Pyrgos Holidays

Pyrgos is a quiet village set high on a volcanic crater on Santorini’s west coast. To say it’s postcard-pretty is an understatement. Winding lanes fan out from the remains of a Venetian castle, taking in whitewashed houses, traditional tavernas and churches with blue-domed roofs. And the sunset views from up here are pretty fantastic, to put it mildly.

Pyrgos is an inland village, though you’re never far from the volcanic sands of a beach on this small island. Fifteen minutes’ drive takes you over to the east side for Kamari and Perissa – both Blue Flag numbers, with beach-front bars and restaurants and a great choice of watersports. And 20 minutes south takes you to the famous Red Beach near Akrotiri, with its soaring red lava cliffs.

Pyrgos comes with lots of lovely old churches to see. There’s one close to the entrance of the castle ruins, and the 10th-century Church of Theotokaki has some beautiful frescoes inside. There’s also a chance to step back in time in one of the old Canava cave houses, where full-size figures depict life in a traditional Santorinian village.

The capital, Thira, is just 15 minutes’ drive away. After an earthquake in the Fifties, it had a modern makeover – the restored Catholic cathedral has a peach-coloured exterior, while the interior of the whitewashed Orthodox cathedral is adorned with new frescoes. It’s a buzzing place filled with shops, bars and restaurants – and all perched 300 metres high up on the island’s volcanic cliffs.