19/08/2025
ad| After Rhodes the
Crystal Cruises Symphony sailed to the even more dramatic island of Santorini.
Dropping anchor off this volcanic beauty and we set off on a shore excursion that began with Akrotiri – the Bronze Age’s answer to Pompeii. Dating from 3,600 years ago, this Minoan settlement was buried under ash when the islands volcanic decided to cough up the Mediterranean’s biggest eruption in recorded history.
The site today is extraordinary. You wander through roofed walkways over streets and squares where people lived in multi-storey houses (yes, proper apartment blocks before Athens even got its act together), with storage jars taller than most tourists, and fragments of frescoes that survived the fiery apocalypse. The ash preserved staircases, furniture, even drainage systems — giving us a vivid peek into how sophisticated the Minoans were.
From there, we were whisked to Oia, a village as famous for its blue domes as it is for being completely rammed with tourists. Picture postcard views jostling with selfie sticks – a reminder that beauty attracts company.
We made our escape to Fira, Santorini’s cliff-hugging capital, only to be greeted with almost as many people, so a quick wander through the beautiful alleyways and we decided to call it a day, catching the cable car back down the caldera where the tender was waiting to bring us back to the ship for a very late pizza lunch in the Beefbar.
Still a little grumpy with Santorini for serving us up two of the most crowded villages we’ve ever seen in all of our visits there, all was forgiven when, as we sailed away to our next destination, we were awarded the most stunning sunset.
