FROM FAR LEFT:
The Church of St.
Nicholas in
Pyrgos, a village
in inland Santorini;
Aktaion, on
Santorini, which
has served
Cycladic
specialties since
1922.other young islanders I met, sees it as a mixed blessing:
he’s happy to be able to share the island’s beauty, but less
enthusiastic about the soaring rents and crowded roads.
There are undeniable upsides to Santorini’s global
fame. Direct flights, for one, and a disproportionate
number of exceptiona l places to stay (t he 78-squa re-
ki lometer isla nd is home to more tha n 280 hotels.) I
wallowed in luxury at Canaves Oia Epitome, where my
fellow guests were mostly blissed-out honeymooners
enjoying private ocean views from the property’s brand-
new, minimalist suites—each of which has a private
plunge pool framed by citrus trees. Food on Santorini
runs a gamut of dining experiences far broader than on
the typical Greek island, with everything from fine dining
to farm-to-table food (the island even has a McDonald’s).
After the sunset crowds had died away, I visited Vineyart
in Oia, a fresh, airy space where the young, enthusiastic
owners offer delicacies from across the Cyclades,
including spectacular charcuterie, cheeses and flights of
local wine. And I ate an extraordinary meal at Canaves
Oia Epitome’s Elements restaurant, where head chef
Tasos Stefatos is clearly bidding for the island’s first
Michelin star with a tasting menu filled with witty nods to
Santorini’s geology: red mullet blackened with powdered
squid ink that resembles ash; a molten chocolate volcano.
On my last day, I booked a boat trip around the
island—one of the best ways to get a clearer sense of
Santorini’s unusual topography and to access some of its
less crowded black volcanic-sand beaches. As sunset
approached, our skipper jockeyed for position with 20
other catamarans, angling for the best view. Behind us, I
could see thousands of visitors on the cliffs at Oia, the
flashes of their camera phones sparkling away as they
rehearsed for the unmissable Instagram moment ahead.
But five minutes before sunset, the sun slipped behind a
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