1976 When Santorini was remote, welcoming, and cheap | Robin’s Weir

(long read)

There was at time, not long ago, at least in the six thousand years of human settlement on the Greek island of Santorini, that I and my roommate were the only two people sitting on a stone bench in the town of Fira watching the sun set over the Aegean Sea.

I can’t be certain of the exact date, but it was most probably October 1, 1976. That was a time when Santorini was remote, welcoming, and cheap. Remote, largely only accessible by ferries where Santorini was the usually last call on a voyage through the Cyclades, ships which called first at islands such as Ios, Mykonos and Paros. Welcoming, there were not that many tourists and the people of the island were more than friendly and always helpful. Cheap, especially for backpackers. There was only one hotel for the better off tourists, but many rooms available, mostly in small buildings adjacent to the proprietor’s home and a less than 10-minute walk from the cliffside overlooking the sea and the tavernas that lined the street.

Forty-eight years later it is now almost impossible to see that tranquil sunset. There are just too many people cramming into crowds to try and see the sun go down over the caldera of the volcano. According to media reports and photographs, if someone were at the back of the crowd, they would…