volcanic passion

DESTINATIONS — GREECE & CYPRUS
S
U
R
P
Y
C
&
E
GREEC
Santorini offers all the
delights of the Greek
islands in a unique
and spectacular setting.
Ian Taylor is bewitched
destination
➠
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VOLCANIC PASSION
S
antorini is something else. The first sight of waves
lapping black rock and the red caldera soaring hundreds
of metres above the sea is unforgettable.
This island in the southern Cyclades is essentially a volcano
that blew its top – and looks like it too – but visitors have
nothing to fear; the massive eruption took place 3,600 years
ago, destroying Europe’s first great civilisation, the Minoans.
Today’s tourists come looking less for lava flows and more
going with the flow. Santorini’s unique beauty and tranquillity
attracts holidaymakers from all over the world, and it is no
coincidence the island has one of the healthiest tourism
markets in Greece – demand means prices are likely to hold up.
l SELL: SMALL AND STYLISH
Santorini isn’t for everyone. It’s not a bucket and spade
destination as the beaches are volcanic sand or pebble.
Families seeking a holiday would be better directed elsewhere,
as would 20 to 30-something clubbers wanting nightlife.
Santorini best suits chilled, higher-end clients – couples, in
particular – looking for an awe-inspiring backdrop to sun, sea,
fresh food, local wine, history, culture and spa treatments in
fine accommodation.
The island is small – it’s seven-and-a-half miles long – and
there are fine walking paths, but walking is unthinkable in the
summer heat so consider carefully where clients wish to stay
and whether they need to hire a car to get around.
Access is fairly easy: this summer easyJet will fly direct
to Santorini from Gatwick and Manchester, and Olympic
Air will offer thrice-weekly
.co.uk/de
travelwe ekly
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14 March 2013 — travelweekly.co.uk • 47
DESTINATIONS — GREECE & CYPRUS
Aigialos Hotel is a cluster of of
18th and 19th-century houses
connections to the island from
Heraklion (Crete) and Mykonos,
(both served directly from the UK)
from June 30 to September 15.
A luxury boutique hotel cut
into the volcanic rock close
to the village of Imerovigli,
San Antonio sits 300 metres
above the sea. A member of
Small Leading Hotels of the
World, it opened in 2008 and
has 26 chic, white-walled
rooms – some with plunge and
whirlpools – and all with views
of the caldera and the sea, or
soak in the seascape from its
cliffside restaurant.
sanantonio-santorini.com
l SEE: HISTORY AND
GASTRONOMY
Aside from the scenery and the
marvellous food, three aspects of
the island should not be missed: its
wine, its most ancient site and its
charming museum.
Greece does not have a
reputation for great wine, but this is
changing rapidly and Santorini has
vineyards of exceptional quality and
antiquity. The mineral-rich volcanic
soil retains so much humidity that
vines are not watered, even after
months without rain, and lie curled
on the ground so they remain
protected from the wind. About
70% of wine is of the assyrtiko
grape variety, which is indigenous to
the island and produces a selection
of whites and, more recently, reds.
The Sigalas Winery is among
the island’s leading vineyards,
producing 11 wines. Visitors can
tour and taste the wines with local
food – fava beans, aubergine,
sundried tomatoes, houmous, vine
leaves, caper leaves, olives and
homemade bread.
The remarkable ancient city of
Akrotiri, on the southwest tip of the
island, re-opened last year following
pressure from the local community.
A €5 entrance fee takes you back to
the moment in 1635BC when the
city’s population fled to escape the
erupting volcano.
The 12,000sq metre site
comprises 55 buildings, of which
five have been fully excavated,
revealing molten casts of beds,
chairs and tables. Although the
level of detail doesn’t rival Pompeii
– Akrotiri is older – it’s a more
rewarding site to visit than the more
famous Palace of Knossos in Crete.
Magnificent wall paintings
found in another building have
been removed to the Museum of
Prehistoric Thera, in the centre of
Fira. This small museum combines
San Antonio offers
stunning views
over the bay
Olympic Holidays offers
seven nights’ B&B at threestar Thera Mare Boutique
Hotel from £475, flying from
Gatwick in June.
olympicholidays.com
0800 093 3322
Santorini is characterised by its
white buildings and domed roofs
Sovereign Luxury Travel
offers a week’s B&B at San
Antonio Resort from £1,319,
including flights departing
April 28, and private transfers.
sovereign.com
0844 415 1936
Wander down
the cobbled
lanes in Oia
FA
particularly well with Akrotiri and
contains art and artefacts from the
ancient site. Entrance costs €3.
l STAY: CHIC BOUTIQUES
Hotels and restaurants in Imerovigli
and Oia – a Unesco World Heritage
Site – nestle on the edge of the
caldera and have stunning bay views.
Specialist operator Islands of
Greece reports continued demand
for boutique properties here,
particularly among honeymooners.
Current best-sellers include the
Belvedere Suites, where all 15
rooms, three junior suites and
48 • travelweekly.co.uk — 14 March 2013
SAMPLE
PRODUCT
Acco ST FAC
T
m
only modatio
n
Yout provider r
a
ve l . c
has
o
i n c re s e e n a n m
ase
18%
b o o k i n S a n to
rini
ing
sum s this
me r
five VIP
suites boast
a balcony or
terrace; and
Pegasus Suites &
Spa, where many
rooms and suites
have outdoor Jacuzzis with
unbeatable views of the Aegean.
Sunvil Holidays has added
two Yades Greek Historic Hotels
this year – adult-only Esperas
Traditional Houses in Oia, and the
traditional Aigialos Hotel near
the capital, Fira. Aressana Hotel,
also in Fira, combines luxurious
accommodation
with a large spa,
superb dining
and easy access
to the capital’s
shops and restaurants.
Even more central is the
charming 15-room Aria Lito
Mansion in the old quarter, new
for Olympic Holidays this year.
Olympic commercial director
Photis Lambrianides says clifftop
properties remain dominant
among clients willing to splash
out for the superb views, but adds:
“East coast resorts such as Perissa
and Perivolos are also popular
because there’s a good range of
well-priced, family-run hotels that
offer quintessential Santorini style
– white-washed walls, domed roofs
and blue-painted shutters.”
The operator now brochures the
all-suite Imperial Med Resort &
Spa in Agia Paraskevi, and the 9
Muses Santorini Resort, just a few
minutes’ walk from the famous
black beach at Perissa. Meanwhile,
Santorini Kastelli Resort, in east
coast Kamari, is one of Classic
Collection’s most popular
properties on the island. TW
14 March 2013 — travelweekly.co.uk • 49
Picture: Greek national tourism organisation/y skoulas
TRIED AND
TESTED:
SAN ANTONIO