Santorini

Santorini, officially Thira, is a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea and part of the Cyclades. It lies about 200 kilometers southeast of the Greek mainland. The island forms a rough crescent around a submerged caldera created by a volcanic eruption in roughly 1600 BCE, one of the largest eruptions in recorded history. The event left steep caldera cliffs and several small islets, including Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, within a circular bay.

Its main settlements are Fira (Thera), the capital, perched on the caldera rim, and the village of Oia known for its sunsets and whitewashed houses. The principal port is Athinios, and the island is served by Santorini International Airport. The landscape features volcanic black and red beaches, sea cliffs, and a network of cliffside towns with narrow lanes and white houses.

Santorini has a long history marked by the Minoan eruption and the Bronze Age settlement at Akrotiri, preserved in ash. Over the centuries it was part of ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman domains before joining modern Greece in the 19th century.

Today tourism is the dominant economic activity, attracted by caldera views, archaeological sites, beaches, and wine. The island is renowned for viticulture, especially the Assyrtiko grape, producing crisp dry wines and vinsanto from dried grapes. Santorini experiences a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters.