Santorini: black sand, hot sun and more ATVs!!

Santorini, named after Saint Irene, is one of the best known islands in the Cyclades Island grouping. Many years ago it consisted of 3 volcanoes, but after a massive eruption in the 16th C B.C., the centre of the island was blown out, a giant crater was formed and the low altitude parts were filled with water, creating a crescent like shape to Santorini with high cliffs on the west, and wondeful beaches to the east.

Though we've only been to 3 Greek islands, Santorini is certainly the favourite! From the moment you near the port of Fira (Thira) you see the towering cliffs--decorated with striations and topped with the typical white and blue buildings that create the image of Greece--you know that Santorini is something different.

In an attempt to get the island experience, we left the port town and capital city and ventured to the lesser known Perissa, to a cute hotel positioned a 5 minute walk from the beach. Known for it's black sand, Perissa beach is the ultimate Greek beach. It's lengthy, when most Greek beaches are tiny strips trapped in the centre of cities, and it's array of beachside cafes a distance back from the water, ensures you'll have a serene experience, until you need to the chill of the popular Frappe (a cold coffee).

After our first exploration of the beach it was clear that the black sand we'd expected was a truly superior form. The sand was actually tiny pebbles, which made the entire beach experience better; gone were the days of returning to your hotel to get rid of the mini beach that had accumulated inside your bag, towel, hair and bathing suit. The black 'sand' didn't get where it didn't belong, and while it was incredibly hot, the cool water of the ocean made it fine. Another really interesting thing about the beach was that when we entered the water, we discovered that what we thought was a great stripe of white sand under the water, was actually a solid piece of very slippery rock that fell away just 10 feet from the shore. We were too chicken to check out what lay in the unknown, but it didn't matter, since the water is knee deep from the moment of entrance.

We had a great 2 days on Santorini. We sat at the beach and read, cultivating excellent tans; we rented ATVs and learned that our choice to stay in Perissa near the beach was a much better choice that staying in the shop filled Fira, thousands of stairs away from anything resembling sand; we explored the view of Santorini from atop the mountain in Pyrgos; looked at the red beach, which isn't a beach, but a place with a lot of red stones; watched the sun partially set, then realized the wind was too high and kept driving around; and finally, ate at Grandma's, a wonderful restaurant where the pitas are 30 cm long and the Greek salad, bigger than my head. A very short 2 days, but a wonderful 2 days. Now it's time to get ready for our visit to Crete before we return to London and to work.

The cliffs near Fira

Perissa beach



the black 'sand'

the early morning sun over Perissa beach

View of the West side of Santorini, near Fira

Our giant meal at Grandma's

the sunset as seen near Faros

a church surrounded by red rock at the red beach

(though you can't really tell, it is red)

The view of East Santorini from atop the mountain near Pyrgos