The everlasting beauty of Santorini Greece attracts thousands of visitors every year and it is no wonder that the island is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Its wild volcanic landscape, the rugged cliffs, the wild nature and beautiful beaches combined with its rich history and traditions make Santorini the gem of Greece.

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Santorini got its present half-moon shape in about 1,650 BC when a severe volcanic eruption took place. In the ancient times, the shape of the island was round and in fact, a myth says that Santorini was emerged out of the sea in a miraculous way. However, the intense volcanic eruption of 1,650 BC disappeared about half of the island, covered in ashes the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri on the south of the island and raised waves so high that reached the northern coasts of Crete and destroyed the Minoan towns there, including the famous Knossos Palace.

Today, half of Santorini caldera is submerged, which makes it the only sunken caldera in the world. The volcano of Santorini remains still active and along centuries many eruptions have occasionally occurred. The latest was as recently as 1956 when small volcanic islets emerged from the bottom of the caldera. In one of these eruptions, the islet Nea Kameni emerged, just opposite the caldera villages. This volcano can be visited by boat or jet ski excursions and it is a must-see in Santorini.

The most marvellous thing about Santorini is the architecture of the villages, built right on the edge of the caldera. These picturesque villages distinguish for their sugar-cube houses, the paved streets, the wonderful churches and most of all the breathtaking view to the Aegean Sea. In fact, the marvellous architecture of the island makes it a great location for parkour, this new impressive sports. From Oia, you will enjoy the most romantic sunset of your life, with the orange sun dipping into the sea. Due to this special atmosphere, Santorini has become a popular wedding and, at the same time, honeymoon destination.

The beauty of Santorini has inspired many writers and artists along time as well as cinema makers who frequently choose this island for shooting their movies. Jules Vern had visited Santorini in one of his travels. In fact, he mentions Santorini in his book Twenty thousand leagues under the sea and also was inspired by the novel The Mysterious Island in which Captain Nemo and his crew watched a volcanic eruption. Also, the Greek poet George Seferis wrote a poem about Santorini in the 1960s, while the internationally-famous composer Yanni created a wonderful composition inspired by the island.

Many people also find connections between the island of Santorini and Atlantis, although this theory is believed to be a myth today. Apart from walking the caldera villages, also worth to visit in Santorini are the lovely beaches on the southern side of the island, including the Red Beach, Kamari, and Perissa, which have developed into large beach resorts.

Why visit Santorini?

Santorini is the most famous of all Greek islands and a number one summer destination worldwide. The beauty of this island is incomparable to any other in the world. The amazing Caldera formed by the volcanic eruption centuries ago, resulted in the most amazing sea views a human eye can ever see. Furthermore, the villages built with the clean, simple lines of the Cycladic architecture, the important ancient sites, the traditional blue domed churches and the impressive black sand beaches, make a visit to Santorini an experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Why visit Santorini? In brief:

• Famous island: Santorini is the most famous island of Greece.

• Unique beauty: The island is worldwide famous for a good reason: its breathtaking beauty. It is safe to say that Santorini is one of the most spectacular places in the world.

• Always sunny: The weather is warm and sunny from May to October and the winter is pretty mild.

• Traditional villages: The villages of Santorini are mostly built on the edge of huge cliffs offering amazing sea views. Whitewashed houses, blue domed churches and narrow, paved alleys are the characteristics of the traditional Cycladic architecture.

• Island-hopping: Santorini is located in a relatively close distance to other Greek islands that are all well connected by ferry. The most popular island-hopping routes from Santorini are to Mykonos, Crete and Paros as there are frequent ferry connections.

• Attractions: The most important attraction on this island, is undoubtedly the Volcano. It is still active and visiting it with an organized tour is a must! Another important attraction that should not be missed is the Ancient site of Akrotiri.

• Easy to get there: Santorini has an International Airport and can also be reached by ferry from Athens and other islands of the Aegean.

Where is Santorini?

It's an island located on the southern side of the Aegean sea, in the region of Cyclades islands, between the islands of Ios and Anafi. View an interactive map of Santorini.

When to visit Santorini and for how many days?

The best period to visit is between April and October. View the weather in Santorini per month.

Santorini is a small island but there are many things to see, villages and beaches. We recommend 2 to 5 days on the island.