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SANTORINI - MEGALOCHORI, OIA & FIRA TOUR
Story and photos by Barb & Ron Kroll
The biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history 3,600 years ago submerged the center of Santorini but left the Greek island with fertile soil that's ideal for growing grapes. Today, the wines of Santorini are world-famous, especially the Assyrtiko and Nykteri white wines and the red Vinsanto wine.
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| Vineyards grow grapes for Santorini wines |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
The traditional village of Megalochori was the first stop on our Celestyal shore excursion in Santorini. Located near the port of Athinios on the road to Perissa, the village is near three great Santorini wineries — Gavalas, Hatzidakis and Boutari (which offers wine-tasting tours).
Santorini wines
In a vineyard near the entrance to Megalochori, our guide Yannis showed us how grape growers wound the vines into basket shapes close to the ground. "It protects the grapes inside from the wind and traps moisture from the humidity because Santorini doesn't get much rain," he explained.
"To make the dry, white Nykerti wine, pickers collect the grapes early in the day and press them at night for the best aromas. For the very sweet, red aperitif Vinsanto, vintners lay the grapes on the ground for 10 days to dehydrate before making them into wine. It takes five kilos of grapes to make one liter of Vinsanto wine."
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| Megalochori village |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Megalochori village
Following a cobbled street into Megalochori, we entered the village of whitewashed homes decorated with blue doors, tall potted cacti and pink bougainvillea.
People drank coffee at outdoor café tables. A grey cat sat on a white pillar and watched us walk by. Yannis pointed out a pistachio tree laden with nuts. We walked under an arched tower with six bells and photographed a white clock tower next to a church with a blue dome.
Our driving tour continued to the village of Oia on the northern tip of Santorini, where we saw many more beautiful whitewashed churches with blue domes.
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| Oia village overlooks Aegean Sea |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Walking tour of Oia
The coach dropped us off in Oia (pronounced ee-ya) for a walking tour. The postcard-pretty village took our breath away, even though its streets were packed with tourists. Because sunsets are especially spectacular in Oia, the streets become even more crowded as the sun sets.
Our walk began in the central square, next to the white Church of Panagia dominated by a tower with a cross and six bells. Walking to the right, we explored a narrow cobblestone street lined with cafés and shops selling clothing, jewelry, paintings and snacks.
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| Luxury Oia hotel between two blue-domed churches |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
For the best views of cliff-top Oia and its blue-domed churches, we followed the narrow alleyways that lead to viewpoints overlooking the Aegean Sea. Some backdrops were so picturesque that we had to line up for photos, waiting for tourists to take their selfies before it was our turn.
Yannis explained why an island the size of Santorini (only 16 kilometers long and less than five kilometers wide) has more than 360 churches: "After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Greek Christianity became a common bond. Non-believers had to pay a tax."
Beautiful blue domes topped churches surrounded by whitewashed buildings nestled into niches in the volcanic rock above the sea. Walking to the left from the central square, we saw large former sea captains' mansions and cave homes that originally belonged to sailors.
Many of the simple cave dwellings have been renovated into luxury hotels that charge as much for one night during the summer as the entire price for our inclusive seven-night Celestyal cruise.
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| Donkeys and pedestrians descend steps from Fira |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Cable car to Fira
"Oia used to be the capital of Santorini," said Yannis. "At 5:12 am on July 9, 1956 a 7.6 Richter scale earthquake destroyed most of the buildings in Oia and Fira, a village 11 kilometers southeast."
After both villages were superbly restored, Fira replaced Oia as Santorini's capital. Like Oia, Fira sits on the multicolored crescent-shaped rim of Santorini's sea-filled caldera (cauldron-like depression), left after the Bronze Age volcanic explosion sunk the center of the island.
Traditionally, Fira is scaled from sea level by foot or donkey on 600 stone steps in a series of switchbacks. Our tour included cable car tickets, so we could ascend or descend the 366-meter-high cliff in only two minutes.
A walk in either direction from the cable car station past jewelry, leather sandals and gelato shops, offered spectacular views of Fira's buildings clinging to the cliff. From our lofty perch, we looked down on the Celestyal Crystal and other ships moored in Santorini's four-kilometer-diameter caldera.
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| Cable car brings visitors to and from Fira |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
The next time we cruise to Santorini, we plan to take a shore excursion boat trip to the islands of Nea Kameni (New Burnt Island) and Palea Kameni (Old Burnt Island), located in the center of the caldera.
On Nea Kameni, we'll climb up through lunar landscapes to the edge of the crater. At Palea Kameni we'll swim in warm thermal water from the hot springs. We can't wait!
TRAVEL INFORMATION
For a free cruise brochure and more shore excursion information visit www.celestyalcruises.com or call 1-877-337-4665 toll free.
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