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Santorini
Villages perched on the rim of a caldera left by an eruption around 1600 BCE.
Santorini is what was left when the Minoan eruption blew the middle out of a round island around 1600 BCE. Fira and Oia now sit on the caldera rim about 300 metres above the water, looking down into the flooded crater.
At Akrotiri, on the south of the island, a Bronze Age town buried under the ash has been dug out with its walls and frescoes still standing — the comparison people reach for is Pompeii. The same volcanic soil and constant wind produced a wine style found almost nowhere else: Assyrtiko vines trained into low coiled baskets called kouloura, so the grapes ripen sheltered inside.
Quick facts
Currency
EUR
Euro
Language
Greek
+ English
Power
—
Driving
Right
US-style
Airport
JTR
Santorini (Thira) National
Emergency
—
Police · Fire
When to go
Monthly breakdown
Storm risk: NoneJan
Rain
Feb
Rain
Mar
Rain
Apr
—
May
Best
Jun
Best
Jul
Best
Aug
Best
Sep
Best
Oct
Best
Nov
Rain
Dec
Rain
Major events
Orthodox Easter
The biggest event in the Greek calendar, bigger than Christmas. Good Friday epitaphios processions wind through Pyrgos by candlelight with the whole village lit.
Ifestia Festival
A re-enactment of the volcanic eruption staged with fireworks over the caldera from Nea Kameni, watched from the cliff towns and from boats below.
Santorini Experience
A road race down and up the caldera path plus an open-water swim from Oia to Armeni, run in October when the heat has broken.
Hidden gems
Ancient Thera
A Greek and Roman town along a ridge 350 metres above Kamari, occupied for a thousand years and reached by switchbacks or a long walk up.
Vlychada
Black sand under wind-carved pale cliffs on the south coast, quieter than Perissa and backed by the old tomato cannery.
Pyrgos
The islands highest village, a spiral of lanes round a Venetian castle, with the caldera view that Oia charges for.
Local food
Fava
dietary_tags.veganYellow split peas from Santorini itself, cooked down to a purée and topped with raw onion and capers; the island crop has PDO protection.
Tomatokeftedes
dietary_tags.vegetarianFritters of the small, intensely concentrated tomatoes that grow here without irrigation, bound with onion and mint.
Chloro
dietary_tags.vegetarianA soft fresh goat cheese made on Santorini and eaten within days; it does not travel, so it is rarely seen off the island.
Safety tips
Transport
Getting between Fira and the old port means 587 steps shared with donkeys, or the cable car. The steps are slick and uneven, and the animal welfare situation is why most visitors take the car.
Health
The caldera path and the ruins have almost no shade and the reflected heat off white walls is severe. Carry water; there are long stretches on the Fira to Oia walk with nowhere to buy any.
Water-Safety
Red Beach is subject to rockfall and has been formally closed more than once, with the warning signs regularly ignored. Check the current status locally rather than assuming access.
Sustainability
Eco rating
Reef: reef_status.not_applicablePlan Your Trip
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