Σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα της Βρετανικής εφημερίδας metro… υπάρχουν τουλάχιστο 5 λόγοι να
επισκεφθεί κανείς την Σαντορίνη!
Στο κείμενο αναφέρονται τα σημαντικότερα
χαρακτηριστικά και οι ιδιαιτερότητες της Σαντορίνης ενώ γίνονται ιδιαίτερες
αναφορές στις γεύσεις και βέβαια την .. θέα και το τοπίο της..
Το πλήρες κείμενο μπορείτε να το δείτε εδώ : http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/16/santorini-five-reasons-to-visit-the-beautiful-greek-island-3986336
Arguably
Greece’s most beautiful island, Santorini is a mix of towering cliffs, inky
waters and whitewashed villages. Perfect for a post-summer break.
In around
1620BC, a huge eruption caused the centre of the southernmost Cyclades islands
to collapse.
The Aegean Sea
came pouring into the resulting caldera, leaving the crescent-shaped volcanic
rock we now know as Santorini.
Thanks to its
natural beauty, Santorini endures another plague – plenty of visitors during
summer – when roads are blocked, restaurants are full and prices soar.
While spring is
a lovely time to visit, particularly for the wild flowers, the sea has yet to
warm up enough for all but the bravest. This is why October is best – there are
no crowds, the water is warm and there’s wine to be tasted.
Most of
Santorini’s hotels are stuck to the caldera rim for the views.
There’s
something for every budget and the Grace Santorini is a legend among the
top-tier options (www.gracehotels.com/santorini, doubles from £320).
For something
cheaper, Aqua Vista Hotels (www.aquavistahotels.com
, doubles from £180) has a collection of
ten boutique properties around the rim. We love the four-star Kalestesia.
Michael Cullen,
editor-in-chief of online travel experts i-escape (www.i-escape.com ) and former Cyclades tour guide, suggests a
different approach: ‘The last couple of times I have stayed inland, which seems
a little counter-intuitive since the views from the caldera are the big draw, but
you can soak them up from a café by day and then retire to a quieter place
inland.
‘My most recent
discovery is Hideaway Houses (www.i-escape.com
/hideaway-houses/overview, houses from
£273 per night), whose prices are cut by almost half in October.’
Santorini, and
the picturesque town of Oia in particular, is reputed to have the most
beautiful sunsets on Earth.
It’s a big claim
but few who have experienced it will forget seeing the sun drop into the drink
leaving only the silhouettes of the tiny islets and the pink-domed cupolas of
the churches in its wake.
White-washed
buildings perch on the cliffs overlooking the caldera of Santorini (Picture:
supplied)White-washed buildings perch on the cliffs overlooking the caldera of
Santorini (Picture: supplied)
The wine is
amazing
Santorini is
awash with food and wine. Food enthusiast and Santorini expert David Hoffmann,
of the brilliant David’s Been Here website (www.davidsbeenhere.com ) shares says:
‘Selene restaurant [www.selene.gr, mains from £22] is excellent. It is located
in the village of Pyrgos, which is a great place to see traditional
architecture.
‘Nichteri
[www.nichteri.gr, mains from £21] on Kamari beach, has some of the best gourmet
Greek food around and a great atmosphere. The best restaurant to see the sunset
from is Dimitri’s Taverna (no web, mains from £10) in Ammoudi Port. Reserve a
table at the water’s edge and order the lobster pasta.’
As for the wine,
October is the best month for tasting the new season’s vintages. Santorini’s
wines are prized for their Italian flavour – during the Crusades, a Venetian
nobleman seized the island and his influence is still tasted in the sweet,
crisp whites and rosés on offer – and October 22 is the religious feast day of
Agios Avekios, the patron saint of wine.
Expect lots of
drinking, dancing and plate-smashing. For those wanting to learn more, Sigalas
Winery (www.sigalas-wine.com ) offers
tours.
Take a boat trip
around the coast for a different view of the island (Picture: Alamy)Take a boat
trip around the coast for a different view of the island (Picture: Alamy)
It’s activities
heaven
Now the heat of
summer has died down (35C is not uncommon in August), it’s time to get out and
about. The most popular activities are water-based, with sea kayaking, diving
and cave snorkelling all plentiful.
Santorini
Sailing (www.santorinisailing.com, half day from £120 per person) offers some
of the best catamaran tours, with beach stops and thermal pools, plus
complimentary lunch and drinks.
On-shore, the
rock climbing and hiking are excellent. Michael Cullen suggests hiking from the
Grace Santorini, via the ruins of a Venetian castle, to the peaceful hidden
chapel of Theoskepasti.
For history
buffs, a visit to Akrotiri, the Pompeii of the Aegean, is a must. You’ll see
the perfectly preserved remains of a Bronze Age Minoan town, frozen in volcanic
ash.
Getting there:
Returns from
Gatwick to Santorini with Easyjet from £57.99, www.easyjet.com, www.visit-santorini.com
