Santorini is
one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. The unique morphology
of the archipelago is consisted of steep cliffs, colorful rock formations and
the spectacular caldera that impresses the visitor from the first moment that
the Hellenic Seaways ship is approaching the harbor.
The volcanic
activity within the last two million years formed and continues to form until
today the morphology of the island. Santorini is a worldwide geosite with great
scientific and tourist interest. The time evolution of the volcano can be
divided into Pre Minoan and Post Minoan
phase. The total eruptions of the Pre Minoan phase
formed a conical island called by the ancient Greeks Strogili. Strogili
flourished during the Bronze Age as evidenced by the ancient settlement of
Akrotiri on the southern coast of the island.
The Minoan
eruption (1614 BC) differentiates the landscape by breaking Strogili into
the islands of Santorini, Thirassia and Aspronisi. In the central part was
created a large caldera. The violent eruption of the time resulted in the
abandonment of the settlements of the island while earthquakes and tsunamis
influenced even Knossos in Crete. Further eruptions followed in historical
times with lava flows and volcanic material extrusion that formed the islands Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni in the
center of the caldera. The last eruption occurred only 60 years ago resulting
in the expansion of Nea Kameni.
In modern
history, the inhabitants of Oia and Fira dug into the walls of the caldera
creating the impressive cave houses. The soil composition of the island,
influenced by the volcanic materials, was crucial for creating one of the
oldest vineyards in the world which offers up to today unique varieties of
wines.
The volcanic
activity of the island is reflected in the intense relief, the volcanic veins
at the walls of the caldera, the colored beaches developed in the inner part of
the caldera, the lunar landscapes of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni and the hot
springs behind Palea Kameni where gush steam and sulfur.
To sum up,
Santorini is one of the great natural wonders of the world, and its main
attraction is the landscape and seascape of the island itself. The
configuration of the present, roughly semicircular island is the result of an
enormous volcanic explosion which occurred probably around 1630 bce,
literally
blowing the top off the island and changing what had been a typical
half-submerged mountain of an Aegean island into a flooded crescent caldera, in
the middle of which a few small smoking islands still bear witness to volcanic
activity. Some have speculated that this event was the inspiration for the myth
of Atlantis.
Another
popular reason for coming to Santorini are the legendary sunsets, some of the
most spectacular in the world. Ia is one of the few places on the island which
is both close to a sea and offers a good view to a sunset over the sea: in
other towns, the sun disappears behind the volcano.
So why
are you waiting, come and experience this volcanic town of Santorini by
yourself and be captivated by its legendary charm. Taleme or Τα λέμε or See You
Later is all the same as long as you are in GREECE
