Santorini Caldera

Santorini Caldera is the flooded volcanic crater at the heart of the Cyclades in Greece, formed by the Minoan eruption of around 1600 BC that blew apart the original round island and left a crescent of cliffs. The rim is crowned by the villages of Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira. Cliffs rise roughly 300 metres from the sea in bands of red, black and white volcanic rock, and whitewashed, blue-domed buildings are stacked along the edge. The central islets of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, still volcanically active, sit in the middle of the bay. Visitors typically spend four to six hours, longer when walking the rim path. The classic route runs from Fira to Oia along the caldera edge, roughly 10 to 12 kilometres and three to four hours, passing Firostefani, Imerovigli and the Skaros rock. Good vantage points include the edge paths of Imerovigli, the ruined Agios Nikolaos castle (Kastelli) at the northwest tip of Oia, and the cliff-top promenade in Fira. Boats from the old port of Fira and from Athinios take visitors to the volcano, the hot springs and on sunset cruises. Photography works best in the early morning, when the lanes are almost empty and the light is soft, and again at golden hour. Crowds peak at sunset in Oia, when hundreds gather on the castle ruins and walls from about two hours beforehand; arriving early or choosing Imerovigli reduces the crush. Cruise ship days put thousands of passengers into Fira and Oia between roughly 10 AM and 5 PM, so checking the port schedule helps. Because the caldera is an open landscape rather than a ticketed site there is no admission charge, but sunset restaurants with a view are expensive and reservations are advisable in July and August. Steps are numerous: the old port of Fira is reached by about 588 steps, a cable car or a donkey ride.