Santorini has many names. The Greeks still call it Thira on maps, the Venetians renamed it after Saint Irene, romantics believe it is the lost city of Atlantis and travel writers call it one of the natural wonders of the world!

Seeing Santorini for the first time is an awesome experience. We awoke at dawn aboard the Oceania Marina to a spectacular view of the 400 metre high cliffs of the volcano. Visiting a volcanic island on Friday the 13th   seems like tempting fate. When the volcano on Santorini erupted in 1450BC, it set off the first recorded tsunami in the Aegean which destroyed Crete—and spelled the end of the Minoan civilization. But the first eruption was 3500 years ago and the last one in 1956. So we felt fairly safe!

Getting up to the postcard villages of whitewashed and blue shuttered houses of Santorini is half the fun. You can either walk off breakfast by climbing 800 steep steps to the main village of Fira, take a short cable car ride, or a donkey ride to the top.

We amble through narrow cobbled alleys to the quaint archaeological museum of Fira with its exquisite collection of Minoan amphora and marble statues from ancient Thira. Afterwards we walk from Fira to Oia villages on a cliff-face promenade high above the Aegean Sea. The brilliant white villas carved out of volcanic stone are dug deep into the stark rock.

Santorini is famous for its idyllic beaches, chic bars, cafes and tavernas, where they serve the legendary wine made from an ancient grape called Assyrtiko which only grows on the island. You can take a tourist bus around a dozen wineries on the island’s wine route, or simply catch a local bus or taxi to the renowned Boutari cellar. We were amazed to see vines planted in volcanic rock specially pruned in the shape of spiralling baskets to catch the sea moisture and shelter grapes from the wind.

I’d love to go back to Santorini and spend a whole week exploring this island, one of the highlights of our trip through the Mediterranean.
 

TRAVEL TIPS
Getting there: Olympic Air flies directly from Athens to Santorini, or catch a 12-hour ferry from Piraeus, port of Athens, to Paros (the main ferry hub) and on to Santorini. It is easy to get around the 73sq km island by local bus and taxi, or rent a car. Or try a cruise with Contact Cruises International, agents for Oceania Cruises in South Africa visit www.cruises.co.za.

Staying there: Accommodation ranges from youth hostels, guesthouses and private rooms to hotels and resorts. To avoid the tourist crowds and high prices at Fira, stay in one of the other villages like Oia. Catch the local boats between the beaches of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos—and out to the uninhabited island of Nea Kameni. See www.visitgreece.gr and www.visit-santorini.com

Eating there: Try bakeries, cafés and takeaways like gyros and souvlaki for good, cheap eats. Good traditional restaurants are Arcobaleno, Archipelagos and Parea.

Graham Howe is a freelance travel writer based in Cape Town who specializes in gourmet tourism. He is wine and food editor of Habitat—and a contributor to Business Day's Homefront, Eat Out, www.iol.co.za and www.wine.co.za.
      
• Photography Graham Howe