Santorini, Cyclades islands, Greece

Santorini is the most extraordinary island in the Aegean. You sail into a strange, enclosed sea, shut off by the Burnt Islands. The volcanic cliffs of Santorini are red, brown or greenish, surmounted by a string of white villages. It is rather like a model of a monster's jaw made by some infernal dentist; a sinister and alarming place, like nowhere else.

Santorini is the last of the Cyclades island to the South. The closests islands are Ios, Folegandros, Sikinos to the North, Anafi and Amorgos to the East and Crete to the South.

We refer to Santorini as one, but actually is complex of five islands. Santorini (Thira) is the main island and around it Thirasia and Aspronisi (parts of the ancient Stroggili) and the two volcanic islands Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni.

It was one island named Stroggili (circle in Greek) until about 1645 BC, when the volcano in the middle of the island erupted and Caldera was created. The two volcanic islands appeared much later from various eruptions starting 157 BC and the last one to be in the 20th century (1950). Today the landscape includes vineyards, fig trees, caves and churches.

Santorini is connected to Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Crete, Rhodes, Kos and all the major Cyclades islands (Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Sifnos, Milos, Tinos, Syros) by boat and Athens and many countries direct by plane. For more information about Santorini holidays, visit our Santorini holidays guide website