22 Jun 2021
Our time in Santorini was short and we wanted to savor as much as we could. Our travel agent had set up our group of four with Santorini Wine tours. What a wonderful varied program they offer. We started with a visit to Akrotiri, a Cycladic Bronze Age settlement that was destroyed in the Theran eruption in the 16th century BC and buried in volcanic ash. The settlement is so well preserved that the remains of fine frescoes as well as objects and artworks were unearthed. The site can be likened to Pompeii and we marveled at all that has been excavated. Our guide was so knowledgeable and eager to answer our many questions. We moved on to visit a black sand beach and then a charming hill town built by the Venetians during their occupation of the island. The Castle of Pyrgos sits at the top of a hill surrounded by the village which hosts narrow labyrinth streets, fortified walls and hidden passages. Our guide, Elsa, lives in this town so she took us through the twists and turns as we climbed the hill. Next to the fields of a local winery where our guide explained the soil, moisture and growing season. We then stopped at Anhydrous Winery for an amazing multi course lunch with wine pairings....and the pairings were spot on! What a wonderful day. Thank you Santorini Wine Tours.