If you approach Santorini from the water, the sheer cliffs that rise above the azure sea, the fact that you are sailing in the vast crater of a submerged volcano, and the fact that the island in front of you was formed by an ancient eruption cataclysmic beyond imagination will all leave you speechless.
The principal settlements of Fira and Oia are a snow-drift of white Cycladic homes that line the cliff tops and spread like icy cornices down the terraced rock high above. Another spectacle to experience are the sunsets, which are met with cheers from the crowd as the sun sinks below the horizon.
Santorini transforms into a playground for the affluent during peak season, which has given rise to some excellent restaurants and wineries but also put a burden on the infrastructure. However, there is still some relative seclusion to be found at the island’s historic locations, along the hiking paths, and beneath the sea.