√ Excursions in Santorini: Fira'-Akrotiri (18 km)

Finding the ancient civilization of Santorini, as it was before the eruption of the 1450 BC, when half island sunk into the sea.

Akrotiri: Departure is from Firà driving south towards Perissa, passing the two crossroads to the port and to Pyrgos. After 10 km take the road on the right direction Akrotiri and after few kms you will notice a small countryside church.

In front of this church there is a road, direction Caldera, heading towards the sea. Let's drive straightforward passing the junction with the road to the village of Akrotiri.

After 100 m turn left and drive towards the southern beach. At the 14th km, near the beach, you will get to the entrance of the archaeological site.

At this stage you have three options:
1) A swim to the Red Beach
2) A visit to the surrounding churches
3) A swim to Mesa Pigadi
4) A visit to the Akrotiri excavations

From the 14th km going straight you will notice the small church of St. Nicolas. It's blinding white-washed colour walls clashes with the black and red of the volcanic stone.
From here going uphill you get to the famous Red Beach (you can get there also by boat).

From the 14th km take the road on the left leading to the western side of Akrotiri. After a while on your left-hand-side you'll get to a bend and there you'll find the small church of Ai Ghianni (St. John). At the 15th km the junction on the left leads to the church of the Holy Virgin. At the following crossroads, the dirt road leads south and after 100 m there is a new junction. Going straight you will get to the church of the Archangel, which was carved into the rock. From there you can also reach the small church of Christ.

At the 16th km, on the left, the dirt road to Mesa Pigadi leads to the southern beach of the cape. Going downhill for 1 km, another dirt road ends up at the Caldera. At the 18th km, at the end of the road there is the Lighthouse, but usually you cannot visit it.

Akrotiri Excavations: The excavations of "Akrotiri" began in 1967 and they were sensational since the beginning. An entire Minoan town with 2/3-storey buildings and frescoes came to light! The town from north to south was equipped with a sewage system, bathrooms, artisan shops, boutiques, alleys. Northwards, there is a stonework building with a 10-roomed ground floor, stairs to the first floor and traces of a second floor. Houses are everywhere, but also stores with con jars, pots and amphoras, The Mill-House Square (it takes its name from the mill installation which is located inside the adjacent Room 15 of Building Complex, nowadays the mill is still visible). Many buildings and houses are decored with different frescoes: Young men boxing, The Monkeys, The Antelopes, The Spring, Fisherman with strings of fish, The ship procession, ect. Many frescoes are now kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.