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WELCOME TO FIRA SANTORINI GREECE

Santorini is an island in the Aegean Sea and it is part of the Cyclades archipelago. It has a population of 13,600 inhabitants and an area of around 73 square kilometers. Santorini's Capital is Fira (Thira). Legend has it that Santorini had actually disappeared long ago and actually was the lost city of Atlantis. Tourists say it's heaven on Earth!

Of the 39 islands that make up the Cycladic archipelago, 24 are inhabited. Santorini is composed of a group of five small islands that emerged from the devastating eruption of Santorini volcano that happened 3,600 years ago. This eruption resulted in the sinking of a large central part of the island and also created the Caldera, a lagoon that is approximately 12 kilometers wide and about 400 meters deep.This seems to have been the most powerful cataclysm that mankind has ever known and that led to the end of the Minoan civilization with a giant tsunami that swept over the island of Crete - located 110 km further south.

The diverse and spectacular scenery of Santorini volcano is due to a process: around 1650 BC, one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years was followed by the collapse of land and forming a closed depression flooded by sea water - the geological Santorini bucket. The Minoan civilization disappeared after this eruption. Some subsequent smaller eruption formed two small islands inside the volcanic boiler: Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni.

Settlements are grouped in several small villages on the island and attractions in Santorini include several interesting museums, volcanoes, remnants of several eras, ruins of ancient Roman baths, theaters and markets. Buses link the locations on the island and the ferries link the islands. Tourists can rent scooters and go to different beaches on the island. Famous white buildings are crammed side by side on the central basin. Trails lead across the island, connecting towns and places.

The most important settlements on the island are: the capital Fira (Thira), Kamari (famous for its black sand beach), Firostefani, Imerovigli resort, Oia, the picturesque village church Pyrgos , Perissa with its well organized with beautiful beaches and traditional villages like Megalochori, Mesaria (situated in the center of the island), Monolithos, Vlichada and Thirasia. It is important to note that in Fira tourists don't have acces to tap water so bottled water is usually a little exepensive.

Fira offers tourists a very diverse nightlife maintained by many cafes, bars and nightclubs. Among the most popular bars in Fira include Art Café with plenty of good music in the background, Franco ~ s - famous for its sunsets, Kirathira with jazz music, Koo Club - the biggest disco, Renaissance Bar, and Full Moon.

If you are interested in shopping in Fira you can purchase a variety of souvenirs, the most popular being gold and amber jewelry, but the prices are higher than in Athens. Toursts can take diving lessons at the Volcano Diving Center. Perissa is one of the most famous and busiest beaches of Santorini and Red Plaka (Paralia Kokkini) located at the end of the road to Akrotiri archaeological site is famous for sand and red gravel.

In Fira winter usually is pleasant as there not many visitors and the temperatures varis between 10 and 20 ° C. Summer temperatures reach 40 ° C.

Ferries take visitors to the island center or to the hot springs. Santorini can be reached by air from Athens or by ferry from Piraeus.

Quick useful information:

- The first settlements of the modern city of Fira were created in late 18th century as the islanders avoided this area for fear of invasions, in the past, so they used to live in the Venetian Castle of Skaros.