SANTORINI,THW HISTORY OF THE MOST POPULAR GREEK ISLAND

Santorini ,officially Thera are islands that are the remnants of a volcanic caldera located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name. The municipality of Santorini is composed of the islands of Santorini, Therasia, and the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana.
Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon merges with the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping.

It is the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera. The region first became volcanically active around 3–4 million years ago though volcanism on Thera began around 2 million years ago with the extrusion of dacitic lavas from vents around the region of Akrotiri.

The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption , which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. This theory is not, however, supported by chronology, in that the collapse of the Minoan civilization did not occur concurrently with the date of the tsunami; that happened some 90 years later.Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

HOLLYWOOD'S STARS HAVE DISCOVERED THE “BENJAMIN OF THE IONIAN ISLANDS"..YOU?

Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise, Nicol Kidman and many other Hollywood's stars have discovered Paxos .Paxi is the name given to the smallest group of the Ionian Islands. In Greek it is a plural form and it refers to a complex of islands, the largest of which are Paxos and Antipaxos (a smaller nearby island famous for two of the finest sandy beaches in the Ionian Sea)

Paxos has a permanent population of approximately 2,300 inhabitants and during the summer months the island welcomes more than 200,000 visitors.The eastern coastlines of the island are smooth, while the west coasts are bold and abrupt with remarkable natural formations: caves,fjords etc. Paxos is dominated by olive groves and Antipaxi by vineyards.You can rent a boat and explore every magic corner of these extraordinary beautiful place on earth.You will never forget these green islands with the turquoise waters..!

SPINALONGA THE "BESTSELLER" ISLAND

The book The Island by Victoria Hislop is set in Spinalonga and shares the fictional story of a family's ties to the leper colony.The island of Spinalonga is located in the Gulf of Elounda in north-eastern Crete, next to the town of Elounda.The island was subsequently used as a leper colony from 1903 to 1957. It is notable for being one of the last active leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant, a priest, left the island in 1962.

Today, the unoccupied island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete. In addition to the abandoned leper colony and the fortress, Spinalonga is known for its small pebble beaches and shallow waters. The island can easily be accessed from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Tourist boats depart from both towns on a daily basis. There is no accommodation on Spinalonga, meaning all tours last only a few hours. Boat trips from Elounda take approximately fifteen minutes while trips departing Aghios Nikolaos can take almost an hour.

IKARIA THE ISLAND OF LONGEVITY

Ikaria Island is the home of the mythical Icarus. Acclaimed New York Times Best Seller author of "Blue Zones",Dan Buettner, has discovered the secrets of longevity on Ikaria and declared it as one of only 5 other Blue Zones worldwide.. It is amazing that one-third of the population are 90 years of age and olderDuring your vacation you can ramble in Halaris Gorge,visit the ancient spa at Therma Spa or enjoy the unspoiled seas.The island is famous for the traditional feasts called "panigiria".The celebrations typically start in the early afternoon and go on until the next morning!There you will have the chance to try dancing "Ikariotikos" dance.Ikaria also plays host to "Icarus Festival".The purpose of the Festival is to host performances by artists or groups whose music is a product of multicultural participation or inspiration.
photo:Oscillator

ANOTHER REASON TO VISIT SANTORINI...THE WINE MUSEUM!

Santorini is a beautiful volcanic island located in the southern Aegean Sea.The island remains the home of a small, but flourishing, wine industry, based on the indigenous grape variety, Assyrtiko, with auxiliary cultivations of two other Aegean varietals, Athiri and Aidani. White wines from the island are extremely dry with a strong, citrus scent and mineral and iodide salt aromas contributed by the ashy volcanic soil, whereas barrel aging gives to some of the white wines a slight frankincense aroma, much like Vinsanto.

One of the attractions in Santorini is the Wine Museum.The museum is a natural cave 6 meters below ground.The exhibition consists of 24 thematic units that explain all the steps of the wine production procedure in Santorini. The collection includes machinery, vessels and tools for processing grapes that date from 1660 to 1970.You can join in the ritual of wine tasting,watch a relevant film and more!!

Take a look at our Greek islands package holidays

photos:touristorama

GREEK ORTHODOX EASTER

Special 3-Day cruise itinerary
Greek Islands & Ephesus 22 - 25 April 2011
All meals included

A visual and cultural experience combination, beginning from the whitewashed and windmill strewn harbor of cosmopolitan Mykonos, to the wonders of ancient Ephessos (Kusadasi) and the Holy Island of Patmos, where St. John the Divine transcribed the Apocalypse. Cruise destinations also include Heraklion, Crete and the fascinating island of Santorini to witness the most spectacular sunsets in the world.

3 DAY CRUISE - ITINERARY
DATE	PORT	ARRIVES	DEPARTS
Fri.	Piraeus (Athens), Greece		11:00
Fri.	Mykonos, Greece	18:00	23:00
Sat.	Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey	07:00	12:00
Sat.	Patmos, Greece	16:00	21:00
Sun.	Heraklion (Crete), Greece	07:00	11:30
Sun.	Santorini,Greece	16:30	21:00
Mon.	Piraeus (Athens), Greece	07:00

COMBINE YOUR HOLIDAYS IN GREECE WITH A FESTIVAL

Greece is a country with many cultural events going on all year round.Choose your favorite and enjoy the experience !

March-Thessaloniki Documentary Festival(11-20 March)
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Images of the 21st Century (TDF) is a film festival specialising in documentary films which takes place every March in Thessaloniki.The main programme focuses on documentaries that explore the social and cultural developments in the world.

April-BeThere!Corfu Animation Festival(7-10 April)
Be there! Corfu Animation Festival is the new international animation festival, that includes Corfu, the capital of the Ionian Islands, as its point of reference. It aims to constitute a meeting point for animation artists from all over the world, in April 2011.

June-Medieval Rhodes Festival(mid May-late June only in weekends)
Tradition, History and Myth...
The legend of Rhodes...In a Medieval Festival!

July-Rockwave Festival
Rockwave Festival is a rock festival held in Malakassa, Greece, a few miles outside of Athens, Greece. It is one of the most famous music festivals in Greece. The festival's history begins back in 1995, but it had its popularity spread since 2004.

Please contact us and let us help make your trip to Greece the best time of your lives.
photo:lifomag