Make sure to be on deck to witness sailing into one of the Aegean’s most spectacular sights: the volcanic caldera that is Santorini’s bay. Rising from the sea, the earth transforms into a wall of stone that looms in striating hues of ochres, grays and pinks. Dotted with the island’s iconic blue-domed churches, the whitewashed village of Fira hovers in the cliffs, bustling with shops, tavernas and a fine museum while clinging to the caldera’s rim. After gazing down at the stunning view from Fira, you can hike the Caldera Trail to Oia – a different and equally breathtaking perspective of the exquisite bay awaits you at every turn. Or sample other island delights – the wineries, the black sand beaches or the Minoan ruins of Akrotiri, which Plato believed was the lost city of Atlantis. Then relax in a cliffside taverna with a local assyrtiko wine and watch an amazing sunset.
