Santorini (Thira)
Σαντορινη (Θηρα)

Santorini, also known as Thera, is a beautiful Greek island. See the map at right, it's the backwards "C" shaped island between the red markers. Santorini is the southernmost of the major Cyclades islands, the closest one to Crete.

Thera / Θηρα is the Greek name. The name Santorini dates from its Italian language name, "Saint Irene", as it was annexed by the Venetians in the 1200s AD after the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople and overthrew the declining Byzantine Empire.

Earthquakes and pirates ravaged the island through the 1400s. The population in 1470 was just 300. In 1479 a group of forty destitute families sought refuge on Crete. A German pilgrim of 1521 describes is as so ravaged by the Turks as to be completely deserted. However, it is described as recovered in 1579, when it came under Ottoman rule. All these population figures are from "Depopulation in the Aegean Islands and the Turkish Conquest", F.W. Hasluck, The Annual of the British School at Athens, vol 17 (1910/1911), pp 151-181, citing earlier writings.

The Greek War of Independence (or Greek Revolution) freed Santorini from Ottoman control in 1821, and in 1830 the Treaty of London gave it to Greece.

The Greek War of Independence was a curious thing, what with all the foreign involvement on both national and personal levels. Many wealthy Western European and American aristocrats took up arms on the side of the Greek revolutionaries, or at least financed the revolution. Probably most famously, Lord Byron, referred to as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."

The Εξπρες Αρτεμις (Express Artemis) and several other ferries prepare to leave Piraeus, the port of Athens, around 0800.

Here you see a row of ferries at Piraeus, the port of Athens. Back in the 1800s when Mark Twain described a visit to Athens in The Innocents Abroad, Piraeus was a port city well outside Athens. Now it's the last stop on the Athens Metro line. You do have to pay more to ride that far, but it's now just another stop on the subway.

This is a picture taken from on board one ferry while looking across several others.

You do need to arrive at Piraeus in plenty of time. For one thing, the port is enormous and you have to find your ferry among the dozens preparing to leave. Also, there will be some tedious paperwork or at least ticket checking involved.

Departures from Piraeus can be treated almost as if they were some sort of international trip. Ferry travel gets more informal once you're away from Piraeus. Buy a ticket at the office in the port, then show up on time and stroll on board.

Oia at left, at the northern tip of the main island. Fira at right, on the cliffs overhanging the center of the caldera.

You enter the caldera of Santorini about eight hours after leaving Piraeus, having briefly stopped at a few islands along the way. You probably stopped in Paros and Ios if you started in Piraeus. You might also have come via Mykonos.

At the left you see Oia, a smaller town near the northern tip of Santorini. We are entering the northern end of the caldera. Beyond Oia in the distance, across the large open caldera, is the main town of Fira running along the high central cliffs.

Santorini or Θηρα is the remains of a large volcanic island, the southernmost of the Cyclades island group.

Fira, the main town, on the edge of the cliffs overhanging the central caldera. The zig-zag donkey path is visible toward the left.

Pirgos is the port, a relatively small cluster of buildings around the ferry port. Fira, or Thira, or Thera, is the main town. From a U.S. military topographic map in the Perry Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas.

Santorini was a conical volcano forming a roughly circular island 15 to 20 kilometers in diameter. The volcano exploded some time around 1600 BC in one of the largest volcanic events in history. It is now estimated that about 100 cubic kilometers of magma and rock were expelled. [60 cubic kilometers Dense-Rock Estimate (DRE), see: Santorini eruption much larger than originally believed, University of Rhode Island, 23 Aug 2006; Santorini — Eruptive History, Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution; "Marine Investigations of Greece's Santorini Volcanic Field", H Sigurdsson et al, Eos 87(34): 337-348.]

The resulting tsunami and ash clouds may have ended the Minoan civilization on Crete [see J. Archaeol. Sci. v35, no191 (2008)]. There are theories that it was connected to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. See the Wikipedia articles on Santorini and on the eruption itself for far more details. Also see:

• "Santorini Eruption Radiocarbon Dated to 1627-1600 B.C.", Walter L. Friedrich et al, Science, V.312, N.5773 (Apr. 28, 2006), p. 548.
• "The end of the Minoan civilisation", Bill Downey and Don Tarling, New Scientist, 13 Sep 1984, pp 49-52.
• "Volcanic shards from Santorini (Upper Minoan ash) in the Nile Delta, Egypt", Daniel Jean Stanley & Harrison Sheng, Nature, v320,24, 24 Apr 1986, pp 733-735.
• "The discovery of Santorini Minoan tephra in western Turkey", Donald G. Sullivan, Nature, v333,9, 9 Jun 1988, pp 552-554.
• "Tephra from the Minoan eruption of Santorini in sediments of the Black Sea", F. Guichard, S. Carey, M.A. Arthur, H. Sigurdsson, M. Arnold, Nature, v363, 17 Jun 1993, pp 610-612.
• "Santorini Volcanic Ash Found in Egypt", S. Weisburd, Science News, V.128, N.19 (Nov. 9, 1985), p. 294.

The Εξπρες Ποσειδον (Express Poseidon) arrives at Santorini's port of Pirgos.

We have arrived at the ferry dock and I'm looking back at the ship. The port of Pirgos is down at the waterline in the central caldera, below the high steep slopes.

The main town of Fira is twenty to thirty minutes' drive away, half of that spent on the series of switchbacks getting you up from the waterline to the top of the cliffs lining the caldera.

Santorini's port of Pirgos, below the steep caldera face.

Owners of small domatia meet the ferry. A δοματια or domatia is a small and simple lodging traditionally operated as a room rented by the homeowner. The domatias on Santorini and other commonly visited islands are more like small hotels.

You should have no trouble finding lodging, and at a good rate, if you're there outside the high season as I recommended on the introductory page. The best time to visit is in late April through mid June, or from about the second week of September through the middle of October.

Yeah, there's a hostel in Fira, but in May or September you can get a nice private room in a domatia for less than a bed at the hostel! Or at least that was the case when I was there.

Above and at left are views across Fira from the narrow walkways joining all the tavernas and domatias and shops.

The caldera makes for dramatic views! At right you see how high and steep the inner caldera face is. Fira is from 250 to 300 meters above sea level, and the caldera floor goes down to depths of 400 meters.

The pictures at right and below show Νεα Καμενι or Nea Kameni, the small island in the center of the caldera. Recall the geological history of Santorini — it was a conical volcanic island. Then about 3,600 years ago much of the volume of the island was blown out in a massive explosion, leaving just fragments of an outer ring still projecting above the water line. Nea Kameni is the new volcanic cone building back up at its center. At far left in the picture at right you see Cape Akrotiri, the southwestern tip of the main island of Thera. The pictures below show Thirasia, a small island forming more of the ring outlining the original roughly round island.

Some people visit the Greek islands on cruise ships, but that wastes a good opportunity. The cruise ships herd people onto an island for a whirlwind visit. "There is the cathedral, the souvenir shops are over there, make sure that you're back here in two hours so we can get you back onto the ship."

The cattle are back on board and at the buffet, out of harbor and over the horizon before the sun sets.

Meanwhile you're still sitting at the taverna watching the sun set.

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I have been to Santorini three times. The first time I stayed at Hotel Antonia, close to the center of Fira. The second time, I stayed at Pension Petros, similarly close. That's Pension Petros at right.

In both cases I was there during the shoulder season, in mid-May in one case and late September in the other. I had no problem simply showing up on the late afternoon ferry and asking for a room. Don't count on that working during the busy time!

My third visit was in mid-June, and I had planned ahead by making a reservation with Pension Petros:
+30-22860-22573
hotelpetros-santorini.gr

As I was a return visitor who had brought others with me, and since the hotel was not yet full, I was given the very nice room at the very top, with its own kitchenette!

If you walk just a short distance up the hill from Pension Petros, behind the viewpoint of the large picture of the exterior, you're at the center of Fira.

Let's do it! See the sequence below from left to right. First, turn right and walk up to the corner. Second, turn left and walk over to this grocery store. Third, turn right and walk two blocks up to the main square, passing Corner Crepes along the way.

At right and below are pictures from Corner Crepes, where I got breakfast every morning.

Businesses are open but not crowded during the shoulder season.

Let's pick a place to get dinner and watch the sun set. There are plenty of nice choices.

Here's what we will be watching: The sunset over the caldera. The sun is going down just north of the tip of Thirasia, a smaller island forming part of the fragmented original outer shoreline. That opening to the right of the sun is the main entrance for ferries coming from the north, from the direction of Ios and Mykonos.

The sun has dropped into the haze near the horizon. The sunlight is no longer direct.

At right we are looking past the port of Pirgos to the southern arc of the main island. The ancient site of Akrotiri is just over that saddle in the distance.

A few lights are starting to come on. Several people are watching the final colors of the sunset from the many walkways.

A little darker, a few more lights.

Lights become visible in the distant settlement near Akrotiri.

There is no hurry to leave your table.

The next day, we will pick a different place with a different view for a leisurely lunch.

At right is a view looking toward the north across Fira from its south edge.

Below Fira and in the middle distance you see the curving slopes of the caldera. The town of Oia is in the far distance at the northwest tip of the main island.

Here is a different view from a similar perspective. The opening between Thirasia and the main island is visible. Oia is on the headland on the right side of that opening.

This is the view from the northern edge of Fira.

There is a path following the ridge line, with great views in over the caldera and out over the Aegean.

Or, you can simply take the bus. As in the rest of Greece, ΚΤΕΛ (or KTEL), the national consortium of bus operators, runs the buses. This is a ticket good for travel from Fira to Oia or vice-versa.

Here we are in Oia. That's Thirasia in the distance at right, parts of Nea Kameni toward the left, and the southern tip of the main island curving around beyond them.

Turning to the left, we look across the northeastern caldera to Fira.

Just like Fira, Oia is based on a maze of narrow walkways.

Oia is clustered at the very tip of the main island, overlooking the passage between it and Thirasia.

The chapels all seem to have just received a fresh coat of whitewash and blue paint.

The big thing in Oia is to gather on the last outcropping and watch the sunset.

The Oia sunset is very picturesque.

The lights come on as evening falls. Fira is a string of lights on the distant horizon. An airliner climbs out of the Santorini airport, bound for Athens.

In this view we are back in Fira, a little to the north of the center. You can see the round dome and tower of the cathedral in the distance.

Beyond that you see the highest point on the island. This is the highest part that escaped being blown out in the great explosion. It is Moni Profiti Ilia, the Mountain of the Prophet Elijah.

We're close to the top of the switchback path from the small pier below Fira. Groups from the cruise ships arrive in Fira by taking the cable car, riding the donkeys as seen at right, or walking up all the steps.

No wonder there's a crowd on the stairs, look at all the cruise ships! Let's get away from the crowd with a hike over the island's highest point.

You can take a bus to Perissa, on the south-eastern outer shore of the island.

Then hike up to Ancient Thera, about 300-350 meters up.

From there continue on up Moni Profiti Ilia. The Monastery of the Prophet Elijah shares the peak with a military radar installation and lots of radio relay gear. Some VHF troposcatter antennas point south toward Crete and microwave dishes provide links to closer islands of the Cyclades. The peak is at 564m. At left we are looking up at our goal.

Here you are looking down over the east coast of the island, and down on an airliner approaching the airport.

Santorini is one of the few islands with commercial air service.

Here is the view looking back down toward Perissa from Moni Profiti Ilia.

As I said, the peak is at 564 meters and you're starting from the beach, so plan plenty of time for this hike.

Now it's time to move on to the other islands!

More pictures! Pick your destination:

Α α Β β Γ γ Δ δ Ε ε Ζ ζ Η η Θ θ Ι ι Κ κ Λ λ Μ μ Ν ν Ξ ξ Ο ο Π π Ρ ρ Σ σ Τ τ Υ υ Φ φ Χ χ Ψ ψ Ω ω Greek language study guide
Athens and Cape Sounion	Meteora	Delphi
Mycenae	Tiryns	Santorini (Thira)
Mykonos	Ios	Paros
Other Islands — Patmos, Rhodes, Naxos, Samos	The Peloponnese — Corinthia and Olympia	Thessaloniki
Greek Food and Drink	Roadside Greek Orthodox shrines	Island hopping by ferry
Greek train travel	Greek bus travel	All the way back to the introduction
		How is the plumbing?
Α α Β β Γ γ Δ δ Ε ε Ζ ζ Η η Θ θ Ι ι Κ κ Λ λ Μ μ Ν ν Ξ ξ Ο ο Π π Ρ ρ Σ σ Τ τ Υ υ Φ φ Χ χ Ψ ψ Ω ω Greek language study guide

Click here for details on a free Greek language course.

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