Santorini tour: Akrotiri , Santo Wines Winery and Fira

You will be transferred from the ship by colorful local boat to Athinios where you will join the waiting motor coach.  Driving through picturesque villages, you will reach the southern end of the island and the archaeological site of Akrotiri.  In about 1500 BC, a volcanic eruption destroyed all life on the island and much of the island collapsed beneath the waves.   The remains of Akrotiri remained undiscovered until the excavations, led by Professor Spyros Marintos, began in 1967.  What he uncovered was evidence of an amazing city with houses, streets, squares and workshops, all of which had been covered under a thick blanket of pumice for almost 3,500 years. You will be able to walk around this ancient city among well-preserved buildings, giving you insight into the ancient civilization of Santorini.  A short journey brings you to the modern facilities of Santo Wines. Santo Wines winery, situated at Pyrgos village, is built in 5 different levels so that the building is in harmony with the surrounding environment and the vineyards that are spreading out in different ground levels forming the traditional “pezoules” From a technological point of view, the winery is built in different levels so that during the winemaking process the must is transferred by the gravity phenomenon with the minimum use of pumps, technique that protects and promotes the quality of our wines. After a guided tour of the winery you are invited to sample some of the wines. Continue on to Fira where you will have time to browse for local handicrafts. Then, enjoy a short cable car ride down to the pier.