Experience
Santorini
A crescent island left by the collapse of a volcano, with white villages perched on the caldera.
Santorini is what remains of a circular island torn apart by a major eruption in the Bronze Age. The cliff along the caldera falls several hundred metres into the sea: it is what gives the island its outline.
Fira and Oia cling to the top of that cliff, on the west coast, which is why sunsets there have become a daily appointment. The path linking the two villages takes about three hours.
The archaeological site of Akrotiri, buried by the eruption, preserves a Bronze Age town with its streets and its multi-storey houses. The beaches, on the east coast, are black or red volcanic sand.
What there is to see
Oia
The northern village: white houses and blue domes above the caldera.
Fira
The island's main town, on a balcony over the caldera.
Akrotiri
A Bronze Age town buried by the eruption, excavated and roofed.
The caldera by boat
The crossing to the volcanic islet of Nea Kameni and its hot springs.
Kamari and Perissa beaches
Black volcanic sand, on the east coast.
When to go
May, June, September and early October. July and August are saturated and expensive; in winter part of the hotels and connections close.
Santorini: frequently asked questions
When is the best time for Santorini?
May-June and September: the sea is already, or still, warm, the days are long and the island is less saturated than at the height of summer.
Should you stay in Oia or in Fira?
Oia is quieter and more photogenic, Fira more central and better served for getting about. Both are on the caldera, some twenty minutes apart by bus.
