One of Greece’s most unique events combining tourism and sports returns to Santorini island this October for the second consecutive year, attracting both professional and amateur athletes.
Santorini Experience is a collaboration between the Municipality of Santorini, the Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organisation of Santorini (DAPPOS) and Active Media Group.
“Last year we started Santorini Experience, a sports event that is becoming an institution for the island,” Mayor of Santorini Anastasios Nikolaos-Zorzos said.
“[It] gives visitors the opportunity to combine wellness with the unique nature of the island, to live an explosive experience. The Santorini Municipality and the athletic organisation DAPPOS embraced and supported this event from the beginning, thus trying to highlight another face of the island, the athletic side. We welcome you to the organisation and wish that you live a truly unique life experience.”

The concept is unique and unprecedented. Participants are invited to compete on the Caldera of Santorini, following a route where “man and nature become one with respect and love”.

The island’s unique volcanic landscape is ideal for an array of athletic activities. This year’s program includes open water swimming from the volcano to the old port of Fira, overseen by the federal technical coach of swimming, and will be carried out under the auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation (KOE), highlighting the importance of Santorini Experience.

Olympic and world open water swimming medalist Nikos Gemelos will be the technical director of the swimming event in which Olympic and world champions Spyros Gianniotis and Kelly Araouzou will participate. Leading open water swimming athletes the likes of Antonis Fokaidis, Giorgos Arniakos and Dimitris Negris will also compete in 2016’s Santorini Experience.

Various running routes connecting Oia with Fira overlooking the amazing Caldera have been selected by former marathon runner and holder of national best performance on the classical route, Nikos Polias.

Fox Sports, one of the biggest sports subscription television networks worldwide, will be the official broadcaster of the sports documentary Santorini Experience, transmitting unique images of the island’s sports tourism attractions to millions of homes in China, India, South Korea, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, Europe and others. Neos Kosmos is also an international communicative sponsor for the event.

“I am really happy that we managed in such difficult times to unite all our forces for an innovative organisation like Santorini Experience,” the CEO of Active Media Group, Mr Akis Tsolis, concluded.

“We do not rest on what tourism achieves today, but we continue to build for tomorrow.”

For further information, email pr@activemedia.com.gr or head to www.activemedia.com.gr