I've just come back from an amazing holiday on the Greek island of Santorini! The place itself has a remarkable history. Basically the remnants of a huge volcanic explosion, the main island is a crescent-shaped, hilly island with steep cliffs hugging the volcano's lagoon (or caldera) and sweeping, black-sanded beaches on the east side of the island.
We stayed in Kamari - a popular seaside destination - and immediately set our sights on the impressive Profitis Ilias, a large hill directly behind the town.
A lump on the left is called Mesa Vouno, on which are the remains of a once celebrated Hellenic city called Thira. Between the two hills is a mountain pass known as Sellada, up to which the easily walkable, winding path lead us to (this enables the ruins to be accessed by car, if you're not feeling up to the trot - but do bear in mind that ancient Thira is closed on Mondays, and at the time of writing there were no toilet facilities at the site).
The summit of Sellada offers fantastic views over Kamari and neighbouring village Perissa, and is a very easy climb for even the least experienced walker from the base at Kamari. The path leads through a section of Thira's necropolis (graveyard), finishing at the start of the ruins on the left, and to the summit of Profitas Ilias on the right. The latter is the way we chose, and began the ascent - shown directly opposite on the photo below.
The path is well set out, but stony - you will need strong shoes with good grip, due to the slippery stones used on the footpath. Watch out for loose stones and Santorini's sharp gusts of wind - I'm not a heavy person and far from graceful, so was close to losing my footing on a couple of occasions.
Be sure to take your time on the way up, as to enjoy the spectacular views. From the first summit before the monastery is was possible for us to see almost the entire island. Kamari and Perissa are still visible, along with the capital, Fira, and the pretty village of Oia in the distance on the other side of the island. The smaller islands of Thirassa and volcanic Nea Kameni can just about be seen to the left of Fira.
The descent was, by far, the trickest point. We lost the path too easily in our haste to stay away from the wind. This ended with me, my father, my uncle and 75 year-old grandfather scrambling down a scary looking section which I would certainly NOT recommend. Santorini's cliffs are steep and it is vital to stick to the path at all times, even if you spy what you think is a quicker way down.
Relieved as we were to get back to Sellada and begin our descent, a pretty whitewashed building and accompanying tree had caught my eye from Kameni to about halfway up the mountain, so upon finding the correct path we happily investigated. The path here was even steeper and smoother - hold onto the rocks at the side if you feel you may lose your balance. Around a corner we discovered that the whitewashed building was a small church, situated next to a cave and a lush green tree, planted for purpose. Two bells, attached to the tree, were rung by us in celebration! I later discovered that this is the location for one of Santorini's few freshwater springs.
An easier climb down was greatly appreciated by all, and topped off by a rather expensive fruit juice at the hill's base. Santorini is not the coldest of places, so if you fancy a stroll up the island's highest point, it's always best to begin fairly early in the day. Efharisto for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment