Description
An unmissable trip to fully sample the essence of one of the most beautiful and famous islands of the Greek archipelago, upon the discovery of unspoilt nature as well as ancient history, with volcanic craters and archaeological remains.
What we will see
- Akrotiri archaeological site
- Caldera
- Mount
of Prophet Elijah, views of picturesque villages and vineyards
- Fira (free time)
What we will do
- We will depart the ship and travel by
motor boat to the port of Athinios, where our guide awaits us
on board our coach to the Akrotiri archaeological site. Following the
coastal road towards the southern part of the island, we can admire the
'Caldera'.
- In
Akrotiri, which is considered one of the most important archaeological
sites in the world, we will have the opportunity to visit and admire what is
defined as the 'Prehistoric Pompeii of Aegean': a city with
ceramics, furnishings and frescoes, dating back almost 35 centuries and
discovered in 1967 by Professor Spyridon Marinatos. The city unexpectedly
saw its final days in the 17th Century B.C. when the inhabitants were
forced to abandon it due to violent earthquakes. Following an eruption,
the city and the entire island were covered in volcanic matter.
- Subsequent
to the visit to Akrotiri, we will have the opportunity to admire, from a
wonderful viewpoint, the beauty of Santorini's nature and particularly, 'Caldera',
a typical rocky formation which completely encircles the island. In
Caldera, at a depth of 400 metres, there is still an enormous 10 km
crater; at the centre of Caldera, thermal springs and another volcano can
be found.
- We will continue
our panoramic tour of the island passing by small picturesque villages
and vineyards, until we reach Mount of Prophet Elijah, the highest point on the island (567
metres), which can be found between Pyrgos and Kamari. The Mount, is named after the
Monastery, which stands on top of the mountain. From this point, we
can enjoy a fantastic view of the entire island.
- The last
stop on our tour takes us to Fira, the cosmopolitan
capital of the island, considered one of the most beautiful cities in
Greece, with its characteristic inlaid vineyards where the white of
houses, the blue of doors and windows and the blue of church domes,
dominate.
- We will
have some free time to take a stroll, admire the view of the Caldera and
the typical houses built on the crater slope, before taking the cable
car down to the port and returning to the ship with the tender.
What you need to know
- We
recommend that you book early because only a limited number of places are
available.
- Comfortable shoes are recommended.
- The archaeological site is indoors and does not have air conditioning.
- This tour ends in Thira town. Guests can return to the ship by
tender service by the “all aboard” time indicated in the Diario di Bordo.
- Guests can reach the tender service station by cable car or by
foot. The ticket for the cable car is included in the price of the
excursion.
- This tour is not recommended for guests with limited mobility.
- In case of multiple presence of ships in port, guests can
experience long waiting times at the cable car station.