Quest Greek Islands Property and Lifestyle Magazine

The island capital, Fira offers much in the way of extraordinary architecture, with its busy white cobblestone alleys full of shops, cafes and tavernas. It has many hints of its Venetian rule buried in some of its old buildings. Getting to the capital is a feat in itself; you can either take the easy route via the cable car from the port or tackle all of the 588 steps on the back of a donkey. There is an interesting Archeological Museum here as well as the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, which has a superb collection of artifacts found in the ruins of the Minoan town of Akrotiri.

Whilst the towns that make up this island are stunning with much to offer in the way of panoramic views and local character, the villages and countryside are well worth taking in; there are many cave houses some still in use and tiny white churches as well as family run vineyards. If you get a chance take a boat over to Thirassia, a tiny neighbouring island with lots of authentic Greek charm and a wonderful mural painted by the local children. The Faros lighthouse near Akrotiri in the west is perched on a rock-strewn cliff is not open to the public but is a great place for taking photos.

The Beaches

There are plenty of magnificent beaches on the island like Black Beach and White Beach, which is only accessible by boat from Red Beach. This beach is reached via a rocky path or by water taxi. It is so named after the iron- rich, red rocks which tower above turning the sand a beautiful shade of red.  The first few metres of shoreline are covered with pebbles but this does not put off the hoards of beach lovers who flock therein summer. This beach also offers fantastic snorkelling and its tavernas are built into the rock caves. If you prefer somewhere less crowded then Vlichada Beach is ideal and so is the beach at Amoudi although it is more of a shingle strip rather than a sandy beach but it does offer some brilliant secluded swimming and a large rock platform for people to dive from.