Santorini

Santorini is the most dramatic of all the Greek islands, the rim of a vast volcanic caldera flooded by the sea, its cliffs topped by dazzling white towns that spill toward the blue. The villages of Fira and Oia, with their blue-domed churches, cave houses and terraces, gaze over the crater, and the sunset from Oia is among the most famous and photographed in the world.

History

Santorini is the most active volcanic centre of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, and volcanism on Thera began around 2 million years ago with dacitic lavas around Akrotiri. About 3,600 years ago, at the height of Minoan civilisation, the island saw the Minoan eruption, one of the largest in recorded history, which left the great caldera surrounded by deep ash deposits; excavations at Akrotiri under Spyridon Marinatos from 1967 have made it the best-known Minoan site outside Crete, revealing the southern part of a large town of multi-storey buildings (Wikipedia, Santorini).

What's there

• Oia and its sunset - the cliff-top village and the world-famous sunset.
• Fira - the capital town clinging to the caldera rim.
• The blue domes - the whitewashed churches with blue cupolas.
• The caldera and volcano - the flooded crater and boat trips to the volcanic islets.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn for warm weather without the peak crush; July and August are hot, mobbed and expensive. The Oia sunset draws huge crowds, so arrive early for a spot.

Things to know

It is extremely popular and dear, so in peak summer the caldera towns are jammed and the famous Oia sunset a scrum; late spring or early autumn are far better. Its beauty is the caldera views rather than the beaches, which are volcanic and ordinary. Cruise days bring huge crowds.

Nearby

The other Cyclades islands, including Mykonos and Naxos, are reachable by ferry; Crete lies to the south.

Key facts