Akrotiri



Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι) is a town on Thira, the largest island of the Santorini archipelago. It is on the southwestern side of Santorini and though it offers great view of the caldera and volcano, it is not as overrun by tourists like Fira and Oia. It has become famous by the discovery of an ancient Minoan settlement just outside the modern town.

Understand
Akrotiri is about 15 km south of Fira, on the south-western tip of Thira, the largest island of the Santorini archipelago. Built on the slopes of a hill, it is a popular travel destination because it offers spectacular views of the caldera. The top of the hill also features ruins of a 13th century Venetian castle, constructed as a defensive fortification to protect Thira from raiders. Most of the modern town is built around the castle ruins.

What Akrotiri is perhaps the most famous for is the Minoan Bronze Age settlement that was discovered 2 km to the south-east of the current town. When the Santorini volcano obliterated the former island and created the present day archipelago in ca. 1600 BCE, the Minoan settlement was buried in volcanic pumice and ashes. As a result, it was exceptionally well preserved, unlike other Minoan settlements in the Cyclades, and the Akrotiri archaeological site is considered the most valuable Minoan era scientific evidence because it was covered at the height of the Minoan civilisation. The comparison with Pompeii is often made, and rightfully so. Many artefacts were unearthed in the ruins of the Minoan town but no bodies were discovered, which suggests the Minoans had evacuated prior to the eruption.

Get in
.

There are direct bus services from the Fira central bus station, which stop in the town centre (get off at ) and also directly to the where services terminate.

Get around
Akrotori is small enough to get around by foot, even the lighthouse at cape Akrotiri can be reached within an hour walking. From the town centre, the Minoan settlement archaeological site is 2 km to the south.

Do
From Akrotiri, you can walk to the Red Beach or get a boat to it, which also makes stops at the White Beach and the Black Beach. It is return but you don't receive any ticket or receipt (nor do they have the means to give you one). However, there is only one boat so they trust if you come back by it, you must have come so you aren't asked to pay again, only when you leave Akrotiri. The only stop with a pier is Akrotiri so if you intend to get off, tell them explicitly or they won't know to stop (though they often ask) and be prepared to get off directly into the sea and walk through the water to get to the beach. They always stop in waters shallow enough to walk in for adults (highest it comes to is the waist) so it is possible to bring bags, but make sure you can lift them above your head.

Go next
Take the bus back to Fira and get off at Megalochori, or walk directly to Emporio or Exomytis.