Walk along the cobblestone narrow streets of Hóra past white houses with multi-coloured doors and windows, timeless creations of the traditional Cycladic architecture. If you need to take a rest, plane trees will offer you their cool, welcome shade. Wait until the sun sets into the eternal blue of the Aegean and join the locals in the village’s squares. Share with them homemade dishes and local delicacies, such as “matsáta” (handmade noodles with rooster or rabbit), sourotó (white goat cheese), and drink “rakómelo” (raki with honey) the famous spirit of the island. Here you will find most of the island's fine hotels.

• Tour natural and religious sites.

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Towering above Hóra and with a stone path leading to it, a whitewashed impressive church awaits to be discovered. Allegedly built on the site of an ancient temple, the church hosts significant ancient immured inscriptions and statues’ pedestals in its yard and interior. Tradition has it that the silver-plated icon of the Virgin Mary is miraculous. Linked to pirate stories, the icon is carried around the town in a procession held every year on Easter Sunday.

Hiking tip: Follow the rocky path starting from Poúnda square all the way to the church (walking time app. 15 min).

Ano Merá

The picturesque village of Ano Merá is a traditional rural settlement of the 19th century. To learn more about the traditional everyday life of Folégandros, visit the Folk Art Museum (open from 17:00 to 20:00 in the summer).

Chrysospiliá

Chrysospiliá is a natural monument of great interest, and not just to archaeologists and speleologists. Situated below the monastery of the Virgin Mary on a rocky beach at 30m above sea level with impressive stalactites and stalagmites, the cave is globally unique for the ancient male Greek names written on its walls and roof, dated back to the 4th century BC. Nicagoras, Themistocles, Cleon, Callimachus, Pythagoras, and Lysicrates are some of the names carved on the cave walls. According to some theories, the cave was used as a worship site where ceremonies for young men coming of age used to take place.

Important info: Accessible only by the sea, the cave is temporarily unavailable for visitors due to archaeological research in progress.

• Head to the island's pristine beaches.

This small island in the Cyclades is full of pebbly beaches covered with tamarisk trees. The scenic harbour of Karavostássis with its beautiful beach is the perfect starting point for an exploration of the glorious beaches of Hohlídia, Vitzétzo, Latináki, Pountáki and Livádi, a village with a sandy beach, turquoise waters and a camping site. Those of you, who don't feel like walking, can take a caique from Karavostássis to Kátergo, the most beautiful beach on the island, with thin pebbles and crystal-clear waters. Sheer cliff drops and azure waters embrace Agali beach to the west of the island. A trail from here will take you to the clothing-optional beach of Ayios Nikólaos, where a small taverna with delicious food and a marvelous view awaits you. In the northeastern part of the island lie the beaches of Voriná, with green stones peculiar-to-Folégandros, Ayios Geórgios and Serfiótiko, accessible only by caique or on foot.

• Taste culinary delights and local wine:

Matsáta: handmade noodles with rooster or rabbit
Sourotó: white goat cheese
Kalassoúna: cheese pie made with sourotó and onions
Cooked caper
Baked chickpeas
Karpouzénia: a local sweet made of fried watermelon (in Greek watermelon means “karpouzi”)
Sesame bars
White and red wine

Source: Visitgreece.gr

During the Byzantine period the district enjoyed privileges of autonomy and tax exemption. For this reason the northern part of the district was also called “Agrafa” (literally “unwritten”), because the residents were not included in the imperial tax registers.

The wild landscape, which helped keep central authority and aspiring occupiers at a distance, nowadays also offers many options for alternative tourism activities. Skiing at Velouchi and rafting on the rapids of the Acheloos, Trikeriotis and Tavropos rivers have been the sports that have catapulted the district’s largely untapped tourism potential to popularity in the last two decades.

The part of Evrytania which is best known and most popular with tourists lies on the road axis between Karpenisi, the main town, and the historic Monastery of Proussos -- perched like an eagle’s nest atop a precipitous cliff above a gorge. Cameras should be at the ready to capture the highlights of the route, especially Kleidi, the narrowest point of the gorge from where the monastery is first visible.

Karpenisi, a town of less than 10,000 people at 1,000 meters on the slopes of Mt Tymfristos, is the base for most activities in the area. Lying on the route to Proussos are the well-known picturesque villages of Mikro and Megalo Horio and the listed settlement of Koryschades. It was this latter village that hosted the elected National Assembly during the German occupation, on May 7, 1944 and has a Museum of National Resistance.

Fidakia, 17 kilometers from Karpenisi, is one of the most beautiful villages in Evrytania, with a fine view of the Kremasta reservoir. Just outside the scenic village of Klafsi, in the Potamia valley, is the unique 5th- to 6th-century Basilica of Aghios Leonidios, with an exquisite, well-preserved mosaic floor.

The main village of Proussos, at the edge of the tourist zone, is best known for the reportedly miraculous icon of Our Lady of Proussos in the monastery, which attracts thousands of visitors annually and can be congested at weekends, especially Sundays.

An easy hiking route, lasting about two hours, takes walkers from the monastery to Mavri Spilia (“Black Cave”) -- next to a waterfall -- which was used as a hideout by guerrillas in years gone by. The more adventurous can rappel down the cliff face. A second route in the area, beginning from the village of Aniada and lasting about an hour and a half, takes in the slopes of Mt Kaliakouda. Part of it runs alongside the Trikeriotis River before it ends at the Pantavrechi waterfalls.

Aghios Nikolaos, 6 kilometers from Karpenisi, is a charming village known for the most prolonged snow cover in the district and its chestnuts.

A fine route through dense fir forest on the slopes of Mt Oxya is from Karpenisi to the beautiful mountain villages of Krikello and Domnista, if you take a right turn from the road to Lamia going east. As you enter Krikello, at 1,120 meters, you will see five stone fountains gushing the icy waters of Mt Oxya. Domnista has some huge plane trees and an impressive folk museum which also hosts local ancient finds. The village also features a monument to the national resistance, as it was here that resistance leader Aris Velouchiotis proclaimed the armed struggle against the Axis occupiers on June 7, 1942.

Lastly, it is worth seeing the Bridge and Monastery of Tatarna, in a beautiful area near the Kremasta dam. The view of the lake from the bridge, which has won three architectural awards, is superb and the monastery houses a number of precious icons.

Things to See & Activities

Evrytania is replete with sights and historical monuments. Opportunities for mountain sports abound throughout the year: contact Ef Zein (25673 and 695.396808, www.fzein-evryt.gr/), Mountain Action (22940 and 6972.706.177), and Trekking Hellas (25940 and 6972.421.349). Saloon Park (24606), 4 kilometers from Karpenisi, offers horse-riding activities. Eleven kilometers from town at an elevation of 1,800 meters, is the Velouchi skiing center (23506, 21112). Megalo Horio has an interesting folk history museum.

Author: Haris Argyropoulos

An island pregnant with history
There is evidence of human activity on the rich with archaeological treasures island since the Neolithic times. But it’s the Kaviria Mysteries – religious event of great importance, equal to that of the Eleusinian Mysteries - that brought the island’s fame to the top. The grandeur of the archaeological prominence of Samothrace stretches over the 50-square-kilometres site of Palaiópolis, at 6,5km from the port of Kamariótissa.

Hundreds of crystal watered streams flow from mount Saos to rush through the forests all the way to the sea. On their way, they form waterfalls and stone basins, the so called “váthres”. As a matter of fact, the streams and the waterfalls are the landmarks of the island. A pair of the best of those are the stream of Foniás (=”killer”) and its tallest waterfall (Kleidwsi – 35m high). A nature wonder in the form of a waterfall is situated in the Northeast; it’s Kremastó. The water there goes through some iron rocks to obtain a sweet, reddish colour before fiercely ending into the sea. Behind the water mass there is a cave to be explored. Other well-known waterfalls are Kakiá Pláka, Karyá, and Griá Váthra.

Along the north and the eastern coastline there are wetlands formed seasonally. Migratory birds call at the mouth of Foniás, at the wetland of Vdelolimni, whereas the lagoon of Agios Andreas near Kamariótissa is popular with birdwatchers.

But don’t forget you are on an island with rugged, mostly pebbly beaches, some of which are accessible only by boat. The beach of the Gardens with the black and gray shiny pebbles stands out. In the south, there is the only sandy –thus most cosmopolitan- beach of the island, Pachia Ammos (= “thick sand”) where you can marvel at the –perched-on-a-steep-rock chapel of Panagia Krimniotissa. Rent a boat here for a tour around the otherwise inaccessible areas of Katárti, Spiliés, Váto, Kremastó, Grias ta Paniá, and Gyalí. The fascinating bottom of the sea and the underwater life abundance appear transparent through the crystal clear waters.

An alternative tourism paradise

The imposing mountainous heart of the island paired with its pristine nature are just what explorers and adventure lovers could ever wish for: crossing gorges, trekking, mountaineering, mountain bike, paragliding, rafting, kayak, diving will be amongst your choices if you want to go active.

But Mother Nature has been generous to Samothrace in geothermal richness too: sulphurous therapeutic thermal springs welcome you to the village of Therma and to the spa facilities, where Greeks and foreigners seek and find health and wellness.


To read more, please see visitgreece.gr

It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are two entrances: one at the bottom of the site and the other one in the middle. It is about 6 km away from Sparti. In the modern village of Mystras - situated 1 km or so from the archaeological site, there are a few restaurants and hotels.

Its fortifications and churches, its palaces and mansions, its roads and fountains, charm thousands of visitors daily and offers them valuable insights in the evolution and culture of the Byzantines.

For two centuries Mistras was at the forefront of developments and had a brilliant history full of glory, splendour and political, social and cultural contributions. Its story begins in the mid-13th century when the Franks were dominant in the Peloponnese. In 1249 Villehardouin II built an impregnable fortress at the top of a hill called Mistras or Mizithras. Ten years later Villehardouin found himself a prisoner of the Byzantine Emperor Michael Paleologus and bought his freedom by handing over the fortresses of Mistras, Monemvasia and Mani. Mistras offered security, so that the inhabitants of neighbouring Lacedaemonia, as Sparti was then called, made their homes on the slopes surrounding the fortress.

The settlement and the Hora (town) were protected by a wall, but the new houses were built outside the enclosure. Another wall protected the new settlement, Kato Hora. The strategoi (generals) governed the town, and as of 1308, when the seat of the Diocese had been moved to Lacedaemonia,

Mistras became in the mid-14th century the capital of the Peloponnese and the seat of the Seignioly (Despotate) of the Moreas, with a ruler or despot who enjoyed tenure for life.

Sightseeing

The Palaces

The palaces of the despots of Morea dominate Mistras from their rocky foundations in the centre of Ano Hora where the Monemvasia gate leads from Kato Hora. It is a spectacular complex, comprised of buildings built at different times. The first, the "mansion of the Cantakuzenoi", was constructed in the first years, perhaps by the Franks. The second edifice dates from the same period (1250-1350). The third, a four-storey building, was erected between 1350 and 1400, as was the fourth, a two-storey mansion which was the residence of the despot. The fifth building (1400-1450) was the palace of the Paleologoi. Its length is 38 m. and its width 12 m. The first storey was intended for the departments of the Seigniory. The second was the throne hall. The abandoned palaces constitute an important attraction for the modern visitor. After their restoration, they are a vivid reminder of an era that has left an indelible mark on history. As is the grand square before them, the site of official displays during the days of Mistras' glory and a market in later years, when the town was a busy commercial centre.




Tel: +30 27310 83377

To read more, please visit thegreektravel.com

Today, it is a well preserved and respected archaeological site that affords splendid views of both the cultural and physical landscapes of Greece.

History

Archaeologist have found evidence that the site of Delphi was inhabited as far back as the Neolithic era, and that by the end of the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BCE) it had become an important religious and political center of influence. While the function of the oracle during prehistory is obscured by the lack of records, the importance of Delphi during historical times is well documented by a plethora of ancient writers and the rich archeological finds of the site.

Delphi was considered by the ancients to be the center (Omphalos = navel) of the world, and the oracle of Delphi was a religious center, most famous for its accurate predictions of the future. The oracles were given by Pythia, the priestess who muttered incomprehensible sounds in a state of trance, which in turn were translated in comprehensible language and give to those who made the pilgrimage in search of answers.

Common folk, generals, and kings alike, consulted the oracle of Delphi on matters of importance. Matters of importance ranged from mundane every-day family disputes, to the decision of a state to go to war with another, or to establish a colony. The reputation of Delphi crossed cultural boundaries, and throughout history it held amicable neutrality with its oracles. At the same time, the oracles of Pythia were notoriously ambiguous, and could be interpreted several different ways.

The sanctuary of Delphi spans with its influence the entire gamut of ancient Greek history as we know it. During the Mycenaean era between 1600 and 1100 BCE, Delphi was a place of worship of the Mother Earth deity (Ge), before it was converted to the place of worship of Apollo as the god of light, harmony and order at the end of the 11th c. BCE. Its influence grew over the next few centuries, and by the 8th c. BCE the oracle of Delphi had acquired international fame for its accurate predictions of the future.

Throughout ancient times entire communities placed their fate in the words of Pythia, and endless emissaries and worshipers flocked to the sanctuary with gifts and offerings in hoping for a favorable oracle. As a result, the sanctuary was teeming with valuable goods, and affluent states built and maintained elaborate treasuries to shelter the wealth. The treasuries of the Athenians and the one dedicated by the Syphnians are still well preserved on the site, and admired for their beautiful sculptural decoration.

The Pythian Games

As a place of pilgrimage, Delphi evolved to be hosting a conglomerate of cultural activities, ranging from poetry reading and theatrical plays, to athletic events similar to the Olympics, called the Pythian Games.

The Pythian Games took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events. It is believed that the games were first organized sometime in the 11th c. BCE, and included only musical contests, but by the 6th c. BCE, the games grew to include athletic events. The games ceased to take place in the 4th c. CE, but there was a small revival in the beginning of the 20th c. CE, when the Greek poet Angelos Sikelianos organized the Pythian games at Delphi once again.

The sanctuary remained an important place of worship during the Hellenistic and Roman eras, and it suffered several invasions and looting until it gradually lost its influence with the rise of Christianity.

Delphi Archaeological Site

Today, Delphi is one of the most attractive archaeological sites of Greece. Its rich grounds and museum represent classical antiquity with such clarity even the uninitiated visitor can grasp. Its importance as an archaeological site, coupled with its location at an idyllic landscape makes it one of the most visited sites of Greece.

Highligits of the archaeological site of Delphi include the Temple of Apollo, the Tholos, the theater, the stadium, and the treasuries of the Athenians and the Syphnias.
The temple of Apollo appears in ruinous state in the center of the sanctuary. Only a few of its Doric columns remain standing, but its imposing foundations are a visible reminder of the Temple’s splendor in ancient times. The present ruins of the temple date back to the 4th c. BCE.

The Tholos must be one of the most-photographed monuments of Greece, and it has become the trademark image that represents Delphi in many people’s minds.
It was a beautiful circular building at the center of the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. It was built between 380 and 360 BCE, and only three of its original twenty Doric columns remain standing today.

Source: Greeklandscapes.com

The Monasteries of Meteora may be visited year round but the weather is wet and cool from December to March. Crowds and high season rates are guaranteed from July 1st to October 15th. May and June are the best months for comfortable weather, low season rates and the opportunity to leisurely explore the area.

Buses to Kalampaka are available from Ioannina, Trikala, Thessaloniki and Athens. It is also possible to take the train from Thessaloniki or Athens with a switch at Larissa. If you are traveling from Athens, take a morning train so that you can enjoy the spectacular scenery as you pass through the mountains between Livadia and Lamia.

Appropriate clothing is required to visit the monasteries. Sleeveless clothing and shorts are prohibited. Skirts and shawls are available at the entrance for those who are deemed to be unacceptably dressed (including guys wearing shorts and tanktops).

A visit to the Monasteries of Meteora is highly recommended. Each monastery charges a small admission fee. The nearby towns of Kalampaka and Kastraki have become very touristy with accompanying higher rates than the outlying areas. We suggest combining a trip to Meteora with another destination such as Zagoria or the Halkidiki peninsula. If you do not plan to travel to other areas in northern Greece or if your time is limited, the most efficient way to visit Meteora is to take a bus tour from Athens. You can usually negotiate a good deal with any of the several travel agencies to be found around Syntagma Square.

A listing of hotels can be obtained from the local Tourist Police located near the bus station (Pindou & Ioannininon, Kalampaka Tel: +30 2432078000, +30 2432078516).

The village of Kastraki is closer to the monasteries and convenient for those who want to visit by foot but there are more options for food and lodging in Kalampaka.

Tips:

• Plan to spend a full day at Meteora. You will delight in the play of light on the rocks and their changing moods. On sunny mornings, the red roof tiles of the monasteries glisten in sharp contrast to the weather-stained grayness of the rocks while the late afternoon sun bathes the landscape with a golden glow. At nighttime, the rocks are dramatically illuminated by spotlights while autumnal mists shroud them in an ethereal mysteriousness that must have appealed to the hermits and monks who sought refuge from the things of the world.
• Explore the paths between the rock towers but be careful because they are not all intact and some scrambling over uneven ground is required.
• Acquaint yourself with Greek Orthodoxy. It will enhance your appreciation of the Churches and Monasteries of Meteora and their valuable displays of Byzantine art. There are volunteers at the Church of the Transfiguration who will explain the rich tradition of Byzantine iconography.
• Remember to carry bottled water, especially if you are visiting the monasteries by foot. There are refreshment vendors along the road by the monasteries but their prices are excessive.

Source: Great Adventures

But how did a kingdom operate, and how did it differ from Classical Greece? An obvious difference lay in its geographical structure. Classical Greece was based around cities, the polis: the city and its surrounding territory. Macedonia, on the other hand, was a much larger kingdom, comprising a number of different cities – two of which vied to be the capital.

The old capital was Aegae, modern Vergina, where the kings were all buried. We have already looked at the burial of Philip II, the grandest burial of all (CWA 50). Then in CWA 51 we went on to look at the rest of Aegae: the huge palace built by Philip II, and some of the other tombs that made up the city.

There was, however, another ‘capital’: Pella was the commercial capital, the place where Philip II and Alexander the Great were born. Today, modern Macedonia is dominated by the great Medieval town of Thessalonika, the second town in Greece and, in the Middle Ages, second only to Constantinople as the queen of the Aegean.

Vergina lies 50 miles to the west, along the old Roman Via Egnatia and the modern motorway. Pella forms the third point of the triangle above Vergina to the west and modern Thessalonika to the east. Today it is 20 miles from the sea, but in Classical times it was a maritime town on a huge inlet of the sea, now long since filled in; today, it is the bread basket of Greece.

Mosaic magic

Archaeologically, the features for which Pella is best known are the pebble mosaics. The art of mosaic was perfected by the Romans, who learnt to make mosaics of tesserae – small stones cut to shape; but mosaics had already been used by the Greeks, though rather than tesserae, they used pebbles. Most of the resulting mosaics came out in black and white, but occasionally they used coloured pebbles too.
The finest examples of these are found at Pella, where a number of rich houses have been excavated in the blocks south of the agora. The finest of these represents the abduction of Helen, where Theseus has seized Helen and is about to carry her off in a four-horse chariot, and is signed by the mosaicist responsible for the composition, Gnosis.

Another large house, known as the House of Dionysus, consists of two parts formed around two central peristyle courtyards. In the southern part of the house are two andrones (banquet rooms) with the famous mosaic of a lion hunt, now in the museum.

In the centre of Pella was the agora, or market place. This is currently being excavated and restored courtesy of the EU, indeed some would say that it is being over-restored. But excavations are revealing a row of buildings with a workshop at the rear, and a shop to sell the goods at the front.

On the far side of the agora was an administrative complex, housing the city magistrates and certain cultic functions. The south-west section housed the public archives. Here, in a two-storey building with a central courtyard, public documents were transcribed, sealed, and stored. Archaeologists found scores of clay seals from the public documents which had fallen from the archives above on the second floor. They also found broken pens and ink wells, along with stores of clay and stone stamp seals. A popular image used on these seals was that of a grazing cow – which also appears on coins. The inscription ‘Pella exchange’ on another seal is indicative of the commercial activities carried out in the complex.

However, the agora at Pella is, to some extent, misleading. Whereas in a Classical Greek city the agora was not only the commercial centre but also the political centre, being surrounded by the law courts and the offices of the town council, Pella was part of a kingdom, and so the real centre of the town lay in the palace on the higher ground north of the agora.

The palace has five separate units, each with a large central courtyard surrounded by buildings erected on terraces stepped into the hillside. These units, each of which has four to five buildings, communicate with each other via gates, flights of steps, and galleries. On the south side, facing the agora, was a monumental colonnade. Unlike at Vergina, here at Pella the palace was the administrative centre as well as a grandiose royal residence. The royal household lived here along with various administrative, military, and financial services with their suites of handsome banqueting rooms and baths. There were also archives and libraries, the royal mint, and rooms for cultic purposes. For keeping fit there was a palaestra, or wrestling ground, and the portico of a gymnasium.

The original core of the palace was built towards the end of the 5th century; but most of the architectural remains discovered date to the Hellenistic period.
Collecting the best

A splendid new museum has just been opened at the site which contains many of the treasures and, unlike at the Vergina museum, one is allowed to take photos of the exhibits.

Many of the finest pebble mosaics have been conserved and laid out. However, for me the finest exhibit was many an archaeologist’s delight: a potter’s shop, which had been overwhelmed in a catastrophe, was discovered still filled with complete pots. All the pots were excavated and put on display for our inspection. Alas, they were no longer for sale as they would have been 2,300 years ago.

I was also fascinated by a case devoted to finds from the sanctuary of the god Darron. Darron was a local, rather minor god – of healing – but, nonetheless, still surviving right down to the 1st century BC, despite the onslaught of the Olympian deities from Greece. Interestingly, the artefacts from his shrine differed little from those found at the shrines of the Olympian gods.

Macedonian rulers wanted the best for their kingdom and were prepared to pay top prices to get it. The great Greek painter Apelles was lured away to do his best work at Pella, none of which, alas, has survived. The playwright Euripides spent his last days in Pella writing one of his most surreal plays, The Bacchae, where fierce women, tricked by the vengeful Dionysus, tear the king Pentheus limb from limb.

By Andrew Selkirk

Source: World Archaeology

The Olympic Games in antiquity were first held in 776 B.C., in honor of God Zeus. It was a highly prestigious athletic festival, that was celebrated every four years, in Ancient Olympia. For the first 13 Olympiads, the Olympics were a one-day festival and contained only one event, the stadion. As more events were added, the number of days grew, until it reached a five-day schedule.

No competitions took place on the first day of the Olympics, but the opening ceremony included the taking of oaths by the athletes. On the second day, the stadion race took place, as well as the boxing  and the pankration wrestling for the boys. On the next day, the chariot races and horse races were held in the Hippodrome. Then came the pentathlon, a combination of five events (running, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling), in the stadium. The fourth day opened with the foot races for the men, which were followed by wresting, boxing, and pankration wrestling. On the final day, the victors were crowned with an olive wreath, also known as kotinos.

The archaeological site of Olympia includes the ruins of the ancient Stadium. The ruins of the famous classical Temple of Zeus dominate the Altis. The gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus, sculpted by Pheidias, used to stand inside the temple, which was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Close to the temple of Zeus, the ruins of the temple of Hera still stand. From antiquity till nowadays, the lighting of the Olympic flame takes place at the front of the temple, and then the journey of the torch relay begins, in order to carry the message of Olympism throughout the world.

The visitors can also visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia and get the chance to admire the findings of the archaeological site, such as the famous Hermes of Praxiteles and the sculpted decoration of the temple of Zeus. The Museum’s collection includes ancient weapons, spearheads, spear butts, breastplates and helmets, found in the sanctuary of Altis.

Visit Ancient Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games, explore the ancient buildings, that still “keep alive” the history of the Olympics and the universal values of Olympism and “unravel all the secrets” of the ancient sanctuary and the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
 

The volcano, however, managed to recreate itself over and over again.

The last big eruption occurred 3,600 years ago (during the Minoan Age), when igneous material (mainly ash, pumice and lava stones) covered the three islands (Thíra, Thirassiá and Asproníssi). The eruption destroyed the thriving local prehistoric civilization, evidence of which was found during the excavations of a settlement at Akrotíri. The solid material and gases emerging from the volcano’s interior created a huge “vacuum” underneath, causing the collapse of the central part and the creation of an enormous “pot” –today’s Caldera– with a size of 8x4 km and a depth of up to 400m below sea level.

The eruption of the submarine volcano Kolúmbo, located 6.5 km. NE of Santorini, on 27th September 1650, was actually the largest recorded in Eastern Mediterranean during the past millennium! The most recent volcanic activity on the island occurred in 1950. The whole island is actually a huge natural geological/volcanological museum where you can observe a wide range of geological structures and forms!

• Searching for romance

Santorini is considered to be the most sought after place for a romantic getaway in Greece, since there are not many places in the world where you can enjoy exquisitely clear waters while perched on the rim of a massive active volcano in the middle of the sea! The island has a growing reputation as a “wedding destination” for couples not only from Greece but from all over the world. A trip to Santorini with the other half is a dream for anyone who has seen at least one photo of the island’s famous Caldera and exchanging kisses beneath Santorini’s famous sunset is the ultimate romantic experience!

• Explore the island’s towns

Firá is the picturesque capital of the island; perched high up on the edge of the Caldera, it looks like a marvellous painting. Firá, together with Oia, Imerovígli and Firostefáni located high above on a cliff, make up the so-called “Caldera’s eyebrow”, the balcony of Santorini, which offers an amazing view of the volcano. Other famous smaller villages are Akrotíri and Méssa Vounó, with their famous archaeological sites, Pýrgos, Karterádes, Emporió, Ammoúdi, Finikiá, Períssa, Perívolos, Megalohóri, Kamári, Messariá and Monólithos: some of the villages are cosmopolitan some more peaceful; they are surrounded by vast vineyards; whitewashed cliff-top towns with castles affording amazing views out over the Aegean. Soaking up the villages’ distinctive traditional atmosphere is a very rewarding experience.

A visit to Santorini is the ultimate gastronomic experience, as the island is a true culinary paradise! Treat your taste buds to some famous traditional products like cherry tomatoes, white egg plants, fava, caper and “hloró tyrí”, a special kind of fresh goat cheese found on the island, or why not try some of the exceptional wines produced from grapes grown in the volcanic soil of the island! Assyrtiko, Athyri, Aidani, Mantilaria and Mavrotragano are just some of the distinctive varieties that you can taste at the island’s famous wineries (some of them operate as a museum as well) or at restaurants.

• Head to volcanic beaches

Venture into Santorini’s seaside treasures and enjoy deep blue waters and beaches with white, red or black sand or volcanic pebbles, spectacular rock formations and impressive lunar landscapes.

Santorini, the youngest volcanic land in the Eastern Mediterranean, is waiting for you! You can reach it by plane or by ship from Piraeus. Don’t think twice! Experience for yourself the once-in-a-lifetime romance and charm of this pearl of the Aegean.

Source: Visitgreece.gr