Pyrgos Kallistis - Profitis Ilias - Mesa Vouno - Perissa

A crowded bus (not an exception on Santorini) takes us to Pyrgos in about half an hour. This is the former capital of Santorini (until 1800). Now it's a rather sleepy village of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, located inland on Santorini.

According to Wikipedia, it is one of the most authentic villages that has not yet been discovered by tourists. However, we have a different opinion after an invasion of a horde of Chinese tourists. They are dropped off at the foot of the village by one tour bus after another.

Pyrgos consists of a maze of narrow whitewashed streets with similar houses. Stairs lead to the top of the village where a castle ruin can be seen. Well, there really isn't more than a few stones left over.

The top of the mountain is a whopping 567 meters high. Therefore, there is quite a steep climb to the top ... where we encounter the bus full of Chinese tourists again. They have comfortably arrived with their luxury tour bus. Oh well, at least we made an effort to get here, and that makes the reward feel doubly sweet.

The view from the top is of course worthwhile: you can really see how small the island is. At its widest point, Santorini is barely 6 kilometers wide. Everywhere we look, we see the Mediterranean Sea embracing the island.

Profitis Ilias transitions into Mount Vouno, located about 198 meters lower. We descend through a landscape that sits between a barren desert landscape and a barren lunar walk. So much water surrounding the island and yet such a dry landscape: it can't be more ironic.

The walk is quite strenuous. Especially since we would like to visit the site of Ancient Thera on Mount Vesa which closes at 3:00 PM. We still have half an hour to explore in a landscape of ancient stones. This site is now just a shadow of the great city that rose here in the 8th century B.C. The city's heyday extended until the 3rd century under Roman influence.

The street plan is still clear with a central square and the narrow streets leading to it. There was a large town hall avant la lettre and of course houses and shops. It’s unbelievable how people built an entire city on this inhospitable mountain in the rugged inland of Santorini. Even though it now only consists of a pile of stones, we gain insight into society hundreds of years ago.

After quite a bit of huffing and puffing, we finally end up in Perissa, one of the most popular beaches of Santorini.

It is a tourist mecca with a promenade (unfortunately not car-free) flanked by countless bars and restaurants. On the beach, hundreds of umbrellas with thatched roofs. Lounge music echoes over the beach.