Fira and Traditional Villages of Santorini

Overview

Your tour begins in Fira, where you'll visit the New Museum of Fira (Prehistoric Museum), the second largest pre-historical museum in Greece. 

Your next stop is the village of Pyrgos, which was the capital of Santorini until 1800. Here you will be able to admire the beautiful old houses and the Venetian Fortress crowned by several churches. Explore this typical example of a fortified Cycladic village, with great panoramic views all around the coast. 

Now you are on to Mesa Gonia. This village suffered greatly during the 1956 earthquake, and many of its residents abandoned it to settle in the nearby village of Kamari. However, the village has made a comeback of late, and is certainly worth visiting for its traditional architecture. 

Nearby is the village of Exo Gonia, where you'll visit the famous church of Panagia Episkopi, a Byzantine-style church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The church was built at the end of the 11th century with all expenses paid by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komninos.