The stereotypical postcard of Santorini has never changed: the white dome of the church above the deep blue waters or the crowded terraces of Oia in the evening time when thousands of camera shutters click at the exact same moment. But when you step out of the doors of Venus Sunrise Santorini, you will see a completely different Santorini. The air of Vourvoulos village will smell of wild thyme and dry volcanic soil. This place belongs to the local farmers cultivating their sun-baked vineyards in the mornings and it is wild, untamed and beautifully silent.
Although all the crowds gather in the south-coast beaches, there is another beautiful coast on the eastern part of the island that will offer you the unique opportunity to get away from the crowds. And this coast is the place where you will finally hear the Aegean sea washing the shore.
Vourvoulos Beach
You can easily reach this beach by driving down from the village in just a few minutes’ time. Vourvoulos Beach is not the beach with the artificial beauty of a resort coast but the wonderful landscape of dark volcanic sand and stones shaped by the wind and sea. The massive cliffs carved by the wind are standing around the beach revealing to you many small caves created by hundreds of years of erosion.
Along the shore of Vourvoulos beach there is a row of trees that provide the natural shade for those who want to sit on the sand watching the silhouette of Anafi island on the horizon. Right on the shore there is a tiny fishing harbor where the captains from Vourvoulos will tie up their colorful painted boats. Just after swimming you can easily walk to the To Limanaki: a seaside tavern where you will enjoy the most delicious fresh fish served right on the seashore.
Pori Beach
A few minutes north from Vourvoulos beach there is Pori: a quiet and hidden bay known for its unique black volcanic sand and its incredible silence. There is nothing here except for you and nature: there are no beach bars and rows of sunbeds. Only the dramatic red cliffs of the earth behind you and the open sea will wait until you make an early morning swim in the perfectly calm and blue waters and admire the magic of the Cycladic sunrise.
Xiropigado Beach
The wild coast situated between Vourvoulos and Pori and overlooked by most tourists during their trips, Xiropigado Beach can offer you one of the best secrets of the island. Covered with the smooth gray pebbles, the water of Xiropigado turns into the deep and intense blue.
Thanks to the lack of any construction and civilization, this beach can offer you an unforgettable feeling of escaping the modern world. Take your fruit and a bottle of local Assyrtiko wine with you:
you will probably have the whole coastline to yourselves.
Cape Coloumpos
If you go even further north from Pori towards Oia, you will discover the amazing geological landscape of Cape Coloumpos. The beach is located below a huge overhanging cliff that makes the sun hide in the afternoon, throwing the big shadows onto the dark sandy shore.
Cape Coloumpos is a living proof of the volcanic origins of the island. Just off the coast of Coloumpos there is the active crater that gives this coast an extra portion of the wildness and power of nature. You can easily notice the very strong wind here which forms the impressive waves hitting the volcanic coast of the island.
Returning to Venus Sunrise Santorini
Having spent the day in the wildness and elementality of the coast of Santorini, you will return to your suite seamlessly. Leaving behind the sea and the wild wind, you will get to the place of calm. Just enjoy watching the stars appearing in the sky from your own terrace knowing that tomorrow you will have the wild side of the island just outside your door
Panagiotis Inglesis is the co-owner and General manager of Athina Luxury Suites, along with his wife Mrs.Artemis Argyrou. Together they had a vision to create one of the best boutique hotels in Santorini and today they continue their vision…Athina Luxury Suites is considered one of the top hotels on the island.