Santorini Today
If what you read already was enough to motivate you,  this page's task is to help you discover the most beautiful island, in your own way, to schedule your cultural visit, on your own budget,  using time the way you choose...               Our visit starts from prehistoric Akrotiri*...       [For the moment the site is closed so be informed from             the Minister's site ,  before  you get there...
From Fira by bus it takes 45mins, you can rent a car or motorbike , taxis available...   Buy the total visit ticket** . The prehistoric city , with 3 floor house  4000 years old, water evacuation system already established,  triangular square, is an architectural structure of an advanced society,  with big buildings for more than a family space, reminding  the houses of the Minangkabau in Indonesia, a house to live & work…    Few potteries, and a lot of imagination is necessary to see  the walls of the most important buildings, covered with frescoes…     Since the museums and the sites are open till 3 am[exept summer season] , before or after, according to your own choice, the beautiful  red & white beaches, one after the other, could offer some relaxation,  with swimming or sun bathing… To get the small boats for the beaches, you continue the road  in front of the dig for 100m, to reach the little bay…      Around the bay, before or after the beaches, you can have fresh seafood,  in the family taverns..    To change the see level, we recommend [since the ticket is included],  visit to Ancient Thera*** near Kamari, the biggest tourist village  in Santorini..    At the top of the hill, another [historic this time] city.     Not much to see, but with incredible view to the rest of the island,  which a lot of people visit only for the view…    If you take the bus from Fira you can get a taxi from Kamari ,  for ancient Thera… Any how this is your recommended place to swim in deep waters  or to enjoy the sun .. The visit to the volcano comes after for those who wish to walk on it  at least once… There are boats and small ferries for a quick visit to Therasia,  an island nearby with the incredible view of Santorini Caldera,  organize different visits, most of them proposing  old & New Kameni, two different craters, and then Thirasia,  some times also Oia …     To notice here a very interesting experiment of NASA,  in new Kameni or hot springs**** .      Since you’ll stay in Fira, the best way to get to the port for the excursion  is by using the cable car...      The donkeys used to secure transportation before the cable car was set, donkey riders being mostly tourists today...  Cable car or donkeys, you’ll pay the same price, each way you want to go, down or up*****...    The Thera foundation conference center,  10min walk from the cable car station upwards,  offers the possibility to see the reproductions of the frescoes...    From there, all the way down to the hotel Atlantis, you can visit  the Catholic church, the Gyzi megaron with cultural events and exhibitions, the Archeological Museum, with interesting pieces from historic periods of the island, just near the cable car... From this point up to the Atlantis hotel is what we call the gold street  of Santorini.    Nowhere else in the world on sucha short street are exhibited so many  jewelry or art crafts , all being here after the island  was discovered by tourists... To buy proper souvenirs from Greece is not easy in Santorini,  since everything in fashion , find its way to the customer, in many cases more expensive, than in your own country.  Even that Santorini taxes vat]******, are the lowest in Europe[13%], import jewellery, art crafts of any type, watches, under commissioning, becomes unaffordable… To be sure you will find Greek handmade jewelry, you should ask for guarantee, including the manufacturing location…                                     Prehistoric Museum Of Thera* *[Attention to all visitors....The Prehistoric Museum of Thera is closed for public visits ...before you book in hotels and travel agents , or even getting your tickets for Santorini, be sure that the museum has open so you are going to be able to see the wall paintings of Thera!]        After the Atlantis hotel the street that takes you down  to the main square is dominating by the new Prehistoric Museum           that has oppend its doors at2000 May 26, by the President of the Greek Republic and the Minister of Culture.   The museum houses many interestings objects from different prehistoric excavations as well as the famous frescoes from Akrotiri.. Be very carefull choosing your excursion because often enough they return to Fira after the museums have closed...                                  Prehistoric Museum of Thera
Santorini ancient Greece prehistoric museum of Thera
Finally it is interesting to visit the different villages  from Fira to Oia:********  First Firostefani, after the conference center, and as the way continues, from the caldera towards to Oia, you enter the third,  more expensive area in the EEC countries, to buy land...                                        Imerovigli Walking through the narrow path the most beautiful traditional houses became luxury villas to spent hours only enjoying the incredible view..
Imerovigli, the only village of the caldera , that even in August you can  walk with out anyone around, is were you can find the most interesting proposition for a real estate investment on this island...   There is always someone who will  would be dilated to show you  a house with more than a Century in its walls , a proper domain , for those who seek the authentic atmosphere on this island.... The house is located right below the most popular Tavern of " Skaros", extended in three levels where the "Art Spirit"  is the closest one in the caldera. After a good exercise for those who like to walk, finally ,  the north city of Oia.. Few years ago, a paradise of local culture, became today very touristic , so, expensive.. The local culture so well preserved in architecture, is not enough  to make you experience a deserted******* village, a feeling that life and death are closer in Oia than to any other place  in the island.********** Before you enter in our accommodation sites , to book your own place to stay, remember that the island  has a lot of beautiful villages, not yet so changed, where you can enjoy Greek hospitality...                                          Enjoy your visit... *Time schedule: transfer, visit, red beach & white beach to swim,  fish Taverns for lunch or dinner: 4 hours ** 8E all museums and archeological sites *** Time schedule: visit of the site, swim or shopping in Kamari,  lunch or dinner, transfer from Fira by bus: 4 hours **** NASA found a bacteria there , which produce oxygen, similar to bacteria found on a rock being brought back from Mars a few years ago ***** Since the donkey owners get money from the cable car organization you do not have to ride except if your adventure spirit  is driving you to do so...Any accident due to fall, will be taken care, with the limited equipment of a health first aid station, so be sure  it pays to visit it ... ****** Refundable for non EEC residents ******* By foot it takes 20 min to Merovigli,3 hours to Oia.  Bus service from Fira to Imerovigli and Oia is available every 1\2 hour ******** After the earthquake of 1956 ********* Tourist transformation started in the areas  around the port…The fisherman’s port of Oia, is magnificent.      Little fish taverns, magnificent sunsets, what brought tourism  down there..         Santorini ancient Greece still can bring educational travel                                back to the island..