Santorini, above the volcano

July 05 2014

by Laurence Ogiela / TÊTU

Among the Cyclades, Santorini is distinguished by its insolent beauty. When you arrive by boat, you are immediately struck by the impressive panorama: huge cliffs with multicolored layers and villages suspended on the edge of the abyss. Its high black cliffs surmounted by troglodytic villages of an immaculate white plunge into the intense blue of the Aegean Sea.

UnlikeMykonos, one does not come to Santorini for its nightlife and its tolerance towards gays. Rather, one comes here on a romantic pilgrimage, on a pacs trip and to find oneself. The island owes its unique beauty and its crescent moon shape to a series of cataclysms. It is a true geological wonder born of chaos. In 1600 BC, an intense volcanic explosion ravaged the round island and engulfed half of its surface, immediately covered by the Aegean Sea. The morphology of the island changed again during several other earthquakes and eruptions, until the 1956 earthquake that completely destroyed the villages of Oia and Fira.

View of the caldera © Simm

Today, Santorini seems to be rather blessed by the gods. It never ceases to attract visitors from all over the world, and the only problem it has to face is the huge tourist tidal wave that overwhelms it every summer. So it's best to visit in the spring or fall. Because this exclusive retreat has a price. Santorini charges a relatively high price for this unique sight. Of course, one can choose to stay on the eastern coast of the island, where charters of English and Germans come to bask with their families on the black sand beaches of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos. But this would be a complete miss of your love trip.

Because, once you start to admire the strangeness of the landscape of the western coast, you are attracted by its hypnotic beauty. From Fira, the capital, there is a succession of villages with houses built into the cliffs: Firostefani, Imerovigli, Finikia and Oia. The latter is without doubt the most beautiful village of the island. It is also the most visited and photographed.

In the center of the caldera, fumaroles escape from the island of Nea Kameni, the actual crater, and one swims in the hot springs of the neighboring island of Palia Kameni. Is it this permanent danger associated with the beauty of the setting that gives Santorini this feeling of absolute? Or the bright light? Or the intense blue of the Cyclades? The blue of the sky, the blue of the Aegean Sea, the blue of the chapels and villages: here, everything invites contemplation.

Moreover, every evening, crowds flock to Oia to attend an unchanging ritual: a ceremony of adoration of the sun which, when it sets, sets the caldera ablaze with a flaming red color.

Each hotel has its own pool © Laurence Ogiela / TÊTU

Luxury or design, choose a hotel with a view of the caldera to experience an enchanted interlude.

in Oia

Andronis Suites: one of the best establishments on the island at the entrance to the village of Oia. Its infinity pool floats between sky and sea and gives the impression of being weightless. On a rocky promontory, its gourmet restaurant seems to be suspended in the air. It serves inventive Mediterranean cuisine using fresh local produce, such as succulent cherry tomatoes and Santorini beans. Prefer the cool and bright troglodytic rooms along the cliff. Double room with breakfast and airport transfers: from 460 € per night.

Hotel Mystique: a member of Starwood's Luxury Collection of hotels, the Mystique is designed as a village within a village. Stairs and alleys lead to the 18 rooms and 2 villas carved into the rock. A temple of tranquility where you can relax on your private terrace, in the Aura bar-lounge area by the pool, or enjoy a candlelit dinner in the Charisma restaurant. Double room with champagne breakfasts and airport transfers: from €510 per night.

in Imerovigli

Santorini Icons: entirely composed of yposkafi, the traditional houses dug into the rock, the hotel has 14 rooms with Jacuzzi and 9 suites with indoor pool. All of them keep their coolness in the summer when the sun never stops shining on the island and its inhabitants. The cubic or rounded volumes, walls and floors are painted in beige to contrast with the neighboring establishments. The restaurant serves excellent Cretan-inspired cuisine. Double room with breakfast: from €400 per night.

Grace Santorini: the little brother of the Grace Hotel inMykonos has decided to respect the local architecture and its color codes. White, blue and gray are the dominant colors. Not all the rooms are carved into the rock, but the Grace Santorini blends in so well with its natural surroundings that one has the impression that the small Orthodox chapel on the other side of the path that leads to the rock of Skaros belongs to the hotel. As inMykonos, the furnishings are decidedly designer. Double room with champagne breakfasts and airport transfers: from €325 per night. Possibility to organize a combined stay with the Grace Mykonos hotel.

in Megalohori

Santorini Villas: this is our only choice in the center of the island, so without a view of the caldera. In the picturesque village of Megalohori, you can rent beautifully restored private villas that can accommodate from two to ten people. This is an opportunity to share the life of an authentic island village with almost no tourists. From Megalohori, it is easy to reach the whole island by car. A good option for those traveling with friends. Villa for 2 to 4 persons from 270 € per night.

Hanging village in Santorini © Laurence Ogiela / TÊTU