SANTORINI   The world famous island of Santorini is the southern most island of the Cycladic group in the Aegean Sea, located 63 nautical miles north of Crete. Its surface area is 73 sq. km. and its population, distributed among thirteen villages, just exceeds thirteen thousand six hundred people, according to the census of 2001.

The present-day crescent shape of the island is a consequence of the activity of the volcano in prehistoric times. The island itself owes its very existence to the volcano. The last huge eruption of the volcano dates back 3,600 years, to the late Bronze Age. Thirty million cubic meters of magma in the form of pumice and ash were blown to a height of up to 36 kilometers above the island. Pumice deposits, dozens of meters thick, buried the ancient city at Akrotiri, one of the most prosperous pre-historic settlements of that period, giving rise to the myth of the lost Atlantis.

The ancient city at Akrotiri is not merely the most important archaeological site on the island; it is also, thanks to its excellent state of preservation and the wealth of findings, the most important prehistoric settlement found anywhere in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The island's marvellous dry climate and continuous sunshine all year around, create the perfect conditions for observation, photographs and videos of Santorini's extraordinary variety of natural light and colours.

Santorini provides more than three hundred restaurant options ranging from simple to sophisticated, and a number of them enjoy the reputation of being amongst the best and most appreciated in the country.