Santorini

Summer Lovers :: Oia, Santorini, Greece by JoshTrefethen

Santorini (Greek: Σαντορίνη, pronounced [ˌsa(n)do̞ˈrini]) is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thēra (or Thira, Greek Θήρα [ˈθira]), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km2 (28 sq mi) and a 2001 census population of 13,670.

It is composed of the Municipality of Thira (pop. 12,440) and the Community of Oía (Οία, pop. 1,230, which includes 268 inhabitants resident on the offshore island of Therasia, lying to the west). These have a total land area of 90.623 km2 (34.990 sq mi), which also includes the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana (all part of the Municipality of Thira).

A lone windmill standing lookout at Oia by Dan Wiklund

Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.

Have a nice evening! by Wolfgang Staudt

The name Santorini was given to it by the Latin empire in the thirteenth century, and is a reference to Saint Irene. Before then it was known as Kallístē (Καλλίστη, "the most beautiful one"), Strongýlē (Στρογγύλη, "the circular one"), or Thēra.

Santorini Grecia by didenea - vado in ferie e non sò quando torno

Firá is the modern capital of the Greek Aegean island, Santorini. It is a traditional settlement. "Firá", actually, is a different pronunciation of "Thira", the ancient name of the island itself.

RoofGarden by Wolfgang Staudt

Oia, Santorini Island, Greece June 2006 by ehpien

Red Beach by *tilli*

best beach in Santorini is Red beach

The Lighthouse at Akrotiri by jennikate

Prehistoric Site of Akrotiri, Santorini by Klearchos Kapoutsis

Akrotiri is the name of an excavation site of a Greek Bronze Age settlement on the Greek island of Santorini, associated with the Minoan civilization due to close similarities in artifact and fresco styles. The excavation is named for a modern Greek village situated on a hill nearby.

The name of the site in antiquity is unknown. It was buried by a volcanic eruption in the middle of the second millennium BC(during the Late Minoan IA period). As a result, it is remarkably well-preserved. Frescoes, pottery, furniture, advanced drainage systems and three-storey buildings have been discovered at the site, whose excavation was started in 1967 by Spyridon Marinatos.

Caldera, Santorini by maryatexitzero