What is Santorini known for?

Santorini is primarily known for its active volcanic attractions, beautiful sunset views, white-washed houses, blue-domed churches, and well-organized beaches. Santorini is a Greek island located “between” the island of Anafi and Ios island and is approx 141 km (88 miles) north of Crete. Santorini is situated on the southern side of the Aegean sea and is considered one of the most famous Greek islands.

Santorini is part of a Cycladic island complex and is worldwide known for its unique attractions. The island has volcano attractions, architectural beauty, delicious wine, and beautiful beaches. There is so much to explore and see on the whole island. This article will discuss all the things Santorini is known for, and we will get into the details of all these famous attractions. So let’s get started.

What is Santorini known for?

Caldera

The Santorini caldera view can be seen from, among others, Fira, Firostefani, and Oia. It is one of the biggest gems in the Aegean Sea and has a crescent shape, and is a unique place to visit. The current formation of the caldera is formed due to the enormous volcanic eruption. Santorini caldera is also often linked to the myths of Atlantis. 

The caldera has massive cliffs and steep rocks. Moreover, this caldera is the only inhabited caldera in the world since the locals of Santorini never gave up settling the place, no matter how many eruptions took place over the years.

You can enjoy the fantastic view of the caldera from many of the cities like Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia, Megalochori, and Okritri. 

Villages

Santori has many tiny villages. Many are located on the caldera edges and feature the most beautiful view of the volcano, sunsets, and the Aegean sea. Here we will provide detail about the 8 most popular villages of Santorini, which are recognized worldwide for their beauty. 

Fira Town

Fira Town - The Capital of Santorini

Fira town is the most visited village of Santorini. It is the beautiful capital of Santorini and has a modern infrastructure for tourists. Fira has luxury accommodations and food facilities and has a beautiful view of the caldera. 

Fira is located on the western edge of the island. The distance between Santorini international airport and Fira is 5.1 km (3.2 miles). Fira is the choice of tourists for its natural beauty, social life, and nightlife.

Read more about the beautiful town of Fira here: Fira Town – The Capital of Santorini.

Imerovigli Village

The Imerovigli village is known as the balcony of the Aegean sea and is famous for its amazing Aegean sea views. Imerovigli is located on the north side of the island, and one of the most notable attractions of Imerovigli is the Skaros. It is a vast rock situated on the seaward side of the island. 

Oia

Oia Santorini

Oia is the most peaceful village of Santorini and is also known as Pano Meria. The Oia village is located on the northwest side of Santorini and is famous for its fantastic sunset views. The town also has beautiful white-washed houses and blue-domed churches.

Check out this in-depth article on Oia here: Oia Santorini – The Best Place to Visit

Firostefani Village

Firostefani village is the extension of Fira town. It is located on the north side of Fira, and it is the highest part of the Fira. The fantastic views of the volcano and caldera make it a beautiful village on the island. 

Pyrgos village

Pyrgos village is the highest village on Santorini island. It is located 8 km away from Fira on the southwest coast. Pyrgos villages have beautiful Cycladic views. It is located in the highest position to see amazing views of the Aegean sea and caldera.

Kamari

Kamari is the seaside resort of Santorini. It is located on the north side of Messa Vuono. The village has well-organized beaches with sunbeds and loungers for tourists. The town has a modern infrastructure and has multiple bars, cafes, and accommodations. 

Akrotiri village

Akrotiri is located on the southwest edge of Santorini. The village has no modern infrastructure, and it is the most peaceful and quiet village of Santorini. One of the most famous attractions of this village is the red beach with its blue water, and the reddish sand makes it the most beautiful beach in Santorini.

Perissa village

Perissa village is 13 km (8 miles) away from Fira. It is located on the edges of the cliffs. One of the extraordinary attractions of the Perissa village is the Perissa beach. The black lava sand and dark blue water make it one of the best beaches in Greece. 

Wine

A glass of wine in Santorini

Another famous attraction of Santorini is its wine. Santorini has been producing wine since ancient times. During the middle ages, Santorini wines became famous all over the world. Santorini locals use red grapes such as Mandelaria and white grapes such as Athiri, Assyrtiko, and Aidini for producing rose wine and blended wine. 

Sweet Vinsanto is probably the most popular wine on the island. The wine taste combines sweetness and acidity with an aroma of figs and dried apricots. The name resembles the famous Italian wine “Vin Santo,” but they are two different wines.

Atlantis

Another thing that Santorini is known for is its connection with the myths of Atlantis. According to stories, Atlantis is the continent that was buried in the Aegean sea. The kingdom of Atlantis had 10 villages and two islands.

According to history, Atlantis launched an attack on Athenians but got defeated and lost its island to Athenians. Later on, a terrible flood and earthquake buried Atlantis island into the Aegean sea. Nowadays, the excavation at Akrotiri makes scientists believe that Santorini can be the lost island of Atlantis. 

Volcano

Santorini is gifted with wild beauty and natural scenery, making it a special place to visit. However, the most remarkable thing about Santorini is its volcano attractions. The island has an active volcano that attracts tourists from all over the world.

The last volcanic eruption took place on the island in 1950, and now the volcano is in dormant form. The island’s caldera has a crescent shape and can be viewed from Santorini villages like Fira and Oia.

Another two famous volcanic attractions in Santorini are the islands Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. These islands were formed over the last 2000 years by several volcanic eruptions and solidified lava and ash from the volcano on Santorini.

Hot springs

Another thing that Santorini is known for is its hot springs. Palea Kameni is a small black lava island place, and it is an uninhabited islet. You can find hot springs on Palea Kameni. The water temperature of these hot springs remains between 30°C and 35°C (86ºF and 95ºF). The hot springs have orange-tinged water flowing from the shallow cove to the coast. Many people believe that sulfuric orange-tinged water is curative for joints and skin diseases. 

Architectural beauty

One of the most unique and landmark signs of Santorini island is its architectural beauty. Island towns like Fira and Oia have white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches. This is the first view that comes to mind to many people when they think about Santorini’s beauty. 

The cave houses of the Santorini with white-washed color located on the edge cliffs make it different from the rest of the world. The homes have blue windows and doors, and blue-domed churches that make a beautiful blend of white and blue. 

The Fira village has beautiful Cycladic architecture to view. Furthermore, in the Exo Gonia village, you can visit the Artspace winery museum art gallery to know more about the local culture and art of the island. Last but not least, in the Akrotiri Archaeological site, you can explore so much about the legend of the Atlantis myths. 

Beaches

The beautiful beaches of Santori island are a well-known attraction for tourists. Santorini has white beaches, black beaches, and red beaches. On the Santorini beaches, there are multiple taverns, cafes, bars, restaurants, and many types of water sports for tourists. Let’s get into the details of some of the most famous beaches of Santorini. 

Red beach

Red Beach in Santorini

The beach has red sand and dark blue water that makes it the must-see attraction of the Santorini. The red beach is located in Akrotiri, and you can quickly get there by taking a local bus ride from Fira. The beach has iron-rich sedimentary rocks and red sand. The sunset view on the red beach features a breathtaking view.

Want to know about the weather before visiting the beach? Check this article: Santorini Weather – Month by Month.

Perissa beach

Perissa beach Santorini

It is one of the most extensive beaches on the island. It is also known as the black beach of the island. You will find a lot of crowds there. The beach has facilities of restaurants, cafes, bars and water sports. Moreover, there are organized sunbeds to enjoy your beach-time. 

Baxedes

Baxedes is located on the north side of the island. Baxedes beach also has black sand and dark blue water making it unique. It is not as crowded as the other beaches of Santorini, so it is one of the most peaceful beaches to visit in Santorini. 

White beach

White beach Santorini

White beach is not a large beach. The color of the sand is not actually white; in fact, it has a light gray color. It features a beautiful view of the blue water of the Aegean Sea, and you can get there by taking a boat from Akrotiri or the Red beach. 

Conclusion

Santorini island is gifted with natural beauty and so much to see during your visit. Honestly, there are many places to explore that cannot be described in words. From its delicious wines to its beautiful beaches, there are many attractions to visit.

So if you are planning to make your next trip to Santorini and if your budget allows you, try to make a plan for the week. We assure you it will be one of the most memorable trips of your life.

Here is some more info you can read: Why Visit Santorini? (11 reasons to know about)

So without any further delay, add Santorini to your list for the next attraction to visit. Or, if you are already planning to see it, pack your bags and head toward this beautiful island as it’s the best time to visit.

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