Travel Porn: Oia, Santorini, Greek Islands
Travel Porn:
Oia, Santorini, Greek Islands
The churches and white buildings that line the cliffs in the small town of Oia on the Greek Island of Santorini might be one of the photographed scenes in the world.
Long before I developed my chronic case of wanderlust I was already familiar with these images. When I was a tween I had a Greek Island daily planner for school one year. I often stared at those images and daydreamed instead of listening to nuns who taught at my middle school.
When I learned that I had an opportunity to live on Santorini, aka Thira as it is officially known, I was so excited to frolic in my postcard fantasy.
It turned out there is more to this tiny island than picture perfect postcard fantasies.
Santroini turned out to be one of the bumpiest rides in my RTW journey and one of the creepiest and most haunted places I have ever visited. It was so strange that I doubt I will ever return to Greece.
The island is the remnant of a volcanic a caldera and we lived at the base of the ruins of the ancient civilization that were killed during one of the largest eruptions in recorded history. Some say that it is the basis for the legend of Atlantis. There was a howling wind that started at sunset and continued to dawn. Things would blow inside our house even with all the windows and doors closed! I was even picked up a good two feet off the ground one afternoon and thrown against a wall! Wind doesn’t do that!
Oh, I can not forget the vrykolakas!
It is Santorini that is thought to be the place in the world most inhabited by vampires. These aren’t your glittering in the sun Twilight vampires but instead soul sucking vampires! Legend has it that they knock on your door, day or night, and call your name. If you answered you were dead meat. Needless to say I always honored the local custom of not answering the door till the second knock!
By the end of my two months there I was glad to have escaped with my life! I’ve simply come to the conclusion that their volcano god does not like my volcano god, Pele! Yet, I can not deny that the pictures still are pretty to look at… from a safe distance of course 
Have you ever been somewhere that you felt was haunted? Somewhere that gave you the HebeJeebies and you swear to never return to?
Alexandra Pucherelli is a Maui native who is flirting with adventure and shenanigans one country at a time. She is an island Girl, hammock lover, travel writer, gin drinker, lover of cheese, travel photographer, and daydreamer. A full time nomad since April 03, 2011 and is sharing her musings, budget, and frolicking tips with you. She is bad with learning new languages but FLUENT IN FROLICKING
Wow, creepy! I would have never imagined that level of creepiness for a place that is so well known and well photographed!
Shanna Schultz recently frolicked at…A Tale of Two Suitcases
It was such a freak show there! It has scared me off from visiting any more of the country…
Wow, love the blue domes in this shot!
Laurence recently frolicked at…In photos: from the Facebook Page (Edition i)
Thanks! It’s hard to take a bad picture in Oia
How interesting! This reminded me of a writer on vampires, werewolves etc, Montague Summers, who talked about the legend in Greece. Apparently he was shown what was supposed to be a vampire corpse being prepared in a Santorini Church in the early 1900s, and another writer on vampires from the 1600s was a Santorini priest called Father François Richard (published in Paris).
It’s a beautiful island, though!
Julie McNamee recently frolicked at…50 Olympic Events You Won’t See At London 2012
Wow! I’m going to have to read up on Summers. I was hiking the hill one afternoon and stumbled upon something that looked like a well, aka a giant hole in the ground, that was boarded up with a padlock and a giant pile of boulders on top of it! It was beyond creepy! I talked to many locals who followed the door knocking policy, better safe than sorry.
Now that’s sounding like Ringu to me! It’s amazing how these superstitions linger, and when you’re in the place yourself you follow them, just in case …
It was very Ringu! I would have taken a picture of it but didn’t want to accidentally curse all who viewed it
Ha ha!
Yikes, but well it still looks so gorgeous!!!!!
Yes still gorgeous…
Really? I had no idea that Santorini would be a creepy place! And that Greece would suck so bad. It’s one European country I haven’t been to so would still like to go but I’m definitely not in a hurry now (although that view is pretty awesome).
Larissa recently frolicked at…Midsummer in Sweden Video || Part One
I know a lot of people who love the islands of Greece. Santorini included. If you go I would love to hear what you thought of it.
Whaaaaat? I’ve never heard this about Santorini before! I always thought of it as an upmarket Greek island destination!
Still, I do want to visit – although I’m not sure whether or not that was your intention! Terezin in the Czech Republic have me the heebie jeebies. It was like a haunted town. Completely beautiful, but creepy. Then again, there’s a concentration camp on the outskirts of town. Now THAT place was scary.
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I was just watching a show on the lost city of Atlantis and they were talking about the volcanic eruptions on Santorini that killed most of it’s inhabitants.. Scientists believe that these eruptions caused giant tidal waves in the Med that caused the sinking of Atlantis. So much history in that part of the world!
Wow, I never heard about the Vampires in Santorini – very interesting!
Mary @ Green Global Travel recently frolicked at…10 Most Threatened Rivers for Your World Travel Bucket List
I hadn’t either until I started asking people about the strange things I was experiencing while I was there! I think they try not to advertise it