Touring Santorini

Santorini is the most popular tourist destination in Greece. There are multiple reasons why so many visitors come to the island from all over the world every year. These are some of those reasons.

Location:

Part of a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands, Santorini is the southernmost Cyclades island, and comprises approximately 28 square miles. Santorini has a giant, rectangularly shaped caldera, surrounded on three sides by high cliffs of about 980 feet, that is1300 feet deep, making the caldera a safe harbor for ships.

Also known as Ancient Thera, Santorini is what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion of historic porportions. Santorini became volcanically active around 4 million years ago and remains the most active volcano in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc.

The Minoan Explosion:

One of the world's largest volcanic eruptions, the Minoan Explosion, occurred about 3600 years ago, at the height of the Minoan Civilization. The volcanic rocks found on Santorini consists of olivine, a magnesium iron silicate, and homblende, a dark amphibole.

The Minoan Explosion of Thera was a catastrophic volcanic eruption. Before the volcano exploded the walls of the caldera formed a ring of islands with the entrance laying between Thera and Aspronisi. The cataclysmic eruption centered on a small island north of Nea Kameni. The northern part of the caldera was refilled with volcanic ash and lava, then collapsed again.

Since no bodies have been recovered from Akrotiri, the main city on Ancient Thera at the time of the Minoan Explosion, dating to that eruption, it is believed the population of the city had enough advanced warning to vacate the premises before the eruption occurred.

A tsunami was generated by the explosion that decimated the north coast of Crete, 68 miles away, and impacted coastal areas such as Amnisos and Anafi. Current estimates establish the period 1627BC to 1600BC as the time the Minoan Explosion happened. Significant climate changes in the eastern Mediterranean may have been another result of the Minoan Explosion.

The First Phase of the eruption was Plinain ejecting pumice and ash. Magma was also produced, reaching the earth's stratosphere. The Second Phase of the eruption allowed seawater to flood the crater causing violent steam explosions as water met the hot magma. Dense steam-and-ash-rich clouds spread over the island and adjacent ocean. Phase Three of the explosion created hot pyroclastic volcanic ash, pumice, and gas flows on the slopes of the volcano that spread over the entire island and ocean surface, and Phase Four of the eruption was the most violent with pyroclastic flows over the adjoining islands and into the Aegean Sea.

Santorini Settled:

Santorini remained unoccupied after the Minoan Explosion for the rest of the Greek Bronze Age. In the 1200s BC, Phoenicians founded Kallista on Ancient Thera. In the 9th Century BC Dorians founded the main Hellenic city on Mesa Vouno, which is now known as Ancient Thera. Ancient stone writings found at the Temple of Apollo show the Dorians practiced Pederasty with their eromenos, the young boys they had love relationships with.

Theran History:

Ancient Thera colonized a number of cities in north Africa including Cyrene in present day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest of the five Greek cities that were established in the region, and gave eastern Libya the Classical name of Cyrenaica, which it maintains in Modern times.

Thera did not join the Delian League with Athens in the 5th Century BC, and Thera sided with Sparta against Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars. Athens captured Thera during these wars but lost it in the Battle of Aegospotami. The Roman and Byzantine Empires ruled Thera, and the Ottoman Turks settled it in 1579. In the 13th Century the Venetians annexed Thera to the Duchy of Naxos and renamed it Santorini.

Akrotiri:

Akrotiri, the Minoan Civilization Bronze Age settlement located on Ancient Thera, was buried by the Minoan Explosion and is well preserved. Akrotiri is a famous excavation site for artifacts and frescas, and is well known for its pottery, furniture, advanced drainage systems, and three-storied buildings which have been displayed in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera. Akrotiri was one of the Aegean's major Bronze Age ports with artifacts that have been found from Anatolia, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt.

Thera is the best known Minoan site located outside of Crete, and had a large textile weaving Trade between 3000BC to 2000BC. Pipes with running water and water closets, flush toilets, have been found in Akrotiri, and are the oldest discovered. Saffron Gatherers, with their famous uses of crocus, were the most influential style of painters in Akrotiri.

Ancient names of Santorini include Kallista, "The Most Beautiful One," and Strongyle, "The Circular One". Santorini is also composed of the island of Therasia, and the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Asperonisi, and Christiana.

Wine:

Tourism is the leading major industry on the island. Santorini has a small wine industry as well that is based on the Assytiko grapes crop. Atheri and Aidani are minor grapes that Santorini wine is also made from. Vinsanto, a sweet, strong, dessert wine, is the premium wine produced on the island, and is made from the very best grapes grown, with a long barrel aging of up to 25 years. Vinsanto's dark amber-orange wine has worldwide fame for its citrus overtones layered with flavors of figs, nuts, honies, raisins, and teas.

Produce:

Santorini has prized produce. The island's cherry tomatoes are world renouned for being extremely sweet and flavorful. Santorini Fava is a puree made of hulled, sun-dried, and boiled legumes lathyrus sativas considered the best in the world. White eggplants are very sweet on Santorini and have few seeds. Katsounis are unique local varieties of large cucumbers cultivated on the island that, left unpicked, turn yellow and become sweet.

Beach Sand Colors:

Santorini was built on the remnants of a volcanic cone whose top was blown off. Beach sand colors on the island depends on which layer is exposed. Some beaches on Santorini are sandy and others are made of pebbles from solidified lava, including the Red Beach, the Black Beach, and the White Beach. Water at the darker colored beaches on the island are significantly warmer because the lava acts as a heat absorber.

Natural Disasters:

In 1707 an undersea volcano formed the current center of activity at Nea Kameni, and eruptions still occur on it. The latest eruption of this volcano occurred in 1950. Steam and sulfur are emitted by the volcano. In 1956 Santorini was struck by a massive earthquake.

Architecture:

Santorini architecture is Cycladic with whitewashed, or limewashed, low-lying cubical houses of various volcanic ash colors. The unique characteristic of the island's architecture is the use of hyposkapka extensions of the houses that are dug into the surrounding pumice making the rooms prized for the high insulation provided by the air-filled pumice, and for wine cellaring the Kavana wineries of Santorini.

Beaches:

Perissa is located next to the mountain of Profitis Ilias, and is protected on the north from the Meltemia winds of Summer making the beach one of Santorini's best. Perissa has crystal blue waters and smooth sand.

Situated on the northeast side of Santorini, Kamari is a popular tourist vacation destination famous for its expansive beach that extends to Monolithos, its green landscape, and the Jazz Festival that occurs there annually.

Pumice stone hills located behind Vlihada keep it calm and quiet, and less crowded than other Santorini beaches. Vlihada has a harbor suitable for smaller boats and many ducks and geese live there.

Located near Akrotiri, Red Beach is well known for its sand color, and the hills behind it, with their soaring red lava cliffs.

Monolithos is a quiet beach, with fine black sand and shallow waters, that makes it a family beach.

Agios Georgios is preferred for solitary swimming and smaller crowds.

Mesa Pigadia is a small, rocky beach near Akrotiri, with many varkadies (cave houses), that moor fishing boats in the Winter season.

Pori is found on the east side of Santorini and has a unique red color. The claim to fame for Pori are the 50 stairs leading down to the waters of the beach.

Ammoudi is a small, deep port located at Oia, with blue-green waters, and a small beach, located in the caldera. Colorful volcanic rocks attract many tourists to Ammoudi as do the Ancient pumice stone mines found behind the beach.

Baxedes is the main beach found on the northern end of Santorini and has black sand with smaller crowds. Paradise Beach and Cape Columbo suround Baxedes. The beach can be affected by the Summer winds and is not the best choice when the Meltemias blow.

The most popular northern beach on Santorini is Kouloumbo, a long, sandy beach with a cliff overhang. The crator of the volcano of the Minoan Explosion fame, is located under the water at Kouloumbo, 3 miles east of the beach.

Villages:

Fira is the capital city of Santorini and its most important village. Fira has a panaramic view of the submerged volcano. The main square of the village is Plateia Theotokopoulou.

Oia is famous for its striking sunsets from the Kastro walls. Nikolaoa Norniko is the main square of the village.

Empario is the largest village on southern Santorini and contains the ruins of the Medieval castle of Casteli. Goulos was a famous building on Empario where Ancient villagers sought refuge from the free roaming pirates that raided Santorini. Palia Panagia, with its ornately carved wooden bell tower dome, is a popular tourist destination in Empario.

Thirassia is the largest islet remaining from Ancient Thera, before the volcanic explosion that destroyed Santorini, and the only one still inhabited.

All the ferry boats that arrive at Santorini stop at Athinious Port. Other villages on the island include Firostefoni, Pyragos, Karterados, Megalachori, Vathonos, Vouvoulos, and Exo Gonia.

Attractions:

Founded in the 9th Century BC, Ancient Thera was located on Mesa Vouno, and inhabited until the Byzantine Period. Ancient Thera remains a preserved ruins dating to the Roman and Hellenistic times. Ancient Thera has the Sanctuary of Arthemidores from the late 4th, or early 3rd Century BC, that is hewn entirely in rock, and has engraved epigrams, inscriptions, and symbols. The Agora at Ancient Thera was the center of the city and has various temples and monuments. The 1st Century Royal Stoa, with statues of Ceasar Augustus and his family, is located in Ancient Thera, as are the Doric colonandes, including the Temple of Dionysos, the 6th Century sanctuary of Apollo Karneious, and the Temples of Hermes, Heracles, and Ptolemy III. The 2nd Century Gymnopaediae (where dances of boys were held in honor of Apollo Karneious), and the 3rd Century outdoor theater are also found in Ancient Thera.

The Archaeological Museum contains sculptures and inscriptions from Ancient to Roman times, as well as vases and clay figurines from the Geometric to Hellenistic Periods.

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera houses artifacts from Akrotiri.

The Maritime Museum in Oia contains figureheads, seamen chests, old maritime equipment, models of Ancient Theran ships, and a submarine periscope.

The rocky promontory of Skaros, located in Imerovigli, is one of the symbols of Santorini. The remains of an Ancient castle can be found at Skaros. The church of Agios Georgios, and the isthmus between Skaros and Imerovigli, leading to the chapel of Theoskeparti, is considered by many visitors to be the best viewing location on Santorini.

The hot springs of Palia Kameni are found in the middle of the caldera and contain a lot of sulfur tourists enjoy swimming in. Boats can not enter the muddy-looking bay leading to the springs.

Gialos is a small port, with about 600 steps, and large tour ships that frequent the village. Tourists ride donkeys down to the Old Port.

The Caldera Trip is a popular Attraction on Santorini and includes the Old Port of Fira, Nea Kameni, swimming Palea Kameni, and sightseeing Thirassia, Manados, and Oia.

The 1712 monastery Profitis Ilias, on the mountain of the same name, is the highest point on Santorini, and contains many important Greek Orthodox artifacts, as well as ones on shoemaking, printing, candle making, and wine making.

The Venetian Path, between Fira and Oia, leading to the Miknos Profitis Ilias church provides a view of the slimmest part of Santorini where tourists can see both the east and the west sides of the island from this location.

Airport:

Santorini has one of the Cyclades Islands few major airports, the Santorini (Thera) National Airport, which is located southeast of Thera, and can accommodate the world's largest aircraft. Santorini National Airport is serviced by Olympic Airlines, Aegean Airlines, and Athens Airways. During the busiest tourist season months of the Summer several charter airlines also provide airplane flight services to Santorini.