Many people will have heard of The Legend of Atlantis, and while most will know its origins and the basic premise of the story, they may not know that the island of Santorini is largely suspected of being the actual lost city of Atlantis. Speculation is rife that the utopian city first mentioned by Plato, an Ancient Greek philosopher, is right there in the Cyclades.

Whether or not this is true still remains to be seen, but many explorers and archaeologists work tirelessly to try to uncover the truth about the legendary land.
The history of Santorini stretches as far as the eye can see, with many Santorini landmarks having historical significance. The formation of the island itself is a testament to its past. The crescent shape is due to the massive eruption of the volcano that occurred in the year 1650BC or thereabouts.

The exact date of the eruption is unknown. Unfortunately the eruption triggered a large tsunami that hit the largest of the Greek islands, Crete.  It is actually this eruption that has caused many people to believe that Santorini is in fact Atlantis. Santorini volcano history has shown that not only were the residents of the island and the Minoans on Crete affected by the eruption, the after effects were felt all around the world. The dust cloud which caused a drop in temperature and blocked out the sun was felt for nine days in Egypt.

The ripple effect was also felt as far away as China and Canada.
Santorini island history is rich and varied. The island was ruled by several races that controlled the area during ancient times; these included the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, the Romans and the Byzantine Empire. Evidence of the ancient civilizations can be seen by visitors to the island at the archaeological site in Akrotiri.

Greek island cruises sail into the Caldera heading for the port. The island is popular with tourists who are looking for an idyllic holiday.  The height of summer can bring a large influx of younger visitors who are looking to enjoy the many nightclubs and bars the capital, Fira has to offer. Ancient Thera  (now known as Fira) is truly a hub of activity at all times of day and night.

Santorini, Greece now heavily depends on tourism as its main industry; however fishing and farming are also popular ways the residents of the islands make a living. Island recreation includes a trip over the caldera by boat to the outlying smaller islands and a vast array of water sports available on several of the beaches. 

Anyone looking for a Greek islands all-inclusive holiday cannot go wrong on Santorini. Flights to Greece, thanks to a variety of low cost, budget airlines are now making islands such as Santorini much more accessible for more people. There are many ways to pay a visit to Santorini, package holidays to Greek islands or even Greek island hopping, which means seeing more than one island during the trip, are some of the most popular ways of enjoying this beautiful island.