Santorini is for many the most beautiful and imposing island of the Cyclades. It is a universal truth that the Santorini sunset is an experience of a lifetime so visit Santorini in 2024.
Perhaps the strangest and most famous of the Cyclades islands, Santorini stands out for its geological morphology due to the action of its volcano. On the edge of the highly impressive caldera, perched on the steep, black rocks, are built the most beautiful villages on the island.
What should you see in Santorini in 2024?
The capital Fira, together with the neighboring settlements of Firostefani and Imerovigli, form a residential complex of amazing beauty, with cave houses in the volcanic terrain as a special feature.
The famous Oia, the first settlement in Greece to be considered preserved, is carved out of the rocks created by the lava and presents an enchanting image, with its white and colored houses, domes, and courtyards. By boat, you can visit the volcanic islands of Palaia and Nea Kameni, where you will feel the intense fumes of the volcano and swim in the warm waters of the hot springs. Connoisseurs of the Cyclades visit Oia and Imerovigli exclusively in the spring.
The volcano Columbo sank, releasing the forces it held in its bowels, and left behind, when the ashes settled, the most beautiful rock on Earth. Everywhere you look at Santorini, it reminds you that you are on a volcano. The lunar landscapes, the black and red beaches, the pebbles of solidified lava. The shocking beauty of the Greek island is a result of the region’s violent volcanic history.
Plato’s lost Atlantis, with which it has been associated, may never be found, but Santorini exists and is a destination that everyone should visit once in their lifetime. There isn’t a tour guide on the planet who doesn’t agree with this. Akrotiri on one side, Oia on the other, and Fira in the middle make Santorini the island it is. Also, the cave houses, which you can’t tell if they go down or up the vertical rock, from where one can touch the sun. And to enjoy at the end of each day the glorious sunset of Santorini.
At the southern tip of the island is Akrotiri, where the excavators brought to light the prehistoric city of Thira which was buried under the ash of the volcano that erupted in 1500 BC. Santorini’s beaches couldn’t help but be equally special, and sometimes extremely crowded: Red Beach, White Beach, Vlychada, Perivolos, Perissa, and Kamari are some of the top ones. You can see all that by taking tours with Santorini Private Tours in 2024.
Firostefani and imerovigli in 2024
It is the crown on top of the volcanic rock that hosts the island of Santorini. A trademark is the blue dome of the Virgin of Agioi Theodoros, a point of reference for the millions of tourists who flock to the island every year to enjoy the unique view of the Caldera in the world. The main alley leads to Imerovigli, also built atop the cliff. It got its name from the fact that it is the highest point of the Caldera.
Oia in 2024
For many, the traditional settlement is synonymous with the sunset. Countless people throng every afternoon to rooftops, terraces, restaurants, cafes, and the grounds of the old fort to watch the moment when the sun disappears into the sea. Blue, red, and orange dominate the horizon and remain indelibly written in the memory of those lucky enough to observe them.
Cave homes
In Santorini, land is precious and the residents decided to dig into the rock to build their houses, which hang over the void. Houses without foundations, but firmly fixed to the rock of the Caldera. They used to be poor houses. Today they are in high demand.
Akrotiri in 2024
The prehistoric settlement discovered at Akrotiri is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Aegean. This is a settlement with an age approaching… 5000 years! It occupied approximately 200 acres in its heyday, while its urban organization, drainage network, and elaborate, multi-story buildings are considered pioneering for their time. His fate was sealed by the eruption of the volcano. Its inhabitants, however, had managed to leave it, avoiding the end of the citizens of Pompeii.
A trip to the volcano
In the summer the mini cruises around the main island are dense. The main destinations is Palaia and Nea Kameni, the islets opposite Fira, which host the newest volcanic rocks in Greece. There are also small beaches, with warm and cloudy waters. The color of the sea between the two islets is green, while near the rocks it moves in shades of yellow, orange, and brown.
