Akrotiri Prehistoric city
The excavations in Akrotiri which started in 1956 by the archaeologist Spyros Marinatos brought to light an ancient city very well preserved, which was entirely buried under the ash from the volcanic explosion. The tidal wave was so huge that it reached as far as Crete, 70 nautical miles away and many consider that it was the main cause of destruction of the Minoan civilization. This disaster caused much speculation as to whether Santorini was in fact the mythological lost city of Atlantis.
The eruption vanish the human presence in the island which inhabited once again from the end of the 13th century BC by the Phoenicians that stayed for five generations. Then the Dorians arrived, founded a colony and named the island Thera after their King’s name. In the following years Thera built commercial and trade relations with most of the islands and greek cities and was one of the first places in Greece that used the Phoenician alphabet. The island did not follow the cultural development of the other Cycladic islands. As the historian Herodotus confirms Therans founded one Theran colony in the north coast of Africa under the name Kyrene.
Ancient Thera
Climb up to the top of Mesa Vouno Mt to admire the ancient city built by the Spartans in the 8th century BC. The ancient theatre, the agora and plenty of public and private buildings and temples along with some amazing views make your stop here a must live experience! You can drive up to Ancient Thera by car or join an organized guided tour.