Santorini

Location & Description

Santorini used to be a round island, but during an earthquake and volcano-outbreak in the 15th century BC the middle of the island sunk and gave it the shape it has today. The underwater volcano, which is one of the rare examples of volcanoes in the world created from a circular island that was there before the explosion, a group of islands namely Thera, Thirassia, New and Old Kameni and Aspronisi. This is one of the reasons why many believe Santorini really is where Atlantis once was. The Minoan civilization on the island was razed after this, but apparently, most people managed to flee. The island has changed names through history. Originally it was called Stroggyli ("round") since that was the shape of the island. However, when the Phoenicians came they named it Kallisti ("the very best"), and finally it got the name Thira after its first ruler. Today, Santorini is the only inhabited Caldera in the world. Unlike other islands in Greece, the towns and villages sit densely on top of the massive cliffs of the Caldera. The coloured strata of the volcanic rock of these cliffs are spectacular in themselves: chocolate brown, rust red, yellow ochre, white and cream. The geological uniqueness however is not the only thing that makes Santorini a special holiday destination.

2019 Santorini Itinerary Options