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| Nea Kameni, The Volcanic island - Santorini Guide to Santorini Island, Cyclades, Aegean, Greece. |
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| Two small islands are located in the centre of the Santorini caldera, Palea and Nea Kameni, " the volcano " to Santorini locals, these are the youngest volcanic land masses in the Eastern Mediterranean. Palea Kameni (Old Burnt Island) is less than 2000 years old, while Nea Kameni (Young Burnt Island) began to form only 425 years ago and some of its youngest lava formations are less than 50 years old when an eruption lasted almost a month. These two islands represent the volcano's most recent activity. Day trips to the volcano depart from the harbour at Athinios, admission to the main Volcanic island is charged at 2 euro (2005 prices) and a 1.5 kilometre walk can be made to the very top. Fantastic views are possible of the main Island of Santorini from many points along the way. Wear good shoes or walking boots and bring along a bottle of water! Santorini is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in the Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from the mainland of Greece. Santorini is also known by the name of the largest island in the archipelago, Thira or Thera. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km2 (28 sq mi), and in 2001 had an estimated population of 13,600. The inhabitants are citizens of Greece and speak Greek. It is the most active volcanic centre in the Aegean Arc, though what remains today is largely a caldera. The name Santorini was given to it by the Venetians in the 13th century and is a reference to Saint Irene. The island was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the last several thousand years when it erupted cataclysmically about 3,500 years ago. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by ash deposits hundreds of feet deep, and its effects may have indirectly led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 70 km to the south. Santorini was annexed to Greece in 1912. Major settlements in Santorini include Fira (Phira), Oia, Emporio, Kamari, Imerovigli, Pyrgos and Therasia. Akrotiri is a major archaeological site with ruins from the Minoan era. The island has no rivers and water is scarce. Until the early nineties locals used to fill water tanks from the rain that fell on their roofs and courts, from small springs as well as by importing it from other areas of Greece. Nowadays, there is a desalination plant that provides running, yet nonpotable, water to most houses. The primary industry of Santorini is tourism. The pumice quarries have been closed since 1986 in order to preserve the caldera of Santorini. Photography, Text and Graphics © Red Door VR Limited All rights reserved. |
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