Fortunately, we had been to Santorini once before, so we chose to leave the masses behind, and we took a bus to Akrotiri Ruins. “The earliest evidence for human habitation of Akrotiri can be traced back as early as the 5th millennium BCE when it was a small fishing and farming village. The community developed and expanded significantly, due to trade relations established with other culture in the Aegean. Akrotiri is positioned on the primary sailing route between Cyprus and Minoan Crete. It was important in the trade of copper. Akrotiri’s prosperity continued another 500 years, with paved streets, an extensive drainage system, and the production of high quality pottery. All came to an end in the 16th century BCE with the volcanic eruption of Thera. The settlement was destroyed, buried in volcanic ash, which preserved the remains of fine frescoes and many objects and artworks. Akrotiri has been excavated since 1967.” We enjoyed a self tour of Akrotiri under a large covered roof. It was fascinating to imagine life there over 7000 years ago.
We took the bus back to Fira and had a snack, then got in the long line to ride the tram back to the waterfront to take a small boat back to our boat. The tram was the only way to return to the boat as the walkway was closed. Nothing to do but be patient and chat with others in line! We had dinner on our boat and rode overnight to our next stop.
