Our Day in Santorini

Cycladic figurines from Bronze-Age Santorini. (2800-2700 BCE).
These are from the ancient city of Akrotiri, which was destroyed by volcanic eruption in the 16th century BCE.

Towards the end of our visit to Greece, we spet a day on the very well-known island of Santorini, visiting a farm in the morning, and touring the ruins of Akrotiri of Thera, site of an ancient city, in the afternoon. A walk around one of the small villages was on the schedule after the museum, but the overwhelming heat of the afternoon discouraged us, and we simply sat in a cafe. In the evening, all the passengers from the ship gathered for dinner and some music at a party venue on a hilltop with a glorious view of the sunset.

A Farm in Santorini

The farm has its own chapel.

Several of the agricultural products of the farm are represented here.
The grindstone in the foreground is for removing the husks of small beans:
these are called fava beans in Greece, but are actually a type of lentil.

At the end of the farm tour, we tasted tomatoes, capers, olives, and pistachios that were grown there.

The fields are incredibly dry, but the small tough-skinned tomatoes keep growing!
Though we tasted them raw, they are actually dried before they are sold.

Akrotiri of Thera

The ancient city Akroteri in ancient Thera (the classical name for Santorini) was important in early trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, as it was on the sailing route between Cyprus and Minoan Crete. The site was discovered around 50 years ago. Inscriptions found in the buildings have not been deciphered yet. Many beautiful murals decorated the walls of the city, and many pottery vessels and other goods were found as the site was excavated. These are now in the nearby museum. 

The inhabitants seem to have realized that the volcano was about to erupt. Some of the houses had the furniture stacked up, as if the owners were expecting to return as they fled with their small valuables — this is indicated by the fact that no human remains and no gold objects (except one small item) have been discovered in the ruins so far. Archaeologists are continuing to dig at the site, as only part of the city has been excavated.

After the volcano destroyed the city, the island was uninhabited for some time, and then repopulated.

Some beautiful artifacts from the museum

Blue monkeys in one of the frescoes on the walls.

Blog post and all photos © 2025 mae sander