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Santorini: A guide to your trip to the volcanic island

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One of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece and around the world, Santorini, offers ideal options to enjoy every moment of your vacation, including Santorini Tours. Thira (official name of the island), commonly known as Santorini, is located in western Greece, in the Aegean Sea and belongs to the group of islands, called Cyclades.

Thira consists of Santorini, Thirasia and the uninhabited islands, Old and New Kameni, Aspronisi and Christiana. The capital of the island is the beautiful Fira.

Name of the island

From ancient times until today, it has received 5 names (Thira, Santorini, Kallisti or Kallisto and Strongyli).

The current official name of the island comes from the Spartan commander Thira, who according to Herodotus, led the Spartan settlers to the island with the name Kallisti, which means the most beautiful (name of the island in ancient times).

In 1204, with the arrival of the Franks, the island will be named Santorini, in honor of a church of Agia Irini.

For many years the theory prevailed that the name Santorini came from the monastery of Agia Irini built by the Crusaders in Thirasia.

Today there are several indications that the name came from the early Christian church of Agia Irini, which was discovered by an excavation in 1992, in Mesa Vouno.

How Santorini was created

Thousands of years ago, Santorini was a volcanic cone called Strongyli, due to its circular shape. After the eruption of the volcano Riva, a large part of the island sinks, creating a caldera. During the Bronze Age, 1,600 BC would be one of the largest eruptions mankind has ever experienced. The so-called Minoan eruption sank the central part of the island, dividing it into three parts (Santorini, Thirasia, Aspronisi).

The explosion was so powerful that it destroyed the prehistoric civilization that inhabited the island. In 46 BC, magma emerges from the bowels of the earth, creating the foundations of today’s Palea Kameni. In 1570 the foundations of Nea Kameni will be created, which will triple in the last 150 years, taking its current form. Nea Kameni is a volcanic island in the center of the Caldera and is the most recently created section of land in the Mediterranean Sea.

Was Santorini in the past the lost Atlantis?

Excavations at Akrotiri have brought to light one of the most important prehistoric civilizations in the Aegean. Researchers believe that this ancient civilization could have been the lost Atlantis, as Plato’s descriptions speak of a circular island (Santorini before the eruption), which due to earthquakes and explosions, sank in the Sea and destroyed the Atlanteans. one day.

In Santorini you will find the museum lost Atlantis experience, the first museum of lost Atlantis in the world. It is located in Megalochori and is open from 9 in the morning until 9 in the evening. A unique experience that will convince you that Santorini was in fact the Lost Atlantis.

How to get to the volcano of Santorini?

Taking the cable car from Fira or going down the stairs to the old port. Then, with Santorini Tours you can take a trip to the volcano. Just the thought of being on an active volcano, raises the adrenaline to the heights.

Santorini belongs to the active volcanic arc of the Aegean together with Methana (Peloponnese), Sousaki (Peloponnese), Milos (Cyclades), Nisyros and Kos.

The volcanic complex of Santorini includes Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni, Columbus and the Christian islands. The complex has two active volcanic pores.

The one is located on the land of the island of Nea Kameni (last eruption in 1950) and the other, the underwater active volcanic resource Columbus (last eruption in 1650 AD) is located northeast of the homonymous cape.

Beaches of Santorini

Although Santorini is not famous for its turquoise beaches, it has some of the rarest volcanic beaches in the world. After the Minoan eruption, a layer of ash covered the east coast of Santorini. The coasts were extended by 2 km, resulting in a huge beach with black sand. This beach is divided into three smaller ones, Perissa, Kamari and Perivolos.

If you are looking for secluded beaches with impressive landscapes or family beaches with various sports activities, Santorini has the whole package. The island is famous for its romance but that does not mean that it does not have beaches with beach bars for frantic parties. The most famous beaches of Santorini are the red beach, the white beach, the monolith and Vlychada. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Varieties of Santorini wines

Santorini has one of the oldest vineyards in the world, which due to its unique, dry climate and the special composition of the soil, produces one of the most special and famous varieties of the Mediterranean, Assyrtiko. Santorini wines are characterized by strong aromas and intense flavors.

If you are a fan of sweet wine, we highly recommend Vinsanto. It is a sweet wine that is served as a liqueur and has stolen the impressions worldwide. Its vinification is made from sun-dried grapes.

Nychteri is a white dry wine whose fermentation process took place at night, which is why it got the appropriate name. If you are looking for a wine rich in alcohol, brusco seems to be the ideal one for you. Brusco is red wine produced from white and red grapes. The winery in Santorini has developed into one of the leading economic sectors of the island and Greece.

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Discover the beauty of Santorini in 2021

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Book now a Santorini Tour 2021

Discover the beauty of Santorini in 2021

Santorini is considered the most romantic destination in Greece and we provide Santorini Private Tours because we know Santorini by heart. After all, you do not often find white majestic states built on the edge of the cliff, with picturesque villages, cobbled alleys and impressive churches bathed in light. Couples in love come every year to the volcanic island of Santorini.

Santorini  is located in the southernmost point of the Cyclades and is essentially a complex of islands consisting of the islands of Thira, Thirasia, Aspronisi, Palea and Nea Kameni. Santorini proudly spreads its beauty on the wild rock, ignoring the threat of the volcano and over the last part of the lost world of Atlantis. 80.000 years before the island of Santorini was born, when the first eruption of the volcano created Stroggili.

The island was born from a destruction. The Columbus volcano sank, releasing the forces it held in its bowels, and left behind, when the ashes settled, the most beautiful rock on Earth. The elements of nature, fire, water and air conspired to create a unique meeting point for the blue of the sea and the blue of the sky. Nature was in a great mood, on the day when the sunlight welcomed Santorini.

 Oia

The settlement of Oia in Santorini is the first preserved traditional settlement in Greece, with houses dug into the rock. Thousands of visitors from Greece and around the world arrive every summer in Oia to enjoy the unique beauty and the stunning view of the caldera and the games of colors. It is worth visiting the Maritime Museum and the traditional settlement of Finikia which is only 1.5 km away. Santorini is famous all over the world for its dream sunset. In the Caldera, in the West of the Sun, every day many people gather to see the sun disappear in the endless blue of the Aegean, having the wonderful yellow-red colors of the sun. Do not miss it!

Swim in the two bays of Ammoudi, descending 214 steps, and Armeni. Also the beaches of Baxedes and Kouloumpos are only about 3 km and are located on the outside of the island. Oia is an ideal place for a relaxing holiday. In its picturesque streets you will find many shops for shopping, luxury restaurants and cafes and quiet bars all with unique sea views. You can stay in traditional houses built in caves and newly built apartments that followed the rock line offering idyllic accommodation and great view.

Firostefani

Firostefani is the area between Imerovigli and Fira, from here you can have amazing sunsets. The small square in Firostefani is filled early in the afternoon with a crowd of tourists of all nationalities. There are plenty of cafes and bars on the west side. There you can enjoy Greek music in Santorini. There are many restaurants and snack bars but also more sophisticated and trendy places of entertainment and leisure. Firostefani is not as quiet as Imerovigli or noisy as Fira. In fact, it is an ideal location, because it is located between Fira and Imerovigli, which have essentially merged, each with its own style.

Accommodation in Firostefani is chosen by those who love the movement and the intense life of Fira, but at the same time want peace. In the clubs and restaurants of Fira, you can walk, short distances in about 10 minutes. Car use is not recommended due to traffic and parking difficulties at the entrance to the city. Here you will find some interesting restored mansions and several hotels and accommodation. Firostefani is a place for all budgets and tastes.

Imerovigli

Imerovigli is one of the most famous resorts of Santorini, a few kilometers from Fira and they are almost united and are a continuation of the island’s capital. Imerovigli is relatively quieter and more suitable for accommodation for those who love tranquility. There are several accommodations and hotels as well as shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. The view is magnificent as in Oia and Fira. The castle of Skaros In Imerovigli, as in the whole of Santorini, there are many churches and chapels. The church of Theoskepasti is one of the most interesting, it is built on the edge of a rock in front of the rock of Skaros.

Another interesting church is that of the Panayia of Malta which took its name, according to tradition from an image found in the sea near Malta, on a trip from Santorini to Malta to transport wine. The captain of the ship, driven by the dreams of the Virgin Mary, took the image from the sea and brought it to Imerovigli, where the church was built. The wooden iconostasis has scenes from the Old Testament. The original church was built in the 19th century, but was destroyed by the earthquake of 1956 and a new church was built on the site. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Kamari

Kamari is an important tourist resort of Santorini, close to the airport on the east side of the island with plenty of greenery, eucalyptus and tamarisk and a vast sandy beach with black pebbles. Just above Kamari is the archeological site of Ancient Thira, in Mesa Vouno. You can enjoy your swim in the beautiful beach that extends to Monolithos. The sea is ideal for windsurfing. You will find hotels, rooms to let and camping, as well as along the beach there are restaurants, cafes, bars, discos and clubs with Greek music, shopping malls, bakeries, supermarkets, ATMs and a Health Center.

Visit the village Up Corner

It is located 8 km from Fira and is close to the village Pyrgos. It is a small village built amphitheatrically on a slope. It has beautiful churches, mansions and houses, several of which retain their traditional architecture. You will enjoy the best view from Agios Charalambos. The church of Agios Charalambos is said to have been founded in 1705. The monastery was dissolved in 1833 along with many other male monasteries.

The following year the church was ceded to the Municipality of Kallisti. In 1893 another church was demolished and built, in the type of a three-aisled basilica with a dome and a three-aisled sanctuary. After the earthquake of 1926, it was also demolished. The parish committee decided to establish in 1941 on the outskirts of the village, at the point where we see it today, the third church of Agios Charalambos.

Book a tour to the volcano

You have the opportunity to discover Nea Kameni, the Hot Waters, as well as the picturesque island of Thirassia. See the craters of the Volcano and be informed about all its activity. Visit the island of Palea Kameni and the thermal Hot Waters. Do not forget to take a walk on the picturesque island of Thirasia, so book a tour!

The lost Atlantis of Plato, with which Santorini is connected, may never be found, but Santorini exists and is a destination that everyone should visit once in their lifetime. There is no tourist guide on the planet who does not agree with this. On one side Akrotiri, on the other Oia and in the middle Fira. Firostefani, Imerovigli, Skaros. With the cave houses, you can not understand if they go down or up the vertical rock, from where one can touch the sun. And enjoy at the end of each day the mystagogy of the sunset. Trust us and book a private tour to see Santorini now!

 

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Geological tour of Santorini

Geological tour of Santorini

Geological tour of Santorini

Geological studies show that the first volcanic activity in the general region of Santorini began about 2.5 million years ago and created the complex of Christians. In the narrow area of ​​Santorini, the volcano was active about 1 million years ago and within the last 400,000 years it exploded paroxystically at least 12 times.

These explosions occur every 20,000 years and create huge craters of collapse. Between the eruptions that destroy the island, milder intervals of various duration are inserted, during which a lot of eruptions of lesser extent rebuild it slowly.

Santorini tours is the best way to have the geological tour of Santorini that you would love.

The succession of explosions

Santorini’s volcanic activity affects a tectonic fault that begins with the Christians, passes from Santorini and ends up in Amorgos. This point remains active and is the cause of the 1956 earthquake.

The volcanic development of Santorini follows, therefore, a circular succession of explosions.

For many millennia, the volcano has been active without paroxysmal events. The lava that in the meantime accumulates, expands and gradually elevates through the volcanic cones. The higher they ascend, however, the longer the magma must follow the path to come to the surface, the more difficult it escapes, and the more premature it is favored in the cones. Gradually, the Thira magma cools and solidifies into the cones before it reaches the surface, blocking the craters.

Geological tour of Santorini

After clogging, there is a long period of relative silence, during which large amounts of magma are trapped in underground spaces and increase escape pressure, which is extinguished every now and then, though not enough, by small bursts of explosive resources. But when the pressure in the underground spaces exceeds the weight and the consistency of the overlying cones in strength, then the magma opens to the surface with paroxysmal intensity, crushing and blowing up all the obstacles on its way. Together with the magma comes out superheated steam, spilled on the surface and transformed into water vapor.

The last two paroxysmal eruptions in Santorini occurred about 21 and 3.6 thousand years ago, respectively. The latter is placed in the Minoan period and more specifically in the second half of the 17th century BC. century.

The caldera of Santorini, however, was not formed at the time. It was gradually created by many precipitations at different times of volcanic action, which formed the geomorphology of the island from time to time. Santorini transfers is the best way to explore the island.

Find out the beauty and the uniqueness of Santorini by booking now one of the following tours of Santorini:

Geological tour of Santorini

The Kouloumpos volcano 

This submarine volcano is located 6.5 km southeast of the island of Santorini. It was discovered in 1650, during a volcanic eruption lasting 2-3 months (from September to December 1650). An islet appeared at the point of the underwater explosion, but a little later disappeared.

Today, the 18 meter long Koulbubo reef is the shallowest point of the underwater volcano cone, which has a diameter of 1.5 kilometers and surrounds the crater having a depth of 500 meters

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