After taking a ferry from Mykonos, we came to Santorini, the crown of the Greek Isles. As the boat came into the port, I could see the white-washed Cycladic houses perched dramatically on the cliff side. One of the largest volcanic eruptions in history (about 3,600 years ago) left this steep-sided caldera on which the settlements now sit. A driver was waiting for us and took us to Oia, the small village where we would be staying. He dropped us on the outskirts of the town as it is a car-free, traditional village with pedestrian-only paths. From there a porter picked up our bags and guided us through a maze of pathways to our hotel for the next few nights. This hotel was made extra special by the graciousness of our host Dimitris and also by the fact that the hotel was just steps away from the center of Oia.
It was a long day of traveling to get to Oia and after an afternoon rest and meal, we were back exploring the streets. Oia was one of those places where I did not have any specific itinerary for, I had no sights to check off. I was just here to get lost in the streets and take in the experience. This meandering led me to a small antique store by the day of ‘Maria Baba Vida’ and after perusing the shop, I started talking to the shopkeeper. He told me that his grandmother would tell him stories about Oia from years ago. Early tourists would come on rickety buses along hairpin turns when the roads of the town were still unpaved. There were no souvenir shops, no hotels, and they would be forced to camp on the cliff as this area was not at all developed for tourism. It is hard to imagine that authentic way of life after the tourism industry has rapidly developed, and today makes it one of the top wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world. The shopkeeper told me that there are still hints of the old way of life - locals often make their own wine in the interior of the island and in the winter, when the busloads of tourists are gone, they come to grill food and enjoy a drink at the famous sunset spot in Oia.Â
As the evening waned down, I made my way to the ruins of Oia Castle which was now a remnant of an ancient watchtower built to guard against pirates. Today it is regarded as one of the most romantic sunset spots in the world and although it was still several minutes away from sunset, there were already a number of people anticipating the show. Some had on white dresses to get that perfect Instagram shot, some just had a beer and were here just to soak it all in. Viewing the sun going down behind the whitewashed buildings of Santorini was the crescendo of a perfect trip to Greece.Â
My last full day in Santorini was spent exploring more of its snaking pathways, its blue-domed churches and its intricate details like the ornate doorways, rusted-bells and potted Mediterranean plants. The bright Aegean sun eventually went down and there was a jingling from the bells of the donkeys returning from a day’s trek. Finally as darkness fell over the city, bright blue pool lights lit up all along the caldera’s edge.
Being up at dawn the next day for my flight back to Athens, I was able to feel a stillness in the air that most probably never get in this world-famous tourist destination. AÂ blue and white Greek flag fluttered in the gentle wind and morning sky turned from peach to baby-blue and I could see why many believe this beautiful island is the site of the ancient, Utopian paradise of Atlantis.
