The Supermodel of Greece

Santorini, GreeceThere is, arguably, not a more instantly recognizeable image of the Greek Isles than the silhouette of an azure blue church dome against steep cliffs and the sapphire Aegean Sea below. This image is from the stunning volcanic island of Santorini, where even the small, scenic town of Oia (pronounced “Ee’-ya”), with only a population of about 1,500, boasts over 200 blue-domed churches. Santorini has been voted one of the world’s most beautiful islands, whose towns are also noted for their white houses, painted in white lime water to deflect the heat and make use of the ready abundance of native limestone.

Santorini Island is, today, an extraordinary result of one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in history, which occurred around 1600 BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. Once a single island, the eruption created a collapsed underwater caldera, resulting in a giant lagoon surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides, in a croissant shape. The capital is Fira, which clings to the top of the island on one side, looking down on the lagoon, and on the other end is Oia, that overlooks the entire island. It is said the volcanic destruction of the island can be related to the myth of the lost city of Atlantis, sunken beneath the sea.

View From Oia, Santorini, Greece
View From Oia, Santorini, Greece

We took a tender from the ship to the far end of the island, then boarded a bus for a spectacular drive up the winding coast, past hillside vineyards of indigenous grapes, trained to grow in a low, ground-hugging nest to protect the fruit from the fierce island winds. At the top of the road is scenic Oia, with its windmills, the lookout point of historic Fort Londsa, steep and narrow wandering walkways among small shops, churches, cafes and tavernas, and quiet local homes and boutique hotels embellished with bright pink and white bouganvillea.

We continued around the island to the other end where Fira was perched on the rim of the caldera, 900 feet high, overlooking Skala harbor. From the tiny landing place in the harbor, Fira can only be reached by funicular, by foot for the energetic via a winding 550 plus step path, or by mule for the more adventurous.

Fish Spa, Santorini, Greece
Fish Spa, Santorini, Greece

Fira is a romantic tourist town, a posh haven for sun seekers, and a labyrinth of narrow, mosaic stone lanes with everything from cheap souvenir shops and upscale mini-hotels, to casual chic eateries with endless photo opportunities of dazzling panoramas. And even though we were there at the end of the season, there were still plenty of tourists. Interestingly, I saw many walk-in “Fish Spas”, a trend that my friend had discovered in Singapore. Sort of a living pedicure, the client sits in a padded pedi-chair while your feet are submerged in a tank of water filled with tiny minnow-like fish that, as advertised, do not bite, but they “kiss” the dead skin off your feet, revealing a smooth new surface. I did not indulge, though my friend had tried this and said the results were remarkable. But….I’m thinking it may take a while to catch on in the States.

When I reached the Catholic Cathedral with its warm peach exterior, I discovered an obscure map posted on a wall with detailed directions to the famous, most photographed blue dome on the island. So, I took a phone shot of the map for reference along the way and headed up the long narrow alleys on the caldera edge, continuing higher and higher past the town center, through quiet neighborhoods of stacked whitewashed homes and exclusive inns with infinity pools hidden behind painted doors, and finally to a hill overlooking that iconic dome….and the totally imaginable lost city submerged below.

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