Santorini, Greece

Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greece's mainland. It is one of the best-known of the Cyclades where towering cliffs crowned by tiny white houses plunge straight into the depths of the sea. The steep coastline of the west is countered by the vast beaches of the east side, some of them sandy and others with pebbles.

Santorini is famous for dramatic views, stunning sunsets from Oia town, the strange white aubergine, the town of Thira and naturally its very own active volcano. There are also fantastic beaches such as the Perissa and Kamari.

Things to See & Do

* Caldera volcano
* Towns of Fira and Oia
* Thirassia - small island
* Black pebble and white beaches

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - Greek
Land Area - 73.2 km²
Population - 15,000
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 30

Port Location - Cruise ships visiting Santorini do not anchor at Athinios port, but one or two miles away from the old port of the island. Locals with fishing boats transfer cruisers to the old port from where you can either use the cable car to reach the town of Fira, which will take no more than 5 minutes, or small you can ride a donkey, which climbs up a small path on the cliff to Fira.

Travel Links - The fastest and most comfortable way is by air. Santorini has its own airport (a pretty small one) near Kamari village and next to Monolithos, with regular flights from Athens by Olympic Airways, Aegean Airlines and AirSea Lines as well as charters from many European towns. Flight duration from Athens to Santorini is about 30 minutes.

Take the ferry from Piraeus past Paros and Naxos to the new port on Santorini. There is also daily connection between Heraklion city of Crete and Santorini during high season.

The island is amply serviced by independent buses, which cost between 1 and 2 euros depending on where you're going to and from. Boats also run between major coastal towns on the island. Cars can be rented from about 30 Euros a day. Scooters and 4-wheelers (quads) are available to rent starting at about 15 Euros per day.