After a seven year hiatus the ancient city of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini has been reopened. Luckily for us the site opened just weeks before we were planning to visit. It had been closed because part of the roofing structure meant to protect the antiquities had collapsed in 2005, killing one tourist. Needless to say the site has a brand new roof and was quite exciting to visit.
Akrotiri houses a Bronze Age city that was buried in the 17th century BC when the island's volcano erupted. Because the city was covered with lava and ash it was preserved very well and has become one of the most important archaeological sites for Bronze Age scholars. So far only about 5% of the city has been excavated and yet several thousand tons of volcanic ash have been removed from the area. Crazy!
After our tour of Akrotiri we visited a red sand beach and then went back to the main town (Chora) to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera. This museum (along with the National Museum in Athens) houses the frescos from Akrotiri.
We took a break from sightseeing around midday to enjoy a bit of wine tasting! Gaia Winery on Santorini is a must-do for wine lovers traveling throughout Greece. This winery is housed in a refurbished tomato factory along the Eastern side of the island and sits on an amazing black sand beach. Let's be honest, it was the best location for a tasting I've ever experienced!
To protect the vines from the winds on the island they train each vine to grow into a basket shape. Because of this the vines look like little bushes.
Akrotiri houses a Bronze Age city that was buried in the 17th century BC when the island's volcano erupted. Because the city was covered with lava and ash it was preserved very well and has become one of the most important archaeological sites for Bronze Age scholars. So far only about 5% of the city has been excavated and yet several thousand tons of volcanic ash have been removed from the area. Crazy!
After our tour of Akrotiri we visited a red sand beach and then went back to the main town (Chora) to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera. This museum (along with the National Museum in Athens) houses the frescos from Akrotiri.
We took a break from sightseeing around midday to enjoy a bit of wine tasting! Gaia Winery on Santorini is a must-do for wine lovers traveling throughout Greece. This winery is housed in a refurbished tomato factory along the Eastern side of the island and sits on an amazing black sand beach. Let's be honest, it was the best location for a tasting I've ever experienced!
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