Santorini and its sister islands in a circular formation around it.

The northern end of the crescent (to the left) is the site of Oia, Santorini’s most scenic village and the source of its most iconic images of Cycladic architecture, blue-domed churches, and windmills. At the south end of the crescent is the village of Akrotiri, and near the centre, located along the cliff edge, are the main town of Fira and several other villages. I took a Seajets fast ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, and our ferry skirted around the outer two islands (inhabited) at quite a distance so I got just a quick peek in towards central Santorini, where the villages look like snow atop the cliffs.

Public coach buses wait at the port for each ferry arrival so it was an easy matter to stow my bag, hop on, and pay my fare for the thirty minute trip to Fira. My accommodation was only minutes away from the Fira bus station which was very convenient as buses to all parts of the island start and end there. Even though I was so close to the station, and to Fira’s main road and square, my studio with kitchenette was tucked away in a quiet little street. It was a safe, comfortable, and peaceful place to stay for my four nights on Santorini, and I had a lovely little balcony!

I unpacked, shopped for groceries at a nearby market, cooked up a veggie pasta to last a few days, and then, when the sun was beginning to lower, I finally made my way to the caldera’s clifftop edge which was also located just minutes away from my accommodation. I’m almost at the edge,

and this was my first view!

I then looked north towards the next village, Firostefani, and higher up towards the village of Imerovigli, and beyond that, in the far distance, to Oia at the northernmost end of Santorini.

My number one “must do” activity (out of four), while visiting Santorini, was to do the scenic ten kilometre hike along the cliffs from Fira to Oia. I started walking north on the walled path, while I waited for the sunset, and as a little precursor to my planned hike on the following morning. I rose up to about here,

and the views back over Fira were stunning, but there was a problem. I was nervous! There had been so many earthquakes in Santorini only about a month prior to my visit, over 20,000! Most were slight tremors, under 2 on the Richter scale, but they were near-continuous, and many quakes were stronger, with the strongest reaching 5.3. The swarm of quakes was serious enough to have a State of Emergency declared. Schools were closed, and around 16,000 of Santorini’s 20,000 residents evacuated the island until the quakes calmed about six or seven weeks after they began.

Normally, I am not nervous with clifftop hikes, but as I walked I considered that, if a large quake should happen, there was almost nothing that I could do to escape peril, with there being no really safe exit from the path either up or down! I continued climbing, trying to get over my nervousness, and rose higher, with more views back to Fira. The gray zigzag going down the cliff in the photo below is the walkway up from where cruise ship passengers typically are dropped off, and there is also a funicular going up the cliff there, but both have been closed since the earthquakes started and alternate arrangements have been made for the disembarkation of passengers for those cruise ships that are still stopping at Santorini.

The views were spectacular, and soon I could see over towards the eastern side of the island where the land slopes gently down to the sea, in contrast to the high cliffs of the caldera side.

But, I was still feeling anxious. I rose higher, with views ahead to the village of Imerovigli and to the dramatic promontory to its left, Skaros Rock. In the 13th century, a Venetian fortress and settlement of over 200 homes topped Skaros Rock, but volcanic activity and earthquakes over the subsequent centuries caused most of it to fall to the sea below. You can see where my thoughts were!

Sadly, I was not enjoying myself, and I began thinking that I would not do the Fira to Oia hike after all. There was a cold wind blowing, and I was feeling low in both energy and spirits, so I found an exit point and moved away from the cliff edge. Then, quite by accident, I found myself at this iconic viewpoint, overlooking one of Santorini’s most famous blue-domed churches, the Agios Theodori church in Firostefani. That cheered me up a bit,

and also, as I neared Fira once again, the low sun emerged from behind some clouds, and Fira lit up beautifully.

As I walked back to my accommodation, I decided that I would not do the hike the following morning, as I had planned, and that I would go to see Ancient Akrotiri (Number two on my “Must Do” list of four) instead. The following morning, I was feeling surprisingly okay about my decision to not do the hike, and I was eager to visit the the archaeological site of Ancient Akrotiri at the south end of the island. Ancient Akrotiri is also known as the “The Pompei of Greece” because it was where a large and thriving Minoan village was buried under sixty metres of volcanic ash and debris when the Santorini volcano erupted in 1600 BCE. It was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. I took the 8:30 bus and sat on the right hand side to enjoy thrilling views of the caldera as we travelled south. But, when we arrived (myself and two others on the bus), the archaeological site was closed! I had checked the website the night before, and there had been no notice of a closure. Darn and blast! The next bus back to Fira would not arrive for ninety minutes, so I decided to walk to the famous Red Beach, which was not far away. First, I reached the White Beach, with views of the red cliffs ahead,

and then made my way towards the Red Beach which sits below deeply coloured, iron-rich cliffs. The cliffs, as you can see, are prone to large and frequent rockslides, and several signs warn visitors not to visit the beach.

Many do not heed the warnings, but I did. I sat for a while and just enjoyed looking at the sea and I also watched a small flock of swallows swoop and dive all around me. They are so fast!

Then, the couple who had been on the bus arrived, and we spent the next hour talking until it was time to return to Fira. Once there, I decided that I would visit the Prehistoric Museum of Ancient Thera – the museum was #4 on my “Must Do” list for Santorini. I went directly there, only to find that it was closed! There was no sign on the door as to why, and no notice of a closure on its webpage. Now I was 0/3 on my “Must Do in Santorini” list!

I returned to my studio feeling quite disgruntled! I decided to do some laundry, and I ate and puttered and moped, until I grew tired of all that and decided to go for a bus ride up to Pyrgos, which is Santorini’s highest village. It is built atop a hill, and is crowned with the ruins of a walled Venetian fortress, the Kasteli, and many churches. Built to protect against pirate attacks, the hill is a labyrinth of narrow lanes, gateways, staircases, and connected buildings, some of which have been turned into polished villas, and some of which are distinctly aged. The first views, as I began to climb up, were promising!

This is the Agia Theodosia, seen from many different angles as I roamed up, down, and around the hill. The original Agia Theodosia was built in 1639, and renovated in 1857, but it collapsed in the major earthquake of 1956. This new church dates from 1965.

And, this is the beautiful Church of Saint Nicholas which was founded in 1660 and repaired in 1980.

At the very top of the hill, and built upon and amidst very old ruins, was one of those iced-cake churches. It is the church of Theodorakis, or the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Built in the 10th century, and renovated in 1663, it is one of the oldest churches on Santorini.

I spent a lot of time on the hill, going up and down every passage that I found, and sometimes doubling back. I went around and around, finding interesting sights in every corner, and many echoes of the hill’s Venetian past.

Most of the doorways were no taller than me!

There were also great views out over the island from the top of the hill. This one looks north towards Fira and the very distant Oia.

Here is a zoomed in view.

And, this was this view to the south, towards the highest point on the island at 565 metres above sea level. Upon this rugged mountain is the Monastery of Profitis Ilias Santorini, established in 1711, and there is also a telecommunications tower a little higher up.

I loved my time up on Pyrgos’ Kastelli hill, and my mood was much improved! The following day I decided to go to the beachside town of Kamari to hike up to Ancient Thera (which was #3 on my “Must Do in Santorini” list), even though I had heard that the archaeological site there was also probably closed. I enjoyed the bus ride there, and the approach to the trailhead, though the climb ahead looked a bit daunting! Ancient Thera is located atop a high and steep-sided, flat-topped promontory called Mesa Vouno, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea. Here is a view of the road that snakes its way up to the archaeological site!

I decided to choose the trail, rather than walk the road, and I soon rose up and above the hillside villas below.

The path was a steep zigzagging mix of rough trail, and ancient stepped pathway. Stopping to photograph the flowers gave me an excuse to catch my breath!

About a third of the way up, I reached the Spring of Zoodochus Pigi which was the main water source for the settlement of Ancient Thera. The spring is located in a 26 metre deep cave, and the site is marked with a small chapel.

I continued up higher, and stopped for views down over Kamari,

and across to that crazy road and the promontory of Mesa Vouno beyond.

Rising higher, views suddenly opened up to Profitis Ilias, with its monastery and the communications tower that I had seen the previous evening from Pyrgos, though from the other side.

There were now also views down to the town of Perissa which is located on the other side of Mesa Vouno. One can also hike up to Ancient Thera from there.

After about another fifteen minutes of climbing, I reached the admissions gate of Ancient Thera and, surprise, surprise, surprise, it was open! I was so happy! I entered the site, passed the ruins of a Temple to Aphrodite, and then rose up to this 9th or 10th century church of Agios Stefanos, which was built on the site of a 6th century Early Christian basilica.

Off to the left, the path continued to climb, (There were three young French tourists who had arrived at the site just as I did. One of their party is just topping the rise of the trail.)

and from there it rose to ever greater views down to Kamari, with its long black sand beach, and also to views of Santorini’s airport runway.

I was very happy with my climb so far, and then this happened!

A staircase of wildflowers! There had been wildflowers scattered here and there all along the trail as I rose, including my first sightings in Greece of bright yellow gorse, and fragrant thyme (blooming purple), but this was so unexpected! And there were many very pretty pink poppies in and amongst their red cousins. The flowery staircase became a flowery trail as I rose,

and then I finally reached the flat top of the mesa, with its wide, principal street that ran for 800 metres to the far end of the promontory. Most of the remains here date from a 9th century BCE settlement of colonists from Sparta whose king was named Theras. With ports down at both Kamari and Perissa, they traded with Athens, Corinth, Ionia, and Rhodes. The site was taken over by the Romans in the first century AD, and then by later civilizations until it was abandoned in 726 when the Santorini volcano had an eruption that covered the city with a light layer of pumice.

These are the remains of a stoa in what was once the Agora,

and this is thought to have been a private house, named the House of Tyche, after fragments of a statue of the goddess Tyche (Fortune) were found here.

Near the Agora was this theatre which could seat 1,500. What a setting!

I continued along the mesa towards the far end where many of the temples had been located. The area was flooded with yellow, and yellow and white, crown daisies! I had seen many photos of Ancient Thera when doing my research for this trip, and the ruins were always very hard to discern because the building stones are of the same limestone as the mountain itself. Everything just blended into an ill-defined mass of grey, and I wondered if the site was worth visiting, but today, at this time of year, the mass of daisies helped to delineate and define the architectural spaces. And, at the very least, is was absolutely beautiful!

The air hummed with the sound of bees, there was a fresh and enlivening breeze, and I sat and watched blue-backed swallows swoop and swerve all around at speed. It all made the experience of being here incredibly rich and exciting, and I felt very grateful indeed.

I returned, slowly, back to the flowery staircase, and enjoyed it all over again,

and then I made my way out of the archaeological site. I thought that I might return via the road, but decided to hike down. There is the lower part of the trail, in the centre of the photo, zigzagging down the steep rocky slope.

And here’s a closer view, after I had descended past the chapel. Going down was much quicker that going up!

I had time to visit Kamari’s black sand beach near the base of Mesa Vuono,

and then I returned to Fira, very very happy with my time up at Ancient Thera. As I passed by the Prehistoric Museum of Ancient Thera I saw that it was open, and I went to ask whether they would be open the following day. The answer was “yes”, (they had been closed the day before because of a strike that affected many federal workers as well as all air and rail travel!), and I asked when Ancient Akrotiri would be opening, and they said, “Tomorrow.” Hooray! That evening, near sundown, I made my way again to the caldera’s edge to look south,

and north,

and directly out to sea.

After some Santorini hits and misses, or, more accurately, some misses then hits, I was beginning to think that I might do the Fira to Oia hike after all.

Note: The first photo of this post, of Santorini from the air, is not one of mine and I don’t know who to credit!