Santorini, Greece
Where Is Santorini, Greece?
Santorini is one of the many Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Santorini was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. There are still some natural hot springs and other traces of volcanic activity around the caldera, which can be interesting to see.The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles. The distance from Athens to Santorini is about 230 kilometers (140 miles)
Although it’s just one of about 30 main islands that make up the Cyclades group of Greek islands, Santorini is easily the most famous island in the group, and it’s probably the most famous island in the country of Greece!
The best time to visit Santorini for tourists is generally during the shoulder seasons of late April to early June and September to early November. During these months, the weather is typically warm and sunny, with fewer crowds than during the peak summer months of July and August.
Compared to several other Greek islands, Santorini can be pretty expensive.
There are so many things to do while in Santorini. Below are a list of options to enjoy while visiting:
1. Fira Village
2. Pyrgos
3. Megalochori
4. Akrotiri Museum
Santorini Tips
- Credit Cards: You can pay by credit card for most hotels, restaurants, and other things in Santorini, but it’s still a good idea to carry a bit of cash (in Euros). Some smaller restaurants only take cash, or the card machines may go down.
- ATM: There are ATMs within reach of every corner of the island. We usually pulled 200 Euros at a time, and never had any issues. One thing to note is that the ATMs will offer you their own conversion rate (which is a really bad rate), or you can continue in Euros. Make sure you choose Euros without their silly conversion rate. This is a well known scam at ATMs in Greece, but it’s easily avoided if you know what you’re doing.
- Cell Service: Phone reception is strong across all of Santorini island, so you won’t have any issues staying in touch.
- WiFi: Internet quality in Santorini is better than the other Greek islands, in our experience. Don’t always expect WiFi speeds on par with Athens (or other European countries), but it’s generally good enough for emails, browsing, and streaming.
- Language: The local language in Santorini is Greek, of course, but almost everyone speaks and understands enough English for conversation. Lots of American and British tourists visit the Aegian islands, so the locals are accustomed to speaking English with travelers.
- Mosquitoes: We never saw any mosquitoes in Santorini, and the island isn’t known to be home to the West Nile Virus, so it’s not really a significant concern here.
- Water: The tap water in Santorini is supposed to be safe to drink, but it doesn’t taste good. It’s better to drink bottled water, which is cheap and can be found all over. You can use the tap water for cooking or brushing your teeth.