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ailing around the Agean Sea and the caldera on a yacht — it goes without saying — remains to be the highlight of any visit to Santorini. Short of hiring your own boat and captain, you can pick any of many caldera cruise tour packages available April through November. Make sure to book one that caters to only a handful of passengers, and includes a full lunch (seafood, I'd guess) in the saloon area below deck, and an open bar elsewhere, if you insist. Most yacht cruises circle the bay to show the remarkable sections of the bay and caldera, allow interested passengers to visit the volcanic island and linger for a bit in its hot springs, and encourage everyone else to soak up the sun and dive into the deep, blue Aegean Sea.

The caldera cruise gives you a glimpse of the beaches on mainland Santorini that you'd probably want to visit next. I'd recommend Ammoudi Bay, probably Santorini's best swimming spot (although not a beach) — walk down from Oia to Ammoudi Port, turn left and walk along the water's edge for a few minutes, then jump from the rocks into the aquamarine waters below — but that's risky, so I'd rather suggest Red Beach instead. On the approach the beach and its backdrop are breathtaking. On the shore the pebbly sand is mostly red. (The color of beach sand on the island depends on the geological layer exposed over time; beaches with pebbles and sand from red solidified lava include the Red Beach.) Here the water is noticeably warmer because lava absorbs heat.

Did I mention that Santorini is considered an active volcano? Splendid! — Text and photos by ANPJ/²

   

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