Pyrgos Village & Kasteli

If the caldera villages show you the glamour of Santorini, Pyrgos shows you its soul. Officially Pyrgos Kallistis, it rises in concentric rings around a hilltop in the middle of the island, close to its highest point, and for centuries it was a fortified lookout and the main settlement of the island, until the administrative centre moved to Fira in the nineteenth century. It is now a protected listed settlement, and walking up through it is like climbing a spiral staircase of whitewashed houses, arches, stairways and blue doors, with no cars inside the old village. At the top stands the Kasteli, the Venetian-era castle, where the houses form a defensive ring and the lanes become so narrow you can touch both walls. Inside the walls is Theotokaki, a tiny church believed to date from the tenth century and one of the oldest on the island, along with the Church of the Holy Trinity and its icons. From the summit you look out over the whole of Santorini: the caldera and the volcano on one side, the vineyards and the eastern beaches on the other, and Oia far away at the northern tip. Unlike the caldera villages, Pyrgos has a large population of permanent residents, so it stays alive all year, with tavernas and cafes that cater to locals as well as visitors, and it is one of the best bases or day trips in the off-season. On Good Friday, the village is famous for one of the most spectacular Easter processions on the island. Santo Wines sits on the caldera edge just outside the village, and the monastery of Profitis Ilias, at the highest point of the island, is above it on the mountain.

How to visit: Pyrgos is about fifteen minutes by bus or car from Fira on the road south. Park at the edge of the village and explore on foot, following any lane that leads uphill; you cannot really get lost, because all roads lead to the Kasteli. An hour or two is enough to wander, visit the churches when they are open and enjoy the view, longer if you stop for a meal. The late afternoon is lovely, when the light warms the walls and the village terraces fill for sunset, which you can watch over the caldera from the top.

Walks from Pyrgos: a road and footpath climb from the village to the monastery of Profitis Ilias, built in 1711, at around 567 metres the highest point of the island, about an hour on foot, with sweeping views in every direction (the summit is also home to military and communications installations, so some areas are fenced). From there, a marked trail continues down to Ancient Thera on its ridge above Kamari, about five kilometres from Pyrgos in all, and you can finish in Kamari for a swim and a meal, returning by bus.

Eating and drinking: Pyrgos has some of the best tavernas on the island, many with terraces looking over the vineyards or the caldera, and several wineries are close by, including Santo Wines on the caldera rim. It is a good place to try Santorini dishes such as fava, tomato fritters and white aubergine, washed down with local Assyrtiko. Because it is lived in all year, Pyrgos is one of the few places where you can find open tavernas and real village life in winter.