One of the main advantages of Santorini is that its beauties are not ideal for its visitors to enjoy only in the heat of summer. On the contrary, Santorini off-season be even more beautiful the rest of the year and you can explore the island with Santorini Tours. The season on the island usually lasts from March to October, which leaves November and the three winter months “out”. This is exactly what should be taken advantage of by those who want to really enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of the place and not the “acquired” beauties offered by mass tourism and the -excessive, according to many- tourist development of the last decades.
Intertwined with the most idyllic sunset in the world, Santorini is one of the top summer destinations internationally. Romantic because of the sun, eerie because of the volcano, bustling because people from every corner of the Earth love it, cosmopolitan because it has some of the best restaurants, bars and hotels in the world, Santorini has been a popular destination for years – and that’s not expected to change at all soon.
Τhe new trend in travel advises us to avoid overcrowding as much as possible and as much as Santorini is tempting, there are many who will think twice before booking a vacation on this unique island of the Aegean.
Santorini off-season
Many of the restaurants are closed, as are most luxury hotels. But Santorini is there, cleaner and more open than ever. The island’s wineries, the canaves, explain the history of Santorini’s famous wine, while the vines, which are among the oldest in the Mediterranean. Let’s not overlook the fact that winter in Greece, especially in Southern Greece, is not particularly severe – winter visitors are more likely to get sunshine at 18°C than rain that might shut them in. The fact does not even exclude a dip in the seas of Santorini, which are considered to be among the warmest in the Aegean anyway.
Santorini behind the caldera
The caldera of Santorini, the great cliff that was created when half of the island was submerged due to a huge volcanic eruption, is today the most sought-after place on the island. Santorini’s most expensive accommodation overlooks the volcano, while the caldera villages spread further and further along the cliff’s edge. It is undoubtedly a very impressive landscape that takes the breath away of those who see it for the first time, especially from the sea, with the white houses and churches with blue domes, appearing like a wreath on the rocks…
Those who know well, however, assure that the real beauty of Santorini lies inland and its fertile land and its villages, such as Pyrgos, a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets and old churches, built so as to be impregnable from any threat. The vineyards and wineries of Santorini are located inland, as is the old tomato factory, which for decades produced the famous Santorini tomato preserves and which today functions as a museum.
Santorini behind the caldera
The caldera of Santorini, the great cliff that was created when half of the island was submerged due to a huge volcanic eruption, is today the most sought-after place on the island. Santorini’s most expensive accommodation overlooks the volcano, while the caldera villages spread further and further along the cliff’s edge. It is undoubtedly a very impressive landscape that takes the breath away of those who see it for the first time, especially from the sea, with the white houses and churches with blue domes, appearing like a wreath on the rocks.
Those who know well, however, assure that the real beauty of Santorini lies inland and its fertile land and its villages, such as Pyrgos, a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets and old churches, built so as to be impregnable from any threat. The vineyards and wineries of Santorini are located inland, as is the old tomato factory, which for decades produced the famous Santorini tomato preserves and which today functions as a museum.
Santorini culture
The architecture, the old churches, the caves, the canvases – the wineries of Santorini, its museums and its culture in general, are “lost” in the summer light, the bustling crowd seeking rest and service and the frenemies – many times in the popular islands – summer rhythms. After all, all of these are crucial factors for which some of the island’s visitors even state that they are disappointed after visiting it.
On the contrary, an off season visit gives everyone the chance to get to know the culture of the island. To admire how cave houses are built and why, how they protect their inhabitants from natural or other dangers. To see up close a kanava, a traditional winery and to taste the fruit of this treeless and arid place. To see the Tower and its houses, the Emporio, the Castle of Oia and the Castle of Fira. To visit the island’s museums and learn its history, so that they can really get to know it and understand it deeply.
After the pandemic many things have changed in our lives, even in the way we travel. Now, we want each of our trips to be worth it, to please us as much as possible. We want to know places and people, not visit destinations, randomly. We are travelers, not tourists and we want the best everywhere and at all times!