Santorini (Thira) Island – Greece Travel

The first major residential village character has been approaching the size of a small town. Santorini is white settlement on the red cliffs, and both are summarized by nan blue sea and cloudless sky. Santorini Island is now the main destination stopover cruise ships in the Mediterranean which makes it often packed with foreign tourists, with a peak around mid-June each year. According to legend, the island is formed from a strip of land that was thrown into the ocean from the Argo, the ship of Greek mythology.

This unique island is the remnant of a volcano in the middle of the sea, which in the last 2 million years has erupted at least 12 times. As a result of devastating eruptions that this island gets its unique shape like a crescent moon.

Historically, this island never turns (among other things) a colony of the Kingdom of Sparta (now located in Peloponnes Peninsula, Greece, they are the givers name Thira - "the wild") and the Kingdom of Venice (now in Italy) who built a small church named Santa Irene or in the language of Greece: Agia Irini and eventually Became Santorini. The name is still commonly used today, although since the founding of the modern Greek - its official name is Thira. Not surprisingly, this island is one of the main objectives Greece, in the Mediterranean country with a long maritime history. But for those who open the senses, this island still many traditional elements are dazzling.

Thira or Santorini Island only has a length of approximately 17 miles with a width of 6 km so by riding - all over the island can be reached within a maximum of 50 minutes. Places offered are hiking along the promenade or caldera with stunning views of the Firadan Oia, Red Beach is suitable for swimming, Oia with spectacular scenery at sunset, the area of ​​Akrotiri archaeological finds, ancient Thira, scuba diving or snorkeling in the ocean just how crystal clear and-for the new partner-certainly a "honeymoon spot" very romantic. bus or scooter.

The largest settlement on the island of Santorini is Fira and Oia, where we find the hotel or apartments of varying classes, restaurants, banks and ATMs, tourist information center, rental car or motorcycle (also scooters and atv / quad) and other facilities .