Traditional Cooking in Therasia

Discover the culinary heritage of Therasia Island, within the Santorini Caldera, through a hands-on cooking experience rooted in local recipes and Cycladic traditions. Guests prepare dishes such as traditional tomato balls and fresh fish slowly baked in a gastra—a traditional covered cooking vessel—in the wood-fired oven of Santa Irini Retreat.

Fresh, seasonal ingredients are sourced with a clear sense of place: first from the retreat’s own vegetable garden, then from producers on Therasia and Santorini, and, when necessary, from selected producers elsewhere in Greece. This carefully considered approach connects each dish to the land, the seasons and the culinary culture of the Cyclades.

The experience unfolds beneath the traditional pergola, around a large communal table with panoramic views across the caldera towards Santorini. Located within steps of the wood-fired oven and directly opposite Nikos—a 167-year-old historic residence now restored as one of the retreat’s four suites—the setting brings the living heritage of Santa Irini Retreat naturally into the experience.

Guests take part in the preparation, learn time-honoured cooking techniques and enjoy the dishes they have created together. More than a cooking class, this convivial gathering offers a meaningful encounter with Therasian gastronomy, local hospitality and the enduring pleasure of sharing food around a common table.