Santorini Island Greece Info

The combination of magnificent landscape, the volcano, and the famous Cycladic architecture make Santorini a beautiful place to relax and get away. Santorini is not just an island that has developed as its island neighbors have. Santorini is unlike any other island. Even the people of Santorini consider themselves different; they say, "we are not people, we are Santorinians." In order to convey the sense of uniqueness of the island, it is necessary to understand the richness, history, and geological sensitivity of the landscape.
Getting out from the deep blue sea its volcanic sheer cliffs topped with gleaming white village homes and churches, resemble snowcapped mountains. The thunderous fury of nature left its mark on the island, the home of Greece's last active volcano which still smolders today. Layer upon layer of red volcanic rock interspersed with white buildings and specks of greenery form a visual demonstration found nowhere else.
The entire center of the circular island sank into the sea during the tremendous volcanic explosion of 3.500 years ago. The eruption caused tidal waves which virtually wiped out the advanced Minoan civilization of Crete 70 miles to the south. Some scholars believe that the island is part of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis which supposedly slipped underwater during the disaster.

What remains today of Santorini is a large cresent-shaped island enclosing a vast bay, the largest caldera on earth (7X14 miles). There are also four much smaller islands called Thirassia, Nea Kameni, Palia Kameni and Aspronisi.  Santorini boasts several nice beaches and two major archaeological sites. Ancient Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan town that was covered in volcanic ash which has allowed it to be amazingly preserved, even to this day. Several very important wall frescos were uncovered that depict everyday life over 4,000 years ago. The frescos can be seen today at the island's Archaeological Museum and the site can be visited everyday except Monday and holidays. The second site of major archaeological importance is Ancient Thira. Thira is perched on the hill of Mesa Vouno overlooking modern day Kamari and Perissa. It boasts ruins from Minoans, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Venetians.

Santorini is one huge mound of volcanic lava. The ground is not part of the earth's crust, but instead it was formed by the hardening of a viscous liquid that emerged from the bowels of the earth. The sea around it is 380 meters (1,247 feet) deep and is deepest darkest blue right at the water's edge.

Due to the different kinds of volcanic rock, there are several black sand and rock beaches and even a red sand beach worth visiting for its striking color. In the towns of Kamari and Perissa the entire range of water sports are readily available including rentals, lessons, and equipment.

Tourism is the main occupation in Santorini today. In the summer, visitors swamp the island, life takes place in the open air, and the locals work non-stop. When winter comes, everything goes to a standstill; the locals shut themselves up in their houses and catch up on lost sleep. In the spring, before the tourists start to arrive again, the island is a hive of activity as preparations are made as nearly the entire island is repainted and freshened up.

The island is almost waterless and has only a very few flowing springs. Consequently, the inhabitants often use rainwater for their everyday use. Today, special water container trucks brought over on ferries meet the water supply demands of Santorini.

Together with Anafi, Santorini is the southernmost island of the Cyclades. It has an area of 96 square kilometers (37 square miles), a coastal length of 69 kilometers (43 miles), and its width varies from 2 to 6 kilometers (1 to 4 miles). The ground of the island is volcanic and on the side of the volcano caldera, the island is rocky and steep. Sheer, impressive cliffs, and parallel layers of black and red rocks compose its western side. In the southeast are the limestone masses of Mesa Vouno, with the highest summit being that of Prophitis Ilias (550 meters or 1,800 feet). Gavrilos rises in the south, whilst in the north we find the peaks of Megalo Vouno and Mikros Prophitis Ilias.

Santorini's climate is mild and Mediterranean. It is cool in the summer owing to the northeast winds (known as meltemi), and in the winter, the weather is sweet and mild with an average temperature of 10 C (50 F). The rainfalls are frequent in winter but almost non-existent in summer.

The population of Santorini numbers some 11,400 people yet every year 500,000 tourists visit the island.

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From the sheer cliff-top, where the villages are built, you look down on the gentle, green outer slopes of the mountain: the sea has filled the crater of the volcano. The contrast between these two faces of Santorini is dramatic and extraordinary.

The beauty of Santorini must depend on light and line; there is hardly any vegetation apart from vines, and the volcanic earth has no charm of color, unlike the earth and rock of the limestone islands. Yet it has a strange and uncanny fascination of its own. It has rightly been called the black pearl of the Aegean.
The sunsets of Santorini, with the Burnt Islands in the foreground, the islet of Thirassia behind, Sikinos and Folegandros farther off, and the great rock of Christiana, are among the most exciting aesthetic experiences that the Aegean can provide.

The official name of the island is Thira, but foreigners refer to it by the name given in honor of the island's patron saint, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, who died here while in exile in 304 A.D.

Santorini, which covers 73 square kilometers and is located 127 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus, has an important wine trade. In September visitors may tread the grapes and taste the wines. The rich volcanic soil also produces popular small sweet tomatoes. The island also exports pumice stone, china clay and pistacchio nuts. Two million tons of volcanic soil is exported every year for use in the cement industry. A member of the Cyclades group of Aegean islands, Santorini has a permanent population of aapproxiimately 10.500 but during the tourist season this number swells dramatically.

Santorini has 13 villages. Fira, also known as Thira or Hora, is the island's capital. It is situated 27,5 m. above the sea and may be reached from the port of Skala climbing the steep, 566 broad steps. This should only be attempted by the untiring while the traditional way up the zigzag path is by renting pack mules or donkeys. For those who prefer modern conveniences, a funicular lift is available.
The cable car lifts 800 persons per hour. The duration is only two minutes and offers unforgettable views of the volcanic island.
 

The Lost Atlantis

There is a story thousands of years old about a "lost island" in the Atlantic Ocean. The story was told by the ancient Greeks, and had been handed down from father to son for many generations before the Greek philosopher Plato wrote a famous story about it, about 375 BC.
The island of Atlantis, according to Plato's story, was really a series of islands. Imagine in the center a hill, surrounded by a ring of water; the ring of water surrounded by a circle of land, then another ring of water and one of land, until there were nine rings of water and nine of land. The islands had been created by Neptune, god of the sea, for Cleito, his beloved. From their children the king and people of Atlantis were descended. The island was very rich, and the people content. The city was built of black and red stone; the roofs of the houses were of red copper and flashed in the sun; and there were two beautiful temples, one surrounded by a golden wall and the other with silver walls, golden pinnacles, and a roof of ivory.

In 1967, a city buried by a volcanic eruption in 1500 BC., was found on Santorini. Archaeologists say this might be Atlantis.