The colours of Santorini

JournalBackpack Rating: *** 3.5/5

120 miles south east to mainland Greece lies a beautiful island called Thira, more commonly known as Santorini. The island of Santorini was created as a result of a volcanic eruption in 1620. The eruption was violent enough to cause the centre of the island to collapse into the caldera that was eventually filled by the sea, resulting in a change of the island’s landscape and the burial of it’s Minoan civilisation. Much of the ancient Minoan history that was destroyed from the volcano, has been excavated and displayed in the archaeological site of Akrotiri.

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Santorini is flooded with visitors each year for its natural beauty and views over the caldera. Famous for its domed blue roofs and white washed houses that cling onto the steep cliff edges, it has also become a popular location to watch the beautiful sunset, considered as one of the best in the world and a must-see by any visitor. After backpacking across 12 cities of Greece and finally arriving in Athens, I was happy to board a ferry to take me to Santorini. The initial plan was to lie on the beach and relax, but during my 4 days on this island, I visited the two main towns (Fira and Oia), ventured into smaller and less visited areas (using the reliable bus service) and took a boat across the caldera to see the remains of the volcano. What captured me on this trip to Santorini were the beautiful colours and natural landscapes, unique to the rest of the world. My camera followed me on my journey to take in the colours and diversity of Santorini. I hope you enjoy.

Blue

Blue domed roof

Blue domed buildings overlooking the turquoise blue sea.

The sea of paradise

Blue door with character

Contrast of blues

Disused cave house with traditional blue door

Rustic passageway with a pastel shade of blue

A standalone grey cubic building with rustic blue door

Red

Red flowers of Santorini

Sampling some of Santorinis local red wine, they produce white wine too

Red Beach

Yellow

The bright yellow sun descends on sunset

A hint of yellowish brown standout from the other white washed buildings

A collection of small traditional churches away from the town featuring a bright yellow design and blue dome.

Modern building in a subtle yellow

Purple

Rustic purple door and matching flowers

Purple gate

The purple flowers of Santorini

Grey, Black and Brown

Across the Caldera lies the active volcano of the Santorini islands. A selection of brown, grey and black rocks vary as you explore the volcano.

The Black beach, resulting from the volcanic black rocks and pebbles

An old building with dark wooden features

Akrotiri a bronze age Minoan excavation site that was destroyed in the volcanic eruption of 1627BC. Much of the site was preserved due to the volcanic ash.