Megalocori Holidays

This quiet hillside village on the Aegean island of Santorini dates back to the 17th century. It’s surrounded by vineyards, and with good reason – this is the heart of the island’s winemaking industry. And wine isn’t the only sign of tradition you’ll see – there are dozens of those whitewashed houses you see on all the postcards, along with ancient cobbled streets and blue-domed churches.

Megalocori is inland so it doesn’t have its own beaches, but you don’t have to travel far to find them. Kamari, a 15-minute drive away, offers up a stretch of rare black, volcanic sand that’s dotted with umbrellas and loungers. There’s a good range of watersports, and tavernas serving drinks and snacks. And there’s another great beach at Perissa, 10 minutes’ drive away.

In around 1450 BC, the island of Santorini took a hit from one of history’s biggest volcanic eruptions – and was left with the stunning Caldera cliff running the length of the western coast. There are tours from Megalocori to take you along the crater’s edge. And thanks to the volcano, the capital Thira was left clinging to the cliff side – a cable car soars its way up to the top.

Less than five kilometres away is Akrotiri – Santorini’s answer to Pompeii. Undiscovered until 1860, this town was destroyed by the ancient volcanic eruption that engulfed the whole island. Tours of the place take you past impressive two-storey buildings preserved in ash, and you can see some of the excavated ruins in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Thira, 10 minutes’ drive away.