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Santorini
 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.
Jetting out from the deep blue sea its volcanic sheer cliffs topped with
gleaming white village homes and churches, resemble snowcapped mountains.
The thunderous fury of nature left its mark on the island, the home of
Greece's last active volcano which still smolders today. Layer upon layer
of red volcanic rock interspersed with white
buildings and specks of greenery form a visual demonstration found nowhere
else.
The entire center of the circular island sank into the sea during the
tremendous volcanic explosion of 3.500 years ago. The eruption caused
tidal waves which virtually wiped out the advanced Minoan civilization of
Crete 70 miles to the south. Some scholars believe that the island is part
of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis which supposedly slipped
underwater during the disaster.
What remains today of Santorini is a large cresent-shaped island enclosing
a vast bay, the largest caldera on earth (7X14 miles). There are also four
much smaller islands called Thirassia, Nea Kameni, Palia Kameni and
Aspronisi.
 From
the sheer cliff-top, where the villages are built, you look down on the
gentle, green outer slopes of the mountain: the sea has filled the crater
of the volcano. The contrast between these two faces of Santorini is
dramatic and extraordinary.
The beauty of Santorini must depend on light and line; there is hardly any
vegetation apart from vines, and the volcanic earth has no charm of color,
unlike the earth and rock of the limestone islands. Yet it has a strange
and uncanny fascination of its own. It has rightly been called the black
pearl of the Aegean.
The sunsets of Santorini, with the Burnt Islands in the foreground, the
islet of Thirassia behind, Sikinos and Folegandros farther off, and the
great rock of Christiana, are among the most exciting aesthetic
experiences that the Aegean can provide.
The official name of the island is Thira, but foreigners refer to it by
the name given in honor of the island's patron saint, St. Irene of
Thessaloniki, who died here while in exile in 304 A.D.
 Santorini,
which covers 73 square kilometers and is located 127 nautical miles from
the port of Piraeus, has an important wine trade. In September visitors
may tread the grapes and taste the wines. The rich volcanic soil also
produces popular small sweet tomatoes. The island also exports pumice
stone, china clay and pistacchio nuts. Two million tons of volcanic soil
is exported every year for use in the cement industry. A member of the
Cyclades group of Aegean islands, Santorini has a permanent population of
aapproxiimately 10.500 but during the tourist season this number swells
dramatically.
Santorini has 13 villages. Fira, also known as Thira or Hora, is the
island's capital. It is situated 27,5 m. above the sea and may be reached
from the port of Skala climbing the steep, 566 broad steps. This should
only be attempted by the untiring while the traditional way up the zigzag
path is by renting pack mules or donkeys. For those who prefer modern
conveniences, a funicular lift is available.
The cable car lifts 800 persons per hour. The duration is only two minutes
and offers unforgettable views of the volcanic island.
The Lost
Atlantis
 There is a story thousands of years old about a "lost island" in the
Atlantic Ocean. The story was told by the ancient Greeks, and had been
handed down from father to son for many generations before the Greek
philosopher Plato wrote a famous story about it, about 375 BC.
The island of Atlantis, according to Plato's story, was really a series of
islands. Imagine in the center a hill, surrounded by a ring of water; the
ring of water surrounded by a circle of land, then another ring of water
and one of land, until there were nine rings of water and nine of land.
The islands had been created by Neptune, god of the sea, for Cleito, his
beloved. From their children the king and people of Atlantis were
descended. The island was very rich, and the people content. The city was
built of black and red stone; the roofs of the houses were of red copper
and flashed in the sun; and there were two beautiful temples, one
surrounded by a golden wall and the other with silver walls, golden
pinnacles, and a roof of ivory.
In 1967, a city buried by a volcanic eruption in 1500 BC., was found on
Santorini. Archaeologists say this might be Atlantis.
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