Firostefani Holidays

Firostefani is a peaceful village clinging to Santorini’s west-side caldera – the startling volcanic crater that rises out of the Aegean Sea. Whitewashed houses, a couple of churches and just a handful of restaurants make for a calming atmosphere here. By way of contrast, the place is linked by a coastal path to Thira – the very lively and cosmopolitan capital.

The caldera takes up most of the island’s west coast, so it’s a 20-minute drive east to three of the most popular beaches – all with Santorini’s trademark volcanic sands. Kamari comes with a Blue Flag, as does Perissa, which stretches south to join up with Perivolos. Between these three, there are plenty of sunbeds, umbrellas, watersports and beachfront bars and restaurants to go round.

Firostefani is really a suburb of Thira, which is about 15 minutes’ walk away. It’s a busy place that buzzes with contemporary shops, bars and restaurants. There are a couple of impressive cathedrals here – the Catholic one has a pretty peach exterior, while the whitewashed Orthodox one comes with lovely mosaic flooring.

About 15 minutes’ drive takes you to the famous Minoan settlement at Akrotiri. The place was all but wiped out in the wake of Santorini’s volcano back in 1500BC, though the ash preserved many of the buildings you can see today. There’s more history at Ancient Thera, about 20 minutes’ away on a zigzagging road above Kamari Beach. Here venerable Roman, Hellenistic and Byzantine ruins are up for show.