Volcano: An explosive history
Santorini’s volcano is among the active volcanoes in Greece and its caldera is one of the most impressive in the world. During the past 400,000 years, it has produced 12 explosive eruptions!
Santorini is an island of unsurpassed beauty and its uniqueness is mainly due to the volcano that attracts the interest of millions of visitors every year. After all, this volcano was born from the sea and it has significantly influenced the geological form of the entire eastern mediterranean region and of course people’s life in the area. The volcano is active and it belongs to the South Aegean volcanic arc (along with the volcanoes of Methana, Milos and Nisyros). Santorini, as we know it today, was created from the intense volcanic activity in the Aegean about 3600 years ago. The great eruption that occurred during the Prehistoric Era, known as the Minoan Eruption, changed the form and the image of the island creating several small islets around it – Nea and Palea Kameni, Thirassia and Aspronisi.
Today, when the locals refer to the volcano, they mean the island of Nea Kameni, a part of which was formed during the eruption of 1950. Here you can see steam coming out of the earth! In the adjacent islet of Palea Kameni you can see a wild landscape with black lava rocks and hot springs with thermal water that has healing properties for the skin, arthritis and other conditions.V
The best way to discover the impressive volcano is to hike along its craters! You can book one of the volcano boat tours to Nea and Palea Kameni. In Nea Kameni you will explore the active craters and smell the sulfur that comes from the volcano! Following your visit to the volcano, we suggest that you take a dive in the soothing thermal waters of Palea Kameni. There are daily boat tours that you can join to visit Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni. The tours start from Ammoudi, the island’s old port or the main port of Athinios. If you want a more exclusive experience, you can book a tailor made sailing cruise to the volcano with lunch and wine onboard!