Travel to island Santorini, Greece

Santorini is a vacation island of Greece that everyone plans to revisit because one day spent there is definitely not enough to absorb its splendor. Santorini is actually a small circular group of volcanic islands located in Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from the mainland of Greece. It's also known by the name of the largest island of the archipelago, Thera, and it's the southernmost member of the Cyclades group. Its spectacular shores and beaches, along with its excellent all-inclusive hotels & fervent nightlife, makes this island one of the top travel destinations and beach resorts of Greece, of Europe, and even of the world!
Santorini is a giant central lagoon surrounded on three sides by 300 meter high sheer cliffs! The lagoon is separated from the sea on the fourth side by a another island, much smaller, called Therasia. The lagoon meat the sea in two places, in northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of lagoon is very deep, nearly 400 meter, so it's an ideal & safe harbor even for the biggest cruise ships. The island's ports are all located in the lagoon and the towns of Santorini cling to the top of the cliffs, looking down to the blue waters. Just imagine what a view can be seen from a hotel room...

Beach resorts & all-inclusive hotels

This island is the most active volcanic center in Aegean Sea. In 1707 an undersea volcano breached the sea surface forming the current center of activity at Nea Kameni; the eruptions centered there continue - three times in the 20 century, the last one being in 1950. Santorini was touched by a devastating earthquake in 1956. The experts believes that in the future the volcano will again violently erupt.
About 3,500 years ago this archipelago was place of one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the last several thousand years. That eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits, hundreds feet deep. Its effects indirectly led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization, on island Crete, located 110 km (70 mi) to south.
Santorini was annexed to Greece in 1912. Major beach resorts of Santorini include Fira or Phira, Oia, Emporio, Kamari, Imerovigli, Pyrgos and Therasia; there are also located the majority of all-inclusive hotels of the island. Akrotiri is a major archaeological site with ruins from the Minoan era. The island features also a few very spectacular beaches covered with a specific sand.
The island has no rivers. Until the early nineties, the locals filled the water cisterns from the rain that fell on their roofs and courts, from small springs as well as by importing it from other areas of Greece. Now there is a desalination station that provides running water to most houses, still this water is not potable.
The name Santorini is a reference to Saint Irene. Before it was called Kalliste - the most beautiful one, Strongyle - the circular one, or Thera.
The main industry of Santorini is the tourism. Santorini is also home to a small but flourishing wine industry, based on the indigenous grape variety called Assyrtiko. The Assyrtiko vines are well adapted to Santorini's habitat. Also unique is the red & sweet and extremely strong Vinsanto wine.
Santorini looks like a massive and snow capped mountain dropped into the middle of the sea. When you arrive to the island you'll see that actually the island isn't covered by snow - the white color comes from the typically Greek white washed houses that are built on its top. The sides of the island are to steep to bear any building...
Numerous cruise ships anchor in its harbor almost every day. Small local boats transport vacationers from the cruise ships to the shore. One of the main beach resorts of the island is Oia, a small village set at the edge of caldera's steep slope. The taverns, bars, restaurants, all-inclusive hotels and homes of Oia sit along the shore of the island. When you take a look from your hotel room or relax in one of many restaurants from the top you can enjoy a magnificent view of the island and of the blue waters of the lagoon. Smaller islands, also part of this volcanic archipelago, can be seen throughout the sea. On the eastern coast of the island are located the most beautiful beaches of Santorini, covered with black volcanic sand.