19 Best Sights in Santorini (Thira), The Cyclades

If Santorini is known as the "Greek Pompeii" and is claimant to the title of the lost Atlantis, it is because of the archaeological site of Ancient Akrotiri, near the tip of the southern horn of the island. The site now has a protective roof spanning the entire enclosed area, which is, in fact, a whole ancient city buried under volcanic ashes, much of it still waiting to be unearthed, almost intact. Only 1 in 20 of Santorini's visitors come to the site, which is a great shame as it helps to remind of the centuries of history that the island hides beneath traveler's feet.

In the 1860s, in the course of quarrying volcanic stone for use in building the Suez Canal, workmen discovered the remains of an ancient town. The town was frozen in time by ash from an eruption 3,600 years ago, long before Pompeii's disaster. In 1967 Spyridon Marinatos of the University of Athens began excavations, which continue to this day. It is thought that the 40 buildings that have been uncovered are only one-third of the huge site and that excavating the rest will probably take a century.

Marinatos's team discovered many well-preserved frescoes depicting aspects of Akrotiri life, some are now displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens but many have been returned to the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira. Meanwhile, postcard-size pictures of them are posted outside the houses where they were found. The antelopes, monkeys, and wildcats they portray suggest trade with Egypt.

Akrotiri was founded as early as 3000 BC, possibly as an outpost of Minoan Crete, and reached its peak after 2000 BC, when it developed trade and agriculture and settled the present town. The inhabitants cultivated olive trees and grain, and their advanced architecture with three-story frescoed houses faced with masonry and balconies and public buildings of sophisticated construction is evidence of an elaborate lifestyle. Remains of the inhabitants have never been found, possibly because they might have had advance warning of the eruptions and fled in boats; beds have been found outside the houses, suggesting the island was shaken with earthquakes that made it unwise to sleep indoors.

It is worth noting that the collection is unusually weak in jewelry, but this can probably be explained by the fact that such items are high value and easy to carry and so their owners took them with them, despite the urgency of their departure.

Not a beach per se, but one of the best swimming spots on the island. From Ia, walk down to Ammoudi, then follow the path past the Sunset taverna to the narrow channel that separates Santorini from little Agios Nikolaos island, so named because of the small chapel that rests on it. Intrepid adventurers swim across and rest on ledges beneath the chapel, enjoying sensational views of the cliffs and Ia perched high above. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

A Dorian city—with 9th-century BC tombs, an engraved phallus, Hellenistic houses, and traces of Byzantine fortifications and churches—floats more than 2,100 feet above the island. At the Sanctuary of Apollo, graffiti dating to the 8th century BC records the names of some of the boys who danced naked at the god's festival (Satie's famed musical compositions, Gymnopédies, reimagine these). To get here, hike up from Perissa or Kamari or take a taxi up Mesa Vouno. On the summit are the scattered ruins, excavated by a German archaeology school around the turn of the 20th century; there is a fine view, too.

Newly renovated, the museum contains artifacts from the island's millennia of history, which includes pottery, statues, and grave artifacts found mostly at excavations in ancient Thira and Akrotiri, from the Minoan through the Byzantine periods. Should you have time or inclination for only one museum visit on Santorini, however, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera is more instructive.

The closest sand beach to Ia is handy when you don't feel like making the trip to the more famous beaches on the south end of the island. It's not that there's anything wrong about this lovely spot: the strip of black sand and pebbles is rarely crowded and the cliffs provide welcome shade, it is just that the summertime meltemi winds can churn up the surf and sand. Islanders used to grow fruits and vegetables down here, and the name comes from the Turkish word for garden, baxes. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

The first of the island's wineries to open to the public puts on a good show, with a bright, view-filled tasting room surrounded by vineyards. A distinctly Santorini experience is a taste of Kallisti, a version of the Assyrtiko variety, and the exceptional Estate Argyros Vinsanto, an international award winner.

Growing the best Greek grapes has everything to do with the land, and the oenologists at Domaine Sigalas, on the ancient plain of Ia, are happy to share their knowledge of the unique Santorini soil and over three millennia of wine making on the island. A respected name in Greek wines, the family-run winery has opened up its lush inland vineyard at Baxes for tastings and food-pairing sessions. Groups are kept small and are priced from €70 per person.

One of the oldest vineyards, this winery has been exporting its distinguished produce since the days when mules carted wine-filled goatskins to the port in Fira. Tastings in the atmospheric old storage and pressing rooms include Voudomato, a native dry rosé, and Nykteri, a sophisticated white from the island's indigenous Assyrtiko grapes—the name means "working the night away," because the grapes are traditionally harvested at night to avoid damage from the heat.

Santorini's most popular beach, one of several excellent stretches of sand on the southern end of the island, manages to maintain its beauty despite an onslaught of sunseekers. The black sands are backed by dramatic cliffs, including the one topped by Ancient Thera. A steep path from one end of the beach leads up to the ruins, past a refreshing and very welcome natural spring, but most beachgoers don't venture beyond their umbrella-shaded loungers or the long line of beach bars and tavernas. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Standing on the highest point on Santorini, which rises to 1,856 feet at the summit, Santorini's largest monastery offers a cinematic vista: from here you can see the surrounding islands and, on a clear day, the mountains of Crete, more than 100 km (62 miles) away. You may also be able to spot ancient Thera on the peak of Mesa Vouno.

Founded in 1711 by two monks from Pyrgos, Profitis Ilias is cherished by islanders because here, in a secret school, the Greek language and culture were taught during the dark centuries of the Turkish occupation. A museum in the monastery contains a model of the secret school in a monk's cell, another model of a traditional carpentry and blacksmith shop, and a display of ecclesiastical items.

This is the treasure house that displays frescoes and other artifacts from the famed excavations at Akrotiri. Many of the finds have been sent off to the Archaeological Museum in Athens, but the most charming fresco remains here: a colorful depiction of women in dresses, gathering saffron from the stamens of crocuses. Also in this small collection are fresco fragments with the famous painted swallows, the island's favorite design motif, that still flock to Santorini to roost on the cliffs. The fossilized leaves from 60,000 BC prove the olive tree to be indigenous.

To peer into a live, sometimes smoldering volcano, join one of the popular excursions to Nea Kameni, the larger of the two Burnt Isles. After disembarking, there's a 130-meter (430-foot) hike to the top and a walk around the edge of the crater, and wondering if the volcano is ready for its fifth eruption during the last 100 years—after all, the last was in 1956. Some tours continue on to the island of Thirasia, often described as how Santorini was 50 years ago.

The modern Greek Orthodox cathedral is a major landmark. It's worth a look inside for a view of the frescoes by local artist Christoforos Asimis. You will quickly note how the local priests, with somber faces, long beards, and black robes, look strangely out of place in summertime tourist-jammed Fira.

Separated from Kamari Beach by a huge slice of rock, Mesa Vouno, Perissa is almost identical, but that mountain helps to protect it from the meltemi winds. It is a long, black-sand beach that is popular with the summer crowds and where a lively beach resort town has grown to appreciate the view. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Pretty much an extension of Perissa Beach, Perivolos features the same famous volcanic black sand but with just a tad fewer restaurants, beach bars, and cafés, making it a quieter beach enclave to seek out most times of the year. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

A backdrop of red-and-black volcanic cliffs adds no small amount of drama to this strand of multicolored pebbles and red-hued sand, and the timelessness of the place is enhanced by the presence of nearby ancient Akrotiri. Crowds pile in during July and August, and a few too many loungers and umbrellas detract from the stunning scenery, but for the most part this is one of the quieter beaches on the south side of the island. There's a rough path from the parking area to the beach. Be warned, though, the beach is officially closed due to the danger of rocks falling, and entering is at your own risk. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

In an old Neoclassical mansion, damaged in the 1956 earthquake, the museum has an enticing collection including ships' figureheads, seamen's chests, maritime equipment, and models that reveal the extensive nautical history of the island, Santorini's main trade until tourism took over.

Founded in 1870, the Koutsoyannopoulos Winery offers a tour of its old facility, now a multiroom museum that is picturesque, authentic, and mostly underground. Tools, techniques, and the original business office are from a world long gone but the wines, as the ensuing tasting proves, are contemporary and refined; Wine Spectator rated their Assyrtiko among the world's top 100 whites. Open all year round, it is fun way to spend an hour or two.

A cliff-side house built after the 1956 earthquake has been cleverly repurposed as a contemporary art space. A permanent collection of installations is joined by seasonal exhibitions and events from international artists. The views across the caldera are some of the finest, while Gary's bar a couple of streets away serves up a cocktail menu devised by the visiting creators.