Pyrgos, Panagia Episkopi,Thira, Prehistoric Museum

Board your motorcoach and start a journey along the rocky sides of the caldera and visit Pyrgos. Pyrgos village was built on the top of a hill, and until the early 1800s, was the capital of the island. The village is composed of traditional houses built around the Venetian Castle and the small streets follow the shape of the hill. Climbing from the square up to the castle of Pyrgos, the stone houses crowd more densely together and the labyrinth of narrow vaulted lanes becomes more tortuous. The village has many churches, around 33. Pyrgos is a place that is certainly worth a visit and dedicates enough time to the most fabulous panoramic view of the island. Next is Panagia Episkopi church, which was built in the late 11th Century by Emperor Alexios A’ Komninos. The church is an important Byzantine monument. It houses the icon of Panagia Glikofilousa, one of the third most priceless portable icons in the world. The church is not only known for its ecclesiastical architecture. It is also admired for its remarkable Byzantine paintings and hagiography. A number of important icons can be seen in the church, although it bears to mention that 26 of the finest works were stolen in 1982 and have never been found. A short journey brings you to Fira town, where the new Prehistoric Museum is located. In this remarkable museum, you will see artifacts, which were excavated at the site of Akrotiri, including the recent discovery of gold Ibex. Here you will have the option to either stay in town for further exploration or climb Fira’s narrow lanes to the cable car station and descend to the pier where water shuttles will take you back to the ship.