Santorini located south of
Ios island and north of Crete in
the Aegean
sea. The island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in
Greece. The island of
Santorini with ca 8000 inhabitants is the more southern of Cyclades Islands.
It was a single island which included those which today are the inner Islands
but a huge volcanic eruption thousands of years ago seperate Thira to the five
islands of new Kameni,
Palea Kameni,
Aspronisi,
Therasia and Thira. The
eruption of Santorini volcano dates back to the 1600 BC and covered the whole
island under lava, this eruption spread ashes on most of the Eastern
Mediterranean and on Turkey. The crater that is opened as a result of the
eruption had size equal to about 80 km2 and Islands created just around the
caldera , the volcanic crater immersed in the sea. Human activities resumed only
400 years after the eruption. The presence of hot water springs shows that the
volcano is still active today. Santorini is also connected with the myth of
Atlantis, because according to different scholars the eruption of the volcano,
destroying the island would precisely originated the legendary ancient city. The
caldera of the volcano deserves certainly a hike, so as a beautiful excursion is
the boat in the lagoon to admire the scenery originate from the disaster that
shocked the island.
With many kilometers of volcanic rock and dark sand, impressive cliffs, valleys
cultivated vineyards, characterize the island of Santorini, famous worldwide and
visited by more than half a million passengers each year.
A drink on the terrace of a bar overlooking the lagoon that is created by the
volcano its a must. You must climb a steep stairway of nearly 600 stairs to
reach Fira from the old port. Alternatively you can get a ride with the donkeys
or climb using the
cableway of Santorini.
Don't miss a walk to
Fira,
the capital of the island, visit the main square, the various shops, take a walk
around the small winding streets. See the white houses on the cliff on the edge
of the crater, take a pictures of the turquoise and blue color of the domes of
churches, walk the small squares and the winding streets, all of this makes
extremely picturesque the town of Fira.
It is recommended visit Akrotiri, a very important village covered by residues
of the volcanic ashes that follow the eruption, came to the light from
archaeological excavations in good conservation. Excavations have allowed to
retrieve many artifacts but were not found human remains, which suggests that
the city had been evacuated in time. Unfortunately you can't visit the
archaeological site and the most interesting exhibits are located in the
Archaeological Museum of Athens.
In the surroundings in the North of Fira is the charming village of Imerovigli
and more in the north the village of Oia, where you can spend a couple of
unforgettable hours on this beautiful white village perched on the caldera.
Discover other places to see in Santorini like Perissa,
Kamari, the ancient Thira, Foinikas.
Santorini is famous for its gastronomy and wines, where they produce a wide
variety. The most famous is Vinsanto and the Nihteri, a strong white wine that
remains for 6 months in barrels. Also the
vinsanto, a sweet wine
made with grapes dried in the Sun for 10-15 days and then aged for 5 years in
barrels. Enjoy the famous nightlife of Santorini with all types of bars and
clubs mostly in Fira and others on Oia and the beaches of Kamari and Perissa.
In Santorini you will find many hotels and any kind of accommodation. The island is connected with Athens with ferries and has an airport where you can fly from Athens and other European airports.