Visit stunning Santorini in October
Character she wants to play: Antagonist. She can’t live without: Her daughter. Place she wants to visit: Santorini, Greece. Personal goal: To build a charity society. Make-up must do: Eyebrows. IT may be the beginning of October, but breakfast is served on the terrace under a cloudless sky, and by midday the patches of shade are welcome as temperatures reach up to 25 degrees Celsius.
Here on Santorini, it feels as though the summer will never end. The season is almost over, with just a trickle of tourists ambling through the alleyways between the white houses. It’s probably the best time to visit this island in the Greek Cyclades islands, which can feel rather crowded during the peak summer months.
Santorini has become emblematic of the relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. The island’s picturesque setting is almost a cliche, as though created for a kitsch painting or postcard.
The capital of Fira is perched on the edge of a cliff that rises 300 metres out of the sea, whitewashed houses set in the rock like jewels in a crown. The brightness almost hurts your eyes in the midday sun, while the famous sunsets drench the scene in a gentler light.
Even more charming than Fira – also known as Thira – is Oia in the north of the island. In the evening, dozens of people gather by the ruins of a Venetian fortress perched on a hill to watch the sun go down.
The best things in life are free, after all – a stroll along the crater that stretches from Oia to Fira as the sun sets; the black beach at Perissa, where sea temperatures in October are as high as 22 degrees.
Visitors jostle along the narrow pathways and press themselves against the balustrades to try and get the perfect photo, almost disbelieving that they can be part of this scene. The authorities should perhaps employ a professional photographer to mark out the best spots for a selfie, along with directions on how to get the best angle and lighting.
Many people come to the island only briefly, stopping for a coffee and the perfect photograph. On summer days, as many as 70,000 tourists throng the alleyways.
But by October things have become quieter, with the charter airlines ceasing operations, and many businesses and restaurants closing up shop until the spring. – dpa