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Why is Santorini a volcano?

Prior to 1620 BC, the island of Santorini, now known as Thera, was built up by layers of lava created by overlapping shield volcanoes, and it had experienced three significant eruptions that formed overlapping calderas, or collapsed magma chambers.



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It was created by one of the largest known eruptions around 3,600 years ago. The explosion was so powerful that it wrecked Santorini's ancient city of Akrotiri and dealt a fatal blow to the seafaring Minoan civilization, which had settled on the island at the time.

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Greece has a large volcanic arch, created millions of years ago by the sinking of the African lithosphere (Oceania) under the Eurasiatic plate (mainland).

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Jumping off our boat into the hot springs was a fun thing to do on our Santorini sunset cruise. Most cruises take you to the hot springs and stop for a while so you can swim. The hot springs are just off the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, which were formed by a series of volcanic eruptions.

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Santorini really has no sources of natural drinking water. While a couple of new sea water desalination plants have been able to supply the main cities with clean water, many households still rely on collecting the winter rain fall in large tanks that sit on top of many houses.

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Geothermal energy, a mild, renewable and local source is cheap and very environmentally friendly. Geothermal conditions are particularly favorable in Santorini because of the active volcano and increased heat flow and geothermal energy is a clear comparative advantage for the island.

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Later Atlantis suffered a terrible earthquake and a flood, sinking in its entirety into the sea. Finds from the excavations at Akrotiri have led scholars to conclude that the lost Atlantis was none other than Santorini. However over the centuries, as myth was retold, experts beg to differ.

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Due to the challenging weather conditions (heavy hurricanes in winter and solar heat in summer) and protection from pirate invasions, Santorini's architecture is very similar to the other Cycladic islands. Of unique charm is the sunset of Fira and Oia, for which the island welcomes thousands of visitors.

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This island of black rock owes its unique, dramatic landscape to volcanic eruptions. A volcano, still active, stands at the center of a ring of islands, Santorini the longest. In between them is a vast, deep caldera, filled with water, surrounded by the islands' cliffs, volcanic rock, and black and red sand beaches.

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According to Mythology, Santorini was created from a lump of earth that was thrown into the sea by Euphemus, Poseidon's son. Euphemus had a dream one evening that he had made love to a nymph who was the daughter of Triton (the son of Poseidon and Aphrodite).

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Santorini is pretty safe. Travelers report feeling comfortable walking around the streets both day and night. Even pickpocketing is few and far between here.

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We recommend that you always use bottled water for drinking. Washing up and brushing your teeth can be safely done using tap water throughout the island.

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