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| Mesa Vouno in the background |
On our trip to Santorini last month, my partner and I went to Kamari Beach, a black-sand beach located around 10 km southwest of Fira. From Fira, it took us 20 minutes by bus to get to Kamari. The bus fare was 2 euros.
The sand is black because it contains volcanic minerals and lava fragments, which are mostly dark in color (Santorini is an active volcano). Because the sand is black, it absorbs so much heat from the sun, and can be scalding hot in the middle of the day. I took my sandals off to take pictures of my feet in the sand, and within seconds, I was hopping up and down. I suppose that must be how walking on hot coals feels like. And it wasn't even summer yet.
Although the sand was black, the water was cerulean blue. There were a few people swimming. I wonder if the sand felt hot under their feet. Most of the other visitors only lazed around on the hundreds of sunbeds and umbrellas. We didn't feel like swimming or sunbathing. Instead we went to the promenade along the beach, that was lined with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.
Kamari Beach is 5 kilometers long and is one of the longest beaches on the island. On the same coast is another black-sand beach called Perissa. Out of the two, Kamari is said to be more organized, but also more crowded. You can't walk from one beach to the other, unfortunately, because they are separated by an enormous rock called Mesa Vouno, unless you want to climb up and down the mountain. However, you can take a boat. By bus, you need to go back to Fira and take another bus to Perissa.
