Photo: Santorini's Caldera

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Here are a couple pictures of Santorini's Caldera, which we saw on our stop in Santorini a/k/a Thera, Hellas, last July.

The Wikipedia says: "Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. Its spectacular physical beauty, along with a dynamic nightlife, have made the island one of Europe's tourist hotspots."

"The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions the planet has ever seen: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (70 miles) to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis."
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Arrival in Santorini, Greece

The Santorini Caldera. What looks like an island out in the water is the volcano.

We arrived on Santorini after a two hour hydrofoil boat ride from the port of Heraklion. This incredible island has been through plenty, including a volcanic explosion that scientists say is the greatest explosion to ever rock the earth. That explosion blew a hold right out of the middle of the once around island...the hole is called the caldera.

In 1956, the island was leveled by an earthquake and virtually everything here was built since then.



It is heavily touristed, mainly with cruise ships docking for a few hours. Right now, it is 5 PM and the boats have departed, leaving only the residents and the tourists staying overnight.

Tomorrow we depart for the Island of Naxos, another two hour ferry ride away.
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