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• 2
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The Mesaria Village

The village of Mesaria is very close to the capital city of Fira (3 km), at a distance of 0.9 km from the beautiful and famous Caldera, 2 km from the airport, 2.5 km from the nearest beach and 3.5 km from the beach of Kamari.

The traditional settlement of Mesaria is one of the oldest in Santorini and one of the few which remain traditional. It is only 3 km from the capital Fira. There are many beaches near, the most famous beach of Santorini, Kamari, is located at the distance of 3.5 km from the village of Mesaria.

The largest winery of the island, Santo Wines, is located a little further to the west, directly on the famous Caldera cliff, with breathtaking sunset views! From there you can enjoy the sunset while tasting the famous wines of Santorini. It features a restaurant, a cafe, and a market to buy local wines.

What We Offer

• Superior Villa for max. 6 persons

• Family Villa for max. 5 persons

• Studio with pool view for max. 2 persons

The 12 Must-See Attractions

1. Fira

Fira, Santorini’s capital, is one of the best places to see on the island.

During your trip to Santorini, you certainly want to

• Discover the famous white and blue houses
• Wander in picturesque narrow alleys
• Enjoy chic boutiques and luxury hotels with infinity pools
• Admire magnificent views of the caldera.

Well, you’re lucky: Fira has all of this!

It’s the perfect Cycladic town, a real postcard scenery.

Wander in the city’s alleys and discover the breathtaking viewpoints of the sea and the caldera. You will for sure fall in love with the island (even if it’s often crowded!).

From Fira, follow the beautiful walking trail to reach the villages of Firostefani (only a 10-minute walk) and Imerovigli (the highest point of the caldera, 30 minutes away from Fira). Plan at least between 1 and 2 hours, as you will stop every 2 meters to enjoy the view and take pictures!

You can also walk to the small port of Fira Skala. It’s quite easy to get down the 587 steps, but getting back up can be more difficult, especially under the sun!

If you’re too tired to walk, take Santorini’s cable car. During this nice ride, you will admire the island from a different angle. A one way ticket costs 6€.

You can also get a ride on a donkey, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as the animals are often abused.

If you’re a History lover, or if you want to know more about Santorini, you can visit 2 museums in Fira:

• The Museum of Prehistoric Thera, exposing vestiges discovered in Akrotiri (I will tell you more about it later) and other archaeological excavations on Santorini.
• The archaeological museum and its collection of remains from all Santorini, including vases from Akrotiri.

Fira is also a great place to enjoy the nightlife in Santorini: you will find the island’s best bars, restaurants and night clubs!

Voyage Tips - Advice

Try to visit Fira early in the morning, to avoid most of the crowd. The temperatures will be cooler and your stroll will be more pleasant.

If you arrive in Fira between 8h30 and 10h, it will also be easier to park your car. The good news is that all parking spaces are free!

 

2. Oia

Together with Fira, Oia is the other must-see tourist attraction in Santorini.

As in Fira, you will be amazed by Oia’s pretty white houses, churches with a blue dome, and splendid views over the entire caldera!

Oia is also known as the best place to enjoy the sunset in Santorini. At the end of the day, thousands of people are coming to the city for Santorini’s most famous show.

When you’ve found the perfect spot to admire the sunset, sit down and don’t leave it!

And if you’re looking for a quieter and more romantic atmosphere, you should book a table in one of the many bars and restaurants. Watching the sunset while enjoying a drink is for sure an amazing experience.

Just keep in mind that you’ll be asked for a minimum order amount per person. Don’t worry: as the drinks are quite expensive, this amount will be easy to reach.

Voyage Tips - Advice

The best place to watch the sunset in Oia is the Byzantine Castle. Be there at least 1 or 2 hours before, so you can get a good spot.

If you visit Oia in the afternoon or in the evening, you will have the perfect lighting for your pictures.

 

3. Boat trip around Santorini

Boat trips are among the best things to do in Santorini.

The most famous tour is a 1-day cruise in the volcanic islands and Palea Kameni hot springs.

There are other tours where you can explore the island of Nea Kameni and its still active volcano. You can even walk to the summit of the crater!

You will also stop at Palea Kameni hot springs to take a dip.

You can also take a boat and end your day on Thirassia island, located right in front of Santorini.

As these tours are very popular, you should really book yours in advance. We can arrange that for you.

You can also choose a luxury cruise on a catamaran. You will sail around Santorini, and enjoy 3 stops for swimming, including one at the hot springs. Snorkeling equipment is even included!

The price includes the minibus transfer from your hotel, the guided tour, the Greek Barbecue and unlimited soft drinks.

At the end of the day, you will also admire the beautiful sunset from the sea.

 

4. Hiking from Fira to Oia

If you want to enjoy magnificent viewpoints of the island and the caldera, you should hike from Fira to Oia.

A 9-km long marked trail on the edge of the caldera connects the 2 cities. You will stop many times to take beautiful pictures, as the view is just breathtaking! It’s clearly one of Santorini’s best points of interest.

This marked trail isn’t really difficult, even if the weather can get really hot on sunny days.  So, it’s better to hike in the morning or at the end of the day. You can for example plan your walk to arrive in Oia for the sunset.

From Fira, you will reach Oia in about 2 hours. You should however plan a bit more time, as you will for sure stop a few times on the way to enjoy the panorama and take pictures.

Voyage Tips - Advice

For the hike, it’s easier to park your car in Imerovigli than in Fira: there will be more parking spaces. As you will only walk from Imerovigli to Oia, you will do the Fira-Imerovigli part of the trail when visiting Fira.

You should hike from Fira to Oia, and not from Oia to Fira. The most beautiful part is the view over Oia at the end of the trail.

Once in Oia, you can return to Fira by bus. I must warn you: there are not many buses, and they are often full. After 2 full buses, I decided to hitch a ride. Seems it was my lucky day, the first car took me!

 

5. Santorini’s best beaches

It’s impossible to do a definitive guide about Santorini without mentioning the best beaches of the island.

If you want to take a dip in Santorini, the most famous beaches are:

• The beaches of Perissa, Perivolos and Agios Georgios: large black sand beaches with snacks and taverns
• Kamari Beach, another large black sand beach, where you can rent deckchairs and enjoy many nautical activities.
• The Red Beach, named after the volcanic ochre cliffs surrounding it. You can get there in only 5 minutes by a trail.
• The White Beach, right next to the Red Beach. You will need take a boat to get there.
• Vlihada Beach and its white rocks.
• Monilithos Beach, ideal with children with its shallow waters.
• Kolumbo Beach, only accessible by foot, and frequented by nudists.

 

6. Amoudi Bay

Amoudi Bay is a small fishing village located below Oia.

You can get there walking down the 300 steps stairway starting from Oia. You can also drive there, but if you do, don’t go to the end of the road, as it’s difficult to turn back. Just park your car along the road and finish on foot.

From Amoudi, the view of the ochre cliffs and Oia is really beautiful.

There are also a few nice taverns and restaurants on the seaside. It’s perfect if you like fresh fishes!

And, if you want to take a dip in the sea, follow the trail after the restaurants. You will find a nice place to swim and dive into the water.

 

7. Do a Wine Tour in Santorini

Wine Tours are among the most popular activities in Santorini. The island is renowned for its excellent white wines, known as some of the best in Greece.

You can visit many vineyards (known for being the oldest in the world!) on the island, and taste the best wines.

Here is the program of the best wine tour in Santorini:

This wine tasting tour in Santorini lasts around 5 hours and allows you to visit several wineries. During your day, you will visit 3 vineyards:

• Boutari vineyard
• Gavalas traditional winery
• The Estate Argyros.

You will also taste a dozen of Santorini’s best wines, including the traditional Vinsanto and Nykteri! 

This tour includes the transfer from your hotel, an Oenologist guide, and an access to the vineyards. You will be in a small group of 8 people maximum, making this semi-private visit really enjoyable.

If you prefer, you can visit a winery by yourselves. For this experience, Santo Wines and Venetsanos Winery are the best choices.

 

8. Akrotiri

If you’re interested in Santorini’s History, the ancient site of Akrotiri is one of the island’s best place to visit.

This archaeological site is often compared to Pompeii, in Italy. Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan city destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1,613 B.C. It was only rediscovered in 1967 during an archaeological excavation. The site is one of the most important in the Aegean Sea.

The archaeological excavations are still on going in this very large site. Many remains are probably still undiscovered!

In Akrotiri, wooden footbridges allow you to walk in the city. There, you will admire the ancient buildings, the streets and many ceramics.

 

9. The other best villages to visit in Santorini

During your trip to Santorini, you will certainly go to Fira and Oia. But don’t miss the island’s other villages!

• Pyrgos is Santorini’s highest village. It’s a typical Cycladic village, with a traditional architecture and splendid views of the island.
• Megalochori, with its picturesque narrow alleys.
• Emporio, where you will find the Goulas medieval castle at the village’s entrance. There are also many small churches.

 

10. Ancient Thera

The Ancient Thera is another archaeological site in Santorini.

“Thera” is the ancient name of Santorini. In the Middle Ages, the island was then named “Santa Irini” by the Venetians which finally became “Santorini”.

Located on Mesa Vouno Hill, Thera was founded in the 9th century B.C. During your visit, you will admire many vestiges from the Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Take a stroll and discover the remains of the temples, the agora, the theatre and the gymnasium.

You will also enjoy a nice view of the surroundings.

11. Thirassia

The island of Thirassia is located just in front of Oia.

This crocodile-shaped island was separated from Santorini by a huge volcanic eruption.

If you want to visit Thirassia, you can choose a 1-day boat trip (the one going to Nea Kameni’s volcano and hot springs also stops there) or take the boat directly from Amoudi Bay.

The island is way quieter than Santorini. During your visit, you will enjoy the charming village of Manolas and its good taverns, and enjoy a splendid view of Santorini!

12. Santorini’s Open Air Cinema

You should definitely go watch a movie at the open air Cinema.

The Kamari Open Air Cinema, or Cinekamari, is an outdoor movie theatre located in the middle of the forest. It’s a really original and nice place to watch a movie.

From May to October, you can see movies in English (subtitled in Greek) every night starting from 21h30. It costs 8€ per person.

There’s also a bar on the site.

Don’t hesitate to check the official website for more information.

 

The other best Greek Islands to visit around Santorini

If you’ve seen most of Santorini, you can take the ferry and visit the islands located nearby:

• Ios, the closest island to Santorini. There, you can relax all day at the beach.
• Amorgos, the best place to hike, there are many marked trails.
• Naxos, for its beautiful beaches.
• Mykonos, for its picturesque port-capital, and wonderful golden sand beaches.