Car Hire Santorini - Mini guide to Santorini

Also known as Thira, this Greek island is considered one of the most beautiful and dramatic islands in the world. From its steep cliffs plunging into the ocean, to the black sand beaches, this island surpasses most traveller’s expectations.

Approaching Santorini by ferry is the best way to appreciate its awesome appearance. Resulting from a collapsed volcano, the island forms a sweeping arc around a former caldera lake, typified by lofty cliffs around the rim. A still simmering volcanic cone forms a small islands in the caldera center. Views from all vantage points are breathtaking.

The two principle towns of the island both sit atop the caldera, on the edge of the pure blue waters of the volcanic lake. This volcano, which last erupted 3,600 years ago, destroyed the ancient city of Akrotiri, creating tsunami that drowned many other cities in the southern Aegean. Now the ruins of Akrotiri are a fascinating archaeological site.

The two towns on the caldera are Fira and Ia. They both contain interesting cultural attractions. Fira, the capital and larger of the two has an Archaeological Museum with treasures from Akrotiri. Ia, a more classic Greek village, has a fascinating Naval Museum. Both Fira and Ia have good tavernas, though Fira, as the larger of the two, has more variety.

But if you’ve come in search of sea and sunshine, you should head for the many resort villages along the sweeping, flatter, eastern edge of the island. The nicer beaches are along the eastern shore, the best of which are Baxedes and Koloumbos. Several have black sandy beaches resulting from vulcanicity, interesting but sometimes too hot! There is also a bizarre reddish sandy beach.

The island has a decent bus service or can be explored more thoroughly by car. A particularly nice location which is reachable by car is the ruins of ancient Thira. This hilltop site, with a spectacular view of the ocean, was first inhabited by the Dorians in the 9th century BC. It has been occupied at various times by Ptolemaics, Romans and the Byzantines, adding an interesting history to the site.

Santorini has several daily flights to and from Athens. It can also be reached by hydrofoil from Piraeus and several islands in the region including Mykonos.