Sightseeing tour of the island of Santorini

Our journey begins in one of the most picturesque harbors of the island - Mesa Yalo. This is the oldest port of Santorini. We will take the cable car to the city of Fira. We will walk along the old, narrow streets to the beautiful church of Panagia Belonias. It was designed by Antonio Belonios in 1827. Inside, the cathedral is decorated with frescoes in the Byzantine style of the work of Christos Asimis. From the square in front of the church we will have a beautiful view of the caldera. It is the largest caldera in the world -82 km2. In the center there are two volcanic islands - Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni.

After a walk through Fira, we drive to the highest point of the island, Mount Elijah the Prophet. At the top, at an altitude of 556 meters, there is a male monastery of the same name. It was built by two brothers Jokim and Gabriel. The first phase of construction begins in 1711 and ends in 1723. The second stage of construction begins after King Otto visited the island from 1850 to 1860. The monastery has always played an important role in the spiritual, national and cultural life of the island. In 1845, the Spiritual School of the Nation began to work. During the Turkish rule, the monastery owned a merchant ship, which later participated in military operations against Turkey. The monastery also donates a significant amount of money to help the rebels. Now on the territory of the monastery there are two museums: church and ethnographic. From the observation deck of the monastery you can see the entire island as if in the palm of your hand and make fascinating photos. The whole archipelago will open to us, and on a clear day you can see the mountain peaks of the island of Crete.

Then we go down and pass the picturesque village of Pyrgos. We are heading to the oldest church on the island of Panagia Episkopi. It is located in the small, quiet village of Exo Gonia. The church was built on the ruins of an early Christian basilica in 1118 by order of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Comnenus 1.

During the Venetian occupation, the church passed into Catholic hands and returned to Orthodox hands in 1767. Despite the Turkish yoke, several earthquakes and a fire in 1915, it remains one of the best preserved churches in Greece during the Byzantine Empire. Its rare beauty iconostasis of marble, as well as wonderful frescoes are remembered by all visitors to the church. Unfortunately, on June 2, 1982, the church was robbed and 26 ancient icons were stolen. Fortunately, the miracle-working icon of the Virgin Mary (Sweet kissing) during the robbery was in the church of the village of Kamari and was returned by believers to its former place in the Assumption Church. By bowing to the miraculous icon, we continue our journey.

Our way lies to the wine cellars of the Kutsuyannopoulos Museum. One of the main activities of the islanders is winemaking. The first grape varieties were introduced to the island by the noble Venetian family Sanudo in 1335 and the island begins to produce wines for sale. The Kutsuyannopoulos family is one of the oldest producers on the island. Entrance to the museum (ticket price 7 euros per person) You will be provided with an electronic guide in Russian, who will conduct an individual tour of the wine museum for each of you. At the end, you will be given the opportunity to taste the wines of the Kutsuyannopoulos family. The cost of the tour includes wine tasting. We will be able to taste five glasses of different wines, including the beautiful Vincento! This is the most famous wine in Santorini. After spiritual and gastronomic pleasures, we will continue our journey around the island.

Our road runs to the pearl of the island of Oia. On the way we visit the village of Firostefani. This is a wonderful, quiet place with a unique view of our caldera and the village of Imirovigli. We can take great photographs here. After a short walk, we continue our journey. Oia is located at the northernmost point of Santorini. It was completely destroyed after the earthquake in 1956.

The village was restored as an architectural monument with the help of the Hellenic Tourism Organization and the public of Iia. The picturesque buildings and streets of Ii bizarrely combine two types of island architecture: houses dug in soft Fernian rock on the caldera, and captain's mansions. Iyu is often depicted by artists at different times of the year and at different times of the day. But the most beautiful time is the sunset. Just imagine how a bizarre mosaic of houses dug in the rocks of the caldera, escapes to the sea and is painted in unique colors. And if on the water surface of the caldera there are also sailboats, the spectacle becomes unforgettable. You will remember narrow streets, charming houses, snow-white churches with domes of rich blue color, as well as the sea and sky, merging together. If you want to eat, relax and dip, we can take you to any point of the island. We can tell you the best taverns and beach lines in Santorini. The island is famous for its beaches - red, black and white for every taste!

At the end of the trip, we will take you to the place where our tour began. We have described only one of the routes we offer, and you can make your choice yourself.