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Despite the obvious jetlag, I was up early on our first full day in Santorini.
Taking a look at my Google Maps on my iPhone, I was initially very excited…
Care to guess what I found?
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you will realize how much I loved to visit churches and there were a LOT of churches on Santorini. I carefully marked them all with the intent of persuading my husband and son that they absolutely needed to be visited, but also marked other points of interest along the way that we would be driving.
Ekklisia Agia Marina was the first stop on our planned venture to the south of Santorini. As my husband and son waited in the car, I jumped out and made my way around the small church. Entering the small, walled courtyard, I ogled the stone facade and the trio of bells, eager to summon the congregants. Trying the door, I surprisingly found it unlocked and took a quick look inside. Similar to some of the larger Orthodox churches I had visited in Athens, I noticed how clean and orderly this small-scale temple appeared and I admired the colorful paintings.
Making my way outside, I encountered the caretaker, who waved a friendly “hello” as I briefly wondered if I maybe should not have entered without permission. He didn’t seem bothered by my visit, so I joined my husband and son and we drove down the narrow dirt road to admire the magnificent caldera view available here.
Walking down the small trail toward the edge of the cliff, we stood in awe of the perspective before us. The Santorini caldera was formed 3600 BP during the Minoan eruption with the island of Santorini, Therasia and Aspronisi on the periphery and Kameni islands at the center. Truly one of the largest natural wonders of the world, we felt extremely small gazing out on the azur Aegean waters and watching the ferries depart for and arrive from other Greek islands.
Continuing on our journey, we arrived at Megalochori, a traditional village which can be dated back to the 17th century. After parking in one of the nearby lots, we made our way through the maze of whitewashed, narrow lanes and walkways, many covered and lined by colorful bougainvillea, that offer up what makes this pristine town so special…historical mansions, traditional houses, inner courtyards, tavernas, restaurants, small shops, churches and a quaint village square.
Once the home of merchants and wealthy land barons that exported the wine that is still produced there, the village exudes an air of mystery with its high walls and solid door entrances which were built for protection against the pirates that sometimes invaded the area.
In the center of the village, located at the top of a stairway, we stumbled upon the Hellenic Cultural Center which offers Greek classes and had many displays of items made in and used in Greek culture.
A little further, we were able to visit one of the cave homes that are common to area and that were often lived in by the less-wealthy citizens during the time frame.
Passing under the village belltowers, we strolled through the square and it was evident that this was the heart and soul of the village. Here, many locals were gathered to share information and play games of cards or tavli (backgammon). As we took in the menus of the many restaurants located, we made some mental notes for our dinner later that evening.
After our departure from Megalachori, we headed a little further down the road and two things caught my eye…a church and a windmill! The church, Μεταμόρφωση Χριστού (I think it is the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ), was not open to visitors, however, there was another lovely view of the caldera and a paved trail, beautifully lined with natural growth and flowers, leading to the windmill.
Having been to the Netherlands on many occasions and lain my eyes upon the anticipated windmills all over the country, I was surprised to not only see one in Oia and in this location, but more scattered throughout the island. This one, however, I learned is special…named El Viento, it is a century-old stone-built windmill that can be rented nightly! So…if you are a Bachelor or Bachelorette fan (then you will understand this reference)…maybe you will run into Pilot Pete here on his honeymoon one day!
Taking a glance at my watch, I realized that more time had passed than we realized! Our first day discovering Santorini had begun quite nicely, but there was so much more if we continued to head south!
For sure, more churches and more windmills!
To be continued…
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Ekklisia Agia Marina
- Address: Santorini 847 00, Greece
Hellenic Culture Center
- https://hcc.edu.gr/en/
- Address: Megalochori, Thira 847 00, Greece
- Hours: 0930-2030, Monday through Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday
- Admission: free
El Viento Windmill