- The history of the eruptions of the Santorini volcano
- Santorini for tourists
- Landmarks of Santorini Island
Santorini volcano (crater diameter - 1680 m; height was 1.5 km) is an active thyroid volcano on the Greek island of Santorini (Thira).
The history of the eruptions of the Santorini volcano
For the ancient Cretans, Thira served as a metropolitan island: the slopes of Mount Santorini were occupied by the capital and other settlements, and at its foot was a harbor.
The eruption, which dates back to 1645-1600 BC, killed the settlements on the island of Santorini, Crete and the Mediterranean coast. So, because of the tsunami (height - 18 m), the Minoan civilization of Crete was destroyed (the ash cloud spread over 1000 km). In addition, this process led to the collapse of the volcanic cone, and sea waters rushed into the formed abyss.
It is worth noting that the island of Tira “shook” more than once: the largest (Minoan) earthquake was dated 1628 BC, the next (most powerful) - 1380 BC, and the last - 1950 (now the volcano “sleeps”, but did not go out). The reason lies in the fact that Tira is located at the junction of the Eurasian and African plates, which is why this area is indented by volcanic relief and volcanic activity manifests itself here.
What's interesting: Plato, the author of the Critias and Timaeus dialogues, described Atlantis as an island-state that disappeared from the face of the earth under mysterious circumstances. The existing versions say that: the island of Tira is Atlantis; Atlantis was destroyed by the explosion of the Santorini volcano.
Santorini for tourists
The crater of the Santorini volcano is located on the island of Nea Kameni (there are active mini-craters - sulfur compounds emerge from them) - everyone is taken there on small boats and on larger tourist boats.
If you are going to climb the crater of a volcano, you will climb a rocky lava path to a height of 130 meters; if you wish, you can go around the crater, from here you will see a wonderful panorama of the island of Santorini and the Aegean Sea. Do not forget to provide yourself with water (there are no fresh water sources on Nea Kameni) and comfortable shoes. In addition, you should take a bathing suit with you, since a trip to the volcano is combined with a visit to the healing thermal springs in Palea Kameni (another attraction of the island is the Church of St. for the high content of various minerals, it can be colored).
The boat tour includes several stops:
- The first stop is the volcano (charitable contribution - 2.5 euros): an English-speaking guide will tell you about legends and interesting facts, after which tourists will have free time to enjoy unforgettable views and create unique photographs.
- The second stop is the Palea-Kameni springs (30 minutes - 1 hour will be allocated for bathing).
- The third stop is Thirassia: there for two hours you can admire the local beauty, relax on the beach, visit one of 21 churches, as well as a Greek tavern where visitors are treated to local delicacies.
- The final stop is Oia, where you can visit souvenir shops, as well as admire the famous sunsets. The western part of the resort overlooks the Amoudi Bay. The eastern part of the resort also deserves attention - from there you can see a view of the Gulf of Armenia.
And after a busy day of sightseeing, tourists are returned back to the old port of Fira (the approximate cost of the tour is 42 euros).
Landmarks of Santorini Island
On Santorini, a volcanic island, tourists will be offered to visit the Archaeological Reserve (visit will cost 5 euros; open from 8 am to 8 pm in June-October; non-working day - Monday), located in Akrotiri. In its vicinity, excavations were carried out and the ruins of the city of the Minoan civilization were discovered, namely - 2-3-storey buildings well preserved under the ashes of a volcano, the facades of which are faced with stone slabs; wall paintings that adorned interiors; Houseware; anthropomorphic marble sculptures; figurines of animals; various vessels; the only gold item in the form of a statuette of a golden ibex.
In addition, the Archaeological Museum deserves the attention of tourists (it is a repository of finds found during the excavations of Ancient Fira and Akrotiri - funerary artifacts, red and black-figure vases, vessels with geometric patterns, etc. ceramics of the Neolithic period, a jug from Megalochori, a Minoan vase from Akrotiri and other interesting objects; a visit will cost 3 euros) in the city of Fira.
Travelers are also happy to relax on the amazing local beaches, covered with both red and black sand. Pay attention to Perivolos Beach, where you can rent a thatched parasol and sun lounger, go diving or windsurfing, and host a wedding ceremony.
