Santorini, Greece - A jewel at Aegean Sea

Click to continueSong : Gianta (traditional) by Giannis Parios

Welcome to the island of Santorini. One of the most spectacular Cycladic islands Santorini offers one of the most impressive landscapes in the world. The villages are situated on cliffs and offer breathtaking view over the submerged volcano.

Please vote for Santorini - Archipelago, as one of the 7 new wonders of Nature, at : www.new7wonders.com

Santorini (Greek Σαντορίνη, pronounced [sa(n)do̞rini]) is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thera (or Thira, Greek Θήρα [thira]), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islandsSantorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. Its spectacular physical beauty, along with a dynamic nightlife, have made the island one of Europe's tourist hotspots.A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 km by 7 km (8 mi by 4 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (984 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon merges with the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1300 ft) deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende. The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions the planet has ever seen: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (70 miles) to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

Fira

Looking toward Fira

Fira & Athinios port

Fira : View across collapsed caldera

Oia

Another view of Oia

Oia and the islands of Nea & Palia Kameni

Oia & Imerovigli

Nea Kameni (new burnt)

Palia Kameni (ancient burnt)

Panoramic view of Kamari

Kamari, black beach

Panoramic view of Perissa

Perissa beach

Perivolos beach

Monolithos beach

Akrotiri, Red beach

Prehistoric Site of Akrotiri

Akrotiri, the entrance

A street in the ancient city of Akrotiri

Houses in the ancient city of Akrotiri

The "saffron-gatherers"

Landscape of spring time - Fresco from the Bronze Age

The Fisherman, Akrotiri

Wall painting in ladies house, Akrotiri

Thirasia

Palia and Nea Kameni, at sunset

Another view of Palia and Nea Kameni, at sunset

Moonrise over Oia

The End.

Thank you!

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