Discover Santorini

The ultimate Mediterranean destination

Unique for its active volcano, for its association with the mythical Atlantis, for its unique architectural construction and of course, renowned for its beautiful romantic sunsets, Santorini has a lot to offer you.

History - Mythology

An island with rich history

The island complex of Santorini has a majestic history that is lost in the depths of time and is almost masterfully intertwined with the myth.

Historically, the island has been inhabited since the prehistoric times and as everything shows, the history and myth of this unique island are directly connected to the volcano and its activity. The relatively recent excavations that took place on the southern part of the island, in the settlement of Akrotiri, brought to light a coastal city with a culture similar to the Minoan one, but with special local Cycladic elements.

Herodotus mentions it as Strongyli, due to its circular shape, which according to Mythology emerged from the bottom of the sea. Later, Santorini was named Kallisti because of its special beauty.

Santorini is romantically linked to the lost Atlantis, meaning it was the central part of the island that was lost at sea. Around 1500 BC, the first major volcanic eruption in the history of the island took place. The residents had apparently been notified earlier to leave the circular island and were thus saved from the blast.

Mythology says that the eruption of the Santorini volcano is described by the myth of Phaethon, son of the Sun and Klymeni, who asked his father for permission to ride his chariot. However, he failed to control the wild horses of the chariot, resulting in a change of course with disastrous results. Then Zeus intervened and unleashed his thunderbolts on Phaethon, so that he could stop the chariot.

Beaches

Special, unique and varied

The volcanic nature of Santorini has created a unique and incomparable landscape. Red and black rocks, pumice, white pebbles and deep blue crystal clear waters make up an island like no other in the world. The black beaches in Kamari and Perissa, the Red Beach and the huge beach in Vlychada that brings to mind lunar landscapes, cover every taste as the visitor will find beaches with beach bars and deserted bays away from the people and indiscreet looks.

The beaches of Oia, on the north coast of Santorini are not so easily accessible, but they have a special beauty. Most of them are ideal for diving and scuba diving, as Santorini has an extremely rich underwater marine life.

In addition to the famous and crowded beaches of Santorini, visitors can find smaller bays that are not organized, such as: Baxedes, Pori, Vourvoulos, in the center and the beaches of Karterados and Agia Paraskevi and from there to the beaches of the Caldera Mesa Pigadia and Kambia in Akrotiri.

Wineries

Vineyards are the precious heritage of Santorini

In the middle of the 19th century, the vineyards of Europe were destroyed due to phylloxera. But the vineyards of Santorini were not affected at all, as the volcanic soil makes the vineyard invulnerable.

The vineyards of Santorini have a unique shape, they are like knitted hugs in the soil of the volcano and the precious fruits grow in their embrace.

Santorini’s most famous wine is Vinsanto, which is a sweet wine with a dark bronze color. The grapes for Vinsanto are at least 51% of the Assyrtiko variety, while the remaining percentage should be grapes of the Aidani and Athiri varieties.

Wedding Ceremonies

Exchange vows overlooking the volcano of Santorini

Santorini is the dream of many couples when planning their wedding. After all, it is an island that most people choose when the time comes to kneel and give the ring to their other half. It is estimated that more than 1,000 weddings and wedding ceremonies take place on the island each year.

Weddings and vow renewal ceremonies take place in white small churches, picturesque villages, sunsets, amazing landscapes and even small boats that sail in the Aegean Sea, at a time when the sun is setting and disappearing into the sea.

Once you decide, just call us and we will help you organize the wedding of your dreams.

The On the Rocks hotel team is ready to help you make your own personal schedule during your trip to Santorini.

Tell us what you want to do and leave the rest to us!

You can download our brochure here