Santorini Imerovigli

resort report and Imerovigli map

Santorini Imerovigli

Virtually an extension of Fira, the village of Santorini IMEROVIGLI is perched even higher on the cliff (330m) overlooking the caldera and arguably offering the better views than its more popular neighbour which is about 3 km away.
The name Imerovigli derives from 'imera vigli' - 'daytime lookout' when it was a watchtower for the island in the days when pirates roamed the Mediterranean.
On the seaward side of Imerovigli village is an enormous rock outpost with the remains of the Skaros fortress on top of it. Before 1800 Skaros was part of Imerovigli but most of it, along with the houses around it, was destroyed in the 1956 earthquake.
Houses on Imerovigli cliff edge were also abandoned after the earthquake but were reoccupied in the 1970s. It now has protected status to prevent any unsympathetic building and trades on the breathtaking sunsets over the caldera.
Of note are the many houses that have been carved out of the cliff in Imerovigli - cave houses. The Church of the Panagia Malteza has a magnificent iconostasis carved wooden screen and icons depicting Old Testament scenes.
There is also a splendid cliff path linking Imerovigli with Fira that is worth an evening stroll when you get the best of the sunsets.
Skaros was one of five fortresses on Santorini and the most important one. Built by the Venetians in the 13th century it was the capital of Santorini until the 18th century and impregnable. It was never taken in its 600 years despite several sieges.