Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Minor eruptions have been the norm in Greece's earthquake-prone history, but Santorini
continually bucked this trend - eruptions were genuinely earth-shattering, and so
wrenching they changed the shape of the island several times.
Dorians, Venetians and Turks occupied Santorini, but its most influential early inhabit-
ants were Minoans. They came from Crete between 2000 BC and 1600 BC, and the set-
tlement at Akrotiri dates from the peak years of their great civilisation.
The island was circular then and was called Strongili (Round One). Thousands of
years ago a colossal volcanic eruption caused the centre of Strongili to sink, leaving a
caldera with towering cliffs along the east side. The latest theory, based on carbon dating
of olive-oil samples from Akrotiri, places the event 10 years either side of 1613 BC.
Santorini was recolonised during the 3rd century BC, but for the next 2000 years
sporadic volcanic activity created further physical changes that included the formation of
the volcanic islands of Palia Kameni and Nea Kameni at the centre of the caldera. As re-
cently as 1956 a major earthquake devastated Oia and Fira, yet by the 1970s the islanders
had embraced tourism as tourists embraced the island, and today Santorini is a destina-
tion of truly spectacular appeal.
A BENT FOR CYCLADIC TRAVEL
Long before the hip lotus eaters of the 1960s discovered their dream world in the
Greek islands, a redoubtable pair of travellers had been thoroughly 'doing' the Cyc-
lades during the late 19th century. James Theodore Bent and his wife, Mabel, trav-
elled extensively throughout the Aegean, 'researching' the cultural life of the is-
lands as much as their archaeology. J Theodore's 1885 island-by-island book,The
Cyclades, Or Life Among the Insular Greeks,is a quirky masterpiece that describes
the sights and cultural realities of the islands in the late-19th century - along with
Bent's often eccentric reflections. A full edition is published by
Archaeopress
(
www.anagnosis.gr
)
, may sometimes be found in bookshops on bigger islands such as
Santorini.
Getting There & Away
There are several flights a day to and from Athens (€85, 45 minutes). There are also a
good number of ferries each day to and from Piraeus and many of Santorini's neighbour-
ing islands.
