Page 68 - ANDRONIS MAGAZINE 2025

ESCAPE_ Santorini

SOME PLACES LIVE in the imagination long before believe this event birthed the legend of Atlantis, a once- At the heart of
you ever set foot on them. Santorini is one of them. thriving civilisation lost beneath the waves. Whether Megalochori, the
Before the plane lands or the ferry pulls into Athinios myth or reality, what remains is an island unlike any Symposion Cultural
Centre invites
Port, you already know what awaits you—whitewashed other—a place sculpted by fire and tempered by time. visitors into a world
houses clinging to cliffs, the endless blue of the Aegean, A journey to Nea Kameni, the volcanic islet in the where mythology,
the sky set on fire at sunset. But what the glossy travel heart of the caldera, is like stepping into another music, and tradition
intertwine in a
brochures don’t tell you is that Santorini is not just a world. The terrain is rugged and barren, the ground beautifully restored
picture-perfect postcard. It is an island with a pulse, warm beneath your feet, and the air thick with the space. Meanwhile,
a place where history lingers in the wind and where scent of sulphur. Climbing to the crater’s edge, you are churches stand
beauty is raw, and untamed. To truly understand it, reminded that Santorini is still very much alive—its adorned with flags,
you have to surrender to its rhythm—walk its forgotten volcanic core quietly slumbering beneath the surface, preparing for the
grand August
alleyways, taste its volcanic wines, listen to the stories waiting, perhaps, for its next chapter to be written. A celebrations of the
woven into its stones. Because Santorini is not just short boat ride away, the hot springs of Palia Kameni Dormition of the
a place. It is a feeling—one that stays with you long offer a stark contrast to the harsh volcanic landscape. Virgin Mary.
after you leave. The warm, mineral-rich waters, tinged orange from
iron deposits, are believed to have healing properties,
A LANDSCAPE WRITTEN IN FIRE providing a natural spa experience unlike any other.
Setting foot on Santorini, one cannot escape the Floating in these thermal waters, surrounded by sheer
profound sense of standing upon ancient ground. The rock formations, is an experience that is both primal
very landscape is a reminder of its violent birth—a land and deeply serene. Beyond its geology, the volcanic past
that rose from the sea, shaped by the relentless power of Santorini has shaped its architecture and agriculture.
of volcanic eruptions. The cliffs of the caldera tower The island’s traditional homes, carved into the cliffs,
above the Aegean, layered in shades of rust, ochre, are not only aesthetically striking but also provide Where fire met the sea, an island was born—Nea Kameni,
and black, telling the story of the cataclysmic eruption natural insulation against the elements. Meanwhile,
that reshaped the island thousands of years ago. Some the mineral-rich soil, though inhospitable to most the silent guardian of Santorini’s past.

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