Santorini

Between heaven and sea

White houses, blue roofs, black earth: Santorini is the island of colors, a romantic paradise with legendary sunsets and breathtaking views. Between chic towns and traditional villages, fabulous hotels and transparent sea, this is one of the destinations where to go at least once in your life.

There are some places whose fame precedes them, and that we have seen so many times in photos that we almost feel like we have already been there. This is the case of Santorini, which has become one of the most representative and famous islands of Greece. The fact that it is famous, however, certainly does not diminish its beauty, and as it is true that in summer is so full that you almost can not walk, it is also true that it is enough to have some small precautions to enjoy in peace all its charm. And Santorini has charm to spare. Born thousands of years ago from a volcanic eruption, the island is an incredible masterpiece of black rock

floating in the Aegean Sea: from the top of its cliffs seems to be able to dominate the world, and seems to be suspended in a magical world where sky and sea have no boundaries, but are cleverly mixed in a myriad of shades of blue.

Santorini, the island of the senses

With its wild beauty, Santorini is a place that stimulates all the senses. The view, first of all, satisfied by the famous “hanging villages” of the island, agglomerations of white and blue houses clinging to the rocks. Imerovigli is the highest village, leaning on the edge of

the cliff and shining under the rays of the sun that accentuate the whiteness. It is the quietest area of Santorini, where you can swim in infinity pools 300 meters above the sea that give the feeling of flying. In Oia, however, you have to get there by boat, for two reasons. First of all, the view of the volcanic caldera from the water is a breathtaking sight. Then, the most famous town on the island, seen from below, looks like a

painting with the terraced alleys, the bright flowers that stand out on the dominant white, the cobalt domes. Here is concentrated all the cool soul of Santorini, including clubs where you can go wild, luxurious hotels, renowned restaurants and terraces where you can see, according to all, the most beautiful sunsets. But if you want to stimulate the view even more, put on a pair of comfortable shoes and face the scenic path that, skirting the precipice, leads to Fira, the capital. The views are spectacular, and your sense of smell

and hearing will also thank you. Yes, because, in Santorini, the constants are two: the sound of the wind, which marks the days with its hissing and that of the sea, which sings his song breaking against the rocks. And then, there are the smells. The air, in Santorini, is constantly impregnated with iodine, the scent of jasmine and wild herbs or, in the alleys of the villages, hot coffee or tamed keftedes, typical meatballs prepared strictly with local tomatoes. An explosion of taste, to be further stimulated by tasting the local wine which comes from the precious native vine Assyrtiko. And in order to absorb all the beneficial power of the island, it is to the touch that one must rely, caressing those beaches with very little sand but foot of tiny fragments of rock which once was magma, such as Mesa Pigadia.

Black earth, like that of the famous coast of Kamari, red like that of Kokkini Paralia called Red Beach, white like that of White Beach, candid like the smooth stones of the streets of the villages, where it is not rare to see people walking barefoot.