Santorini is one of the most popular destinations of Greece and is known as the home of one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. Every year, thousands of tourists visit Santorini to discover the famous submerged caldera, the volcano’s crater, which is situated today in the middle of a 32 square miles basin of water. Around the basin, hanging on cliffs of 150m to 300m height, one can admire some of the most beautiful traditional villages of the Cyclades. The lively colours of the white Cycladic houses and blue painted windows contrast stunningly against the black volcanic rocks rising from sea.

This scenery keeps inspiring artists and visitors…These villages are named Fira, Firostefani, Immerovigli and Oia. The combination of magnificent landscape, the volcano, and the famous Cycladic architecture make Santorini a beautiful place to relax and get away. Santorini is not just an island that has developed as its island neighbors have. Santorini is unlike any other greek island. Even the people of Santorini consider themselves different; they say, "we are not people, we are Santorinians." In order to convey the sense of uniqueness of Santorini, it is necessary to understand the richness, history, and geological sensitivity of the landscape

Santorini island name comes from ‘Santa Irini’ and it is officially called Thera. Santorini is located in the south of the Cycladic islands, just between Ios and Anafi, 130 nautical miles from Piraeus and 70 nautical miles from Crete island. Santorini covers an area of 96 km2, has a coastline of 69 kilometres and its length reaches 18 km. Santorini has a population of about 6500-7000 inhabitants during winter, a number that rises up to 11.000 during the summer. During the ancient times, the shape of Santorini was circular and that was the reason it was also called Strongili, which means circular in Greek. The volcano’s eruption destroyed the centre of the island, causing it to sink and to create today’s caldera. The first eruption of the Volcano took place around 1500 BC, and is said to be responsible for the destruction of the great Minoan civilisation of Crete. The last eruption took place in 1956 but the volcano remains active until today. Some believe that the destruction of Santorini could be related to that of the mythical Atlantis.
Tourism is the main occupation in Santorini today. In the summer, visitors swamp the island, life takes place in the open air, and the locals work non-stop. When winter comes, everything goes to a standstill; the locals shut themselves up in their houses and catch up on lost sleep. In the spring, before the tourists start to arrive again, the island is a hive of activity as preparations are made as nearly the entire island is repainted and freshened up.

Travelling to Santorini is convenient and easy, especially in the summer months when flight and boat trips are more frequent. You can board a direct flight from Athens and Thessaloniki airports in Greece, as well as charter flights from other European Airports. If you feel like exploring other Greek Islands, you can go island hopping by airplane from Santorini to other Cycladic islands, Skiathos and Crete. Ferries and hydrofoils depart for Santorini from Athens (Piraeus Port), Thessaloniki, and other Cyclades islands, Dodecanese and Crete. During the summer months, ferry transportation to Santorini Greece is very frequent, often departing every few hours. Boat fares to Santorini depend on the season and the type of vessel (ferry boat or hydrofoil).