The volcanic island of Santorini is a major travel destination around Greece. Santorini is also known as Thira in the native dialect. Fira is the major town of the island of Santorini. The typical Mediterranean blue of Greece is also reflected in the islands, coffee shops and in the beaches of Santorini. However, it must be mentioned here that Santorini is not a Mediterranean sea island, but an Aegean sea island. The island is located about 200 km (120 miles) south east from the Grecian mainland. The island is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands and is constituted of the municipalty of Thera and the community of Oia. The lonely traveler can still find the pristine beauty of nature in the uninhabited islands of Christiana, Asporinisi, Palaia kameni and the Nea Kameni. Like Crete, the Santorini island was also an important center of the Minoan civilization.
The island of Santorini is centered around a giant central lagoon that is essentially the remnant of an earlier volcanic explosion. The lagoon measures 12 by 7 km ( 7.5 by 4.3 miles) in length and width and is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides of the lagoon. The lagoon merges into the sea in two places, the northwest and the southwest. The confluence of the lagoon into the Aegean sea is intercepted by a smaller island, the Therasia. The sunset view from the Santorini lagoon is a major tourist attraction. Santorini in Greece has also gathered considerable reputation as a wedding destination with the backdrop of the Santorini sunset illuminating the weddings in a heavenly light.
The Megaro gyzi museum and the archaeological museum of Fira are major tourist attractions. While the Megaro gyzi museum is an archive of modern Santorini, the archaeological museum of Fira holds the ancient frescoes of the Minoan civilization. The ‘saffron gatherers’ is a reputed Minoan frescoe in the archaeological museum.
The accommodation and transportation facilities from and about Thira are convenient for travelers. The Thira municipality arranges bus tours for travelers.
