Ambassador of Greek tourism, Santorini is famous all over the world anh you can see the whole island with Santorini private tour. You can find Santorinitours.org at Emporio 847 03 and you can call us on 694 457 7918. Crowds of tourists flock to the iconic island every year to admire the Caldera and the volcano, but also to take a selfie against the backdrop of the famous sunset. The images from Fira and Oia with the characteristic shades of blue and white are in the minds of foreigners intertwined with Greece – possibly as much as the photo of the Acropolis.
If one observes these images carefully from the light-bathed Santorini, one may notice in some corner of the frame, the crowd of people struggling to cross the narrow streets. And of course the houses that will be seen in the photo will be all flawless, white, freshly painted. All this, of course, during the summer months or even during the tourist season.
Because in winter, things are quite different, at least as far as the most touristic places of the island are concerned, that is, all the villages on the Caldera, protruding from Fira and Oia. Closed hotels and restaurants, shops in a row with shutters lowered and sealed, few tourists and locals to walk and stop – weather permitting – for any photo, looking to see if they can jump the locked wooden gates leading to “courtyards” with a privileged view and in summer restaurant and cafe tables are flooded.
However, some shops and a few hotels in the tourist places, remain open, expecting the few foreigners, but also locals. They stand out from afar in the narrow streets with the lowered shutters.
The new trend in travel, however, warns us to avoid overcrowding as much as possible, and no matter how tempting Santorini is, many will think twice before booking a vacation on this unique Aegean island.
One of the main advantages of Santorini, however, is that its beauties are not ideal for its visitors to enjoy only in the heat of summer. On the contrary, many of them can be even more beautiful the rest of the year. The season on the island usually lasts from March to October, a fact that leaves November and the three winter months “out”.
This is exactly what should be taken advantage of by those who want to really enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of the place and not the “acquired” beauties offered by mass tourism and the -excessive- by many- tourism development of the last decades.
Off-season Santorini
Many of the restaurants are closed, as are most luxury hotels. But Santorini is there, more “clean” and more “open” than ever. Alleys in Oia that you enjoy alone. Sunset in silence, without applause. The island’s wineries, the hemp, explain the history of the famous wine of Santorini, while the vineyards, which are one of the oldest in the Mediterranean, rest.
Let’s not overlook the fact that the winter in Greece, especially in Southern Greece, is not very heavy – winter visitors are more likely to achieve a sunshine of 18 ° C than rain that may close them in. The fact does not preclude even a swim in the seas of Santorini, which are anyway considered the hottest in the Aegean.
Santorini behind the caldera
The caldera of Santorini, the big cliff that was created when half the island sank due to a huge eruption of the volcano, is today the most sought after place on the island. The most expensive accommodation in Santorini overlooks the volcano, while the villages of the caldera are spreading more and more on the edge of the cliff.
It is undoubtedly a very impressive landscape that takes the breath away of those who see it for the first time, especially from the sea, with the white houses and the churches with the blue domes, looking like a wreath on the rock.
Those who know well, however, assure that the real beauty of Santorini lies in the hinterland and its fertile land and its villages, such as Pyrgos, a real labyrinth with narrow streets and old churches, built so that it is invincible from any threat. The vineyards and wineries of Santorini are located inland, as well as the old tomato factory, which for decades prepared the well-known cans of Santorini tomato and which today functions as a museum.
Akrotiri
If the caldera and the volcano itself did not “steal all the glory” of Santorini, then the archeological site at Akrotiri would be the reason why the island would be known worldwide.
The settlement that flourished on the island when the great volcanic eruption was recorded, around 1650 BC, is kept in exceptional condition. Today it is a visitable archeological site where all the grandeur of that settlement is captured: two-storey buildings, murals, public works, make Akrotiri one of the most important archeological sites in the world.
It is characteristic that only one in 20 visitors to Santorini – out of the more than 2 million it receives annually – visits Akrotiri, located at the southern tip of the island, on the opposite side of Oia, which gathers crowds.
2020 has changed many things in our lives, even the way we travel. Now, we want our every trip to be worthwhile, to please us as much as possible. We want to know places and people, not visit destinations, by chance. We are travelers, not tourists and we want the best everywhere and at any time.
More about Santorini private tour:
- Santorini Sightseeing Private Tour
- Aspri Ammos Beach Santorini Private Guided Transfers
- Santorini South Part Private Tour
- Santorini Sunset Private Tour
- Athinios Santorini Private Guided Transfers
- Oia Santorini Private Guided Tour
- Palia Kameni Santorini Private Guided Transfers
- Perissa Santorini Private Guided Transfers
- Pyrgos Santorini Private Guided Transfers
- Santorini Exclusive Shore Private Tour