What's up guys it's Zac and Ine from World Wild Hearts. We're here in Santorini,
Greece and here for about a week and in this video we're going to show you the best things to do
on this amazing island. It's actually a huge volcano and sits on top of a crater
and there's lots of history and beautiful places to see so enjoy the video.
The eighth best thing to do in Santorini is to visit Pyrgos. Pyrgos is the former capital
of Santorini and the best preserved medieval settlement on the island. It's located about
seven kilometers south of Fira but feels much further away as there aren't as many tourists
in this area. The town is small but an adorable village to visit. It offers panoramic views of the
island as well as the town's blue dome churches and narrow streets. Its charm is different from
the rest of Santorini. It's more subdued less picture-perfect and a little less advertised.
We stopped here for a very good lunch break and it's actually in this like small greek
place called Kantouni and we definitely recommend going here. It was delicious!
At number seven, we have Red Beach. This is arguably the most famous and beautiful
beach of Santorini and is located in the area of the ancient site of Akrotiri.
Red Beach owes its name to the original colors of the steep cliffs created from the volcanic lava.
The coast on all sides is surrounded by rocks which guarantee unforgettable views of the bay.
However, keep in mind that the small size of this beach can make for a very crowded atmosphere.
There have also been numerous landslides in the past years so be careful.
Another highlight of Santorini is to visit Fira. This city is the beautiful capital of the island.
It's located on the western edge of Santorini and has a combination of natural beauty,
social life, nightlife, and shopping. You can really feel the liveliness of the island as
this is where a lot of the action takes place. What makes it so amazing is the
caldera view that leaves visitors speechless at any time of the day. It's also the ideal place
to base yourself from as it has a central location and is a lot cheaper than Oia.
At number five, we have the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri, which is one of the most interesting
places to visit in all of Greece. Being a thriving community from 4000 to 2000 BC,
this town is now covered in ash following a volcanic eruption on the island in about 1600 BC.
It's also referred to as the "Greek Pompei" and is extremely well preserved. Today, the site is
covered by a roof for protection and walkways are suspended above the archaeological remains.
This allows visitors to walk among the two and three-story buildings. And we do recommend getting
a guide as you'll learn everything about the history of Akrotiri its, people, and Santorini.
We have a hill in front of us. Behind the hill is the crater. The caldera. Remember? Well, from that
direction, pyroclastic waves fly! Lava and dust destroyed everything. Big black boulders and rocks
from the center of the crater destroyed everything here with a speed of 12 meters per second.
The fourth best thing to do in Santorini is to visit a winery.
Because of its unique climate and the mineral content of its volcanic soil,
Santorini produces arguably the best wine in Greece. Assyrtiko is the most popular
variety and its rich minerals help produce fantastic white wines. Vineyards and wine form
an important traditional part of the culture on the island. We visited Santo Winery around
sunset and tried six different wines while watching the sun go down in the caldera.
However, there are many other interesting wineries to visit as well. Check out our description below
where you find the link for a four hour sunset wine tour where you visit three wineries.
Another thing you can't miss on Santorini is visiting Oia. This is the most famous of all
villages on Santorini. It's widely known for its beautiful views above the cliffs,
breathtaking sunset, and some of the most exclusive hotels in the world.
Oia is situated on top of an impressive cliff and offers a spectacular view over the volcano
and the caldera. Its hillside is lined with small white houses, smooth winding paths of marble,
and a blue dome church around every corner. Oia is one of the most photographed places in Greece,
if not the world. However, the downside of that is the amount of visitors this town attracts.
We suggest coming in the early afternoon to avoid the massive sunset crowds.
The runner-up activity on Santorini is a boat tour to the other volcanic islands
of Nea Kameni and Therasia. Did you know that Santorini used to be a circular island
and that these islands were once connected? The caldera was formed by the collapse
of the center of the island caused by magma during a giant volcanic eruption.
It then filled up with ocean water, which today just looks like part of the ocean.
The first stop of the boat tour is Nea Kameni, where you walk to eight craters. One of these
craters is still active and last erupted in 1950. Afterwards, you swim in the nearby hot springs.
Finally, you will visit the island of Therasia, where only 300 permanent residents live.
We really enjoyed this boat tour as we learned a lot about the geography
and history of Santorini. Find the tour details and the link to book in the description below.
So we're on the volcano of Nea Kameni. It's part of Santorini and it's actually still active even
though it is dormant. And it's super interesting to visit here because you can actually still see
fumes coming out and like one day it will wake up and erupt, so super interesting.
So we're on Therasia island now. We just came down from the port all the way down there, walked
up this huge flight of stairs, and at the top here it's a really cool traditional local town.
The best thing to do in Santorini, in our opinion, is to hike from
Fira to Oia. We're both avid hikers, as you probably noticed on our channel,
so this is naturally our favorite thing to do on the island.
This hike is about 10 kilometers, or six miles, and takes between three to five hours to complete.
The hike is entirely along the rim of the caldera, passing through the towns of Fira Firostefani,
Imerovigli, and finally Oia. It boasts some of the most beautiful views on the island. The walking
path is a mix of paved roads, pedestrian streets, and dirt hiking trails. It's a hilly walk,
but mostly downhill if you come from Fira. It has very little shade, so if you plan to do this in
the heat of the summer, start early in the day for the best experience. The bonus in coming from Fira
is that you spend the rest of the day exploring Oia and finish the day with a beautiful sunset.
There's not a lot of signs, but the main thing is always keep the water on your left and
you'll be fine because you'll see the path wind through the villages and yeah, you'll be good.
Thank you guys for watching our video about Santorini Island in Greece.
We hope you really enjoyed it and definitely check out our channel because we have a lot
of other videos about destinations in Greece, such as Milos Island and Crete.
And also subscribe to your channel if you haven't done that so and we also have a free
giveaway in the description below so you can download that. Catch you on the next adventure!