Santorini

A short history

The eruption came around 1600 BCE and was violent enough that it probably ended Minoan civilisation on the island and may sit somewhere behind the Atlantis legend. The Minoan town of Akrotiri was buried in ash and preserved much as Pompeii was, and is still being excavated. The whitewashed villages on the rim — Oia and Fira — are far younger than they look: most of what visitors photograph was rebuilt after a major earthquake in 1956.

Why travellers love it

It is one of the easiest genuinely iconic European islands to reach, with frequent connections through Athens, and it works as a three or four-day trip rather than a fortnight. The scenery does the heavy lifting: almost every viewpoint on the caldera rim looks straight down several hundred metres into a flooded volcano.

Before you go

Greece is in the Schengen area, so plan visa arrangements early if your passport needs one. May to June and September are the sweet spot — August brings both the crowds and the heat, and the island is small enough that the difference is obvious. Oia at sunset is genuinely crowded; the walk between Fira and Oia along the rim gives you the same view with almost nobody on it.

Highlights

• The sunset viewpoint at Oia
• The Akrotiri excavation site
• A boat tour of the caldera
• The cliffside walk from Fira

Flights to Santorini

• From Dubai