White washed buildings cling to the rim of the ancient caldera. Tenuously overlooking the calm waters of the blue bay, all the while kissing the azure crown of the sky. Perched high above the still waters they appear to be snowcaps in the distance.

It is the final week of the season and majority of this bustling tourist destination lies dormant. The silence is deafening. The silence is beautiful.  The shuttered shops along tight winding interlocking paths are silent sentries to the summers past hustle.

An island, of perhaps a mere 10,000 full time residents (depending on the sources quoted, it ranges from 6 to 15 thousand, in 30 square miles) can have over 500,000 visitors at any one time.

You may not be able to buy that snow-globe, with the sky blue domed church, but you can get a ready seat in the still many open tavernas, restaurants or wineries. And face the setting sun, sipping and nibbling your way to bliss, watching it slip below the horizon, performing in mother nature's, most dazzling of light shows.

The once round volcanic island, was blow apart around 1500 BC, creating the crescent shaped land mass and idyllic bay we see today. The resort town of Oia lies on the furthest north portion of the island. Strings of villas, hotels and spa's, all in the style of the whitewashed cave dwelling, stretch along it's spine. Imerovigli comes next and leads into the capital Fira, which essentially is the only city open after October 31. Kamari on the eastern side facing the Aegean, is home to the famous black sand beaches.  Akrotiri in the south is the home of the historical and archeological sites.  Hosting a dig of Minoan culture, like the city of Pompeii, buried in ash and volcanic mud, it dates back to 1500 BC when the volcano erupted, burying for eons this ancient site. It now sits under the cover of a huge steel and glass enclosure that is size of several football fields. It is built for earthquakes and to be ecologically green. The structure is designed to recover rainwater and use natural light and air currents for heat and ventilation.

If you are driving on the island there are car rental agencies in the airport and it is advised to make arrangements a head of time. However, the roads are right-hand side drive, and signage is in both Greek and English. Many hotels will offer shuttle service to and from the airport. Mopeds, scooters, quadbikes are everywhere and are available to rent as well.

We broke up our visit in three phases, north, central and south. To the south and central you will find the historic and archeological sites. The ancient city of Thera, high atop the southern peak, a great place to hike and get an overall view of the entire island. Closed on Mondays, it’s hours are 8:30 a.

m. to 2 p.m. and involves a breathtaking switchback road, zig-zagging up to about 1100 feet. The ruins of the ancient city are atop this perch and date back from the 8^th century b.c.  and into the Roman era with temples and baths. An city in stone, high atop the island. At it’s base is Kamari and the black sand beaches.

At the far southern tip is the lighthouse, an exhilarating perch to feel the wind, the sun and gaze off into the Aegean Sea the island of Crete 60 miles to the south the next bit of land. The southern half,  is less developed and unresort like. The volcanic soil is home to many wineries and vineyards producing many fine varieties of white and red grapes.

A visit to the central portion of the island brings you the capital Fira, which is the only town truly open after the season ends on October 31. Many fine shops and wineries are located in this are. A favorite is the Santo Winery, offering tours during the season. The tours were finished,  but the wineries café and store  offer a great place to order a tasting flight, sit on one of their many western balconies, sip wine, face the setting sun and sample the local fare. It’s perched high above the caldera and offers superb panoramic views of the entire area.

The white washed city Oia, lies on the farthest point north on the island. Here are quintessential white washed, blue domed buildings of pictorial fame. The tightly packed buildings wind rabbit warren like, intermixed with shops, resort apartments and eateries. Empty now after the end of October, except for a few stragglers, it is beautiful in its desertion. The sound of workmen repairing, rebuilding and restoring for the next season break the silence. A few stores and restaurants are open, catering to the locals and those brave souls who are the last of the visitors.