Think of Greece and the Greek Islands and you think of classic whitewashed domed houses, sunny weather, clear blue seas and beautiful

Pyrgos, Santorini

coastlines.  With so many Greek Islands to choose from and so many places to visit as a holidaymaker, it’s hard to choose where to go on holiday in Greece.  There’s always plenty of late deals to choose from and a variety of accommodation options from self catering to all inclusive.

Santorini:

Caldera from Thirassa Santorini

Santorini has captured the hearts and minds of many a visitor, poet, geologist and artist.  Everything you hope that the Greek Islands to be can be found here – deep blue sea, stunningly bright white houses, beautiful churches, old windmills, archaelogical and geolocial wonders, cobbled streets and traditional villages and of course not forgetting the famous stunning sunset.  Situated in the Aegean sea it is actually  a small group of islands steeped in history and full of romance.  The small volcanic islands that make up Santorini are Thera, Thirasia, Aspronisi, Palea and Nea Kameni.

Three and a half thousand years ago Santorini experienced a huge volcanic eruption here, which exploded in the middle of the island, creating a caldera approx. 4 miles wide.  The caldera is filled with sea water, therefore creating a basin between the volcano and the islands which therefore form a crescent shape around it.  Boat trips enable visitors to travel over to the volcano, currently dormant, and walk upon the solid black lava hills there.  Experience the sulphur steam and the moon like landscape on the Nea Kameni here (the central new volcanic area under 500 years old), visit the hot springs on Palea Kameni (the oldest part of the volcano) or look back and take in the view of the beautiful villages clinging to the cliffs on the caldera of Santorini.

Santorini includes on its list of things to see one of the most important archaeological sites in the East Mediterranean – Akrotiri.  Akrotiri is the excavation site of a minoan bronze age settlement and one of the most important pre-historic settlements of the Aegean.

Santorini and it’s famous Sunset from Oia:
Pronounced ’Eea’ the town of Oia is situated on the cliffs of the beautiful island of Santorini (on Thera) is famous for it’s stunning sunset.  It’s located on the Northern most tip of the caldera and clings to the cliffs here.  It can be reached by a narrow winding road that leads it way up to the town.   Most evenings a crowd of people gather on the coastline here, sitting on walls, steps, by the castle and even taking cruises out on the local boat trips - pausing between the Caldera here and the island itself to watch the sunset disappear slowly across the horizon, shimmering

Santorini Sunset

across the water as it does so.  It is considered one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world by many and is part of what attracts many tourists to Santorini on a yearly basis.

For those of you considering a Greek holiday, why not consider the beautiful island of Santorini.

The best way to see Santorini is by hiring a car. Among the attractions here are the colourful volcanic beaches, an array of watersports, archaeological sites, churches, beautiful old windmills, cobbled streets lined with shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and much much more.

If you are looking for a destination to spend peaceful or romantic holidays then look no further than Santorini. I have just come across this interesting and informative destination guide to Santorini which i am sure will make your decision to visit this wonderful island a whole lot easier.

Trevor Butler set up his first ‘travel’ related business in 2004 and has written many other destination articles with tips and information. I have found these articles both interesting and helpful, hope you do too.

Review supplied by our reader Ann Saunders

“We spent a week at the Santo Miramare last May for our 25th Wedding Anniversary.We booked a suite with a sea view but could only just get a glimpse of the sea…the suite was pretty basic but it was clean.The hotel was just a few yards from the beach so we had the choice of the beach or the swimming pool which was really nice and relaxing as it was quite quiet and had plenty of sun longers and parasols.The food wasn’t great, a bit boring but there are plenty of tavernas close by so we ate in a few and had some good meals.There wasn’t much to do in the evenings which didn’t bother us but if you wanted clubs and nightlife you would have to go to Perissa which is about a 30 minute walk.
Overall we enjoyed our holiday and would go back again especially now that we have learnt how to find bargain holidays to Santorini on the internet.”

Santo Miramare

The Santo Miramare is located on the southeast side of Santorini in a peaceful beachfront setting on Perivolos beach , only 1.5 kms from Perissa, 50m across the promenade to Perivolos shingle beach, 200m to the local bars and restaurants.

Accommodation
All rooms have air conditioning/heating, satellite tv, direct dial phone, hairdryer, minibar, safety deposit box and a balcony or terrace. 

Features
Two free-form swimming pools, children’s pool, sun terrace with free sunloungers and parasols, outdoor jacuzzi, buffet restaurant, pool bar, tv lounge, luggage room, meeting room, conference room, internet facilities, 24 hour reception.

Activities
Fitness centre, sauna, cycling, watersports on the beach.