Sandorini is one of the most charismatic islands in the Cyclades. The snow-white houses with the blue doors and windows are built amphitheatrically, reflecting off the burnt black earth of the island. As to their construction, they are split into the ones built under the surface, those that are half-built and those that are completely built. On Sandorini, the houses have no height but depth.
"Kastelia" and "goulades" are two of the most significant highlights of architecture on the island. "Kastelia" are whole villages that are fortified, with the houses built in such a way as to create a high wall to the outside world to protect the inhabitants from pirate raids. "Goulades" are smaller fortified buildings, which have been used by the castle-owners as warehouses for ailing people or as habitations for the serfs.
Sandorinians, since antiquity, have been experts in ceramics and pottery-making, through which all the refinement and sensitiveness of their character is represented. Nowadays on the island, there are a lot of pottery workshops, in which youngsters learn the art from their fathers. There are also many workshops of gold and silver, as well as exhibitions of modern jewellery, which give the island a cosmopolitan touch.
The islanders love music and dancing and like all the Cycladeans they set themselves free to party and celebrate during their festivals. Their feasts usually last for whole days - sometimes even whole nights too - and their dances are accompanied by the sounds of the violin and the clarinet, as well as other traditional instruments. The cultural clubs of the island organize, especially during the summer months, musical nights, theatrical performances, and dancing activities which are aimed at the preservation of local traditions.