Ancient Thera, Santorini's most beautiful archaeological site

The history of Santorini has nothing in common with the other Cycladic islands, which are so close. The major event that forever marked the island was the gigantic volcanic eruption of 1600 BC, one of the greatest cataclysms in living memory!

This titanic eruption drove out the Minoans who had settled on the site of ancient Akrotiri, to the south of Santorini, and left the island completely uninhabited for several centuries. Legend has it that a son of the King of Sparta, Thiras, landed on the shores of this deserted Santorini to found a colony: this was around the 9th century BC.

This legendary king gave his name to Santorini and to the newly founded city: Thira, or Thera, which are still the official Greek names of Santorini today! In those remote times, when the sea was infested with pirates, people looked for sites that were easy to defend, high up and offering far-reaching views of the surrounding area: all the characteristics of ancient Thera.

Perched at an altitude of 365m on the summit of Mesa Vouno, a sort of protrusion of Profitis Ilias plunging into the sea, ancient Thera remained inhabited until the Byzantine period (10th-11th centuries), before the Venetians took over. Several civilisations left their mark: the Dorians from Greece, the Ptolemies from Egypt, the Romans and the Christians of the Eastern Roman Empire...

Along with ancient Akrotiri, ancient Thera is Santorini's other must-see archaeological site. The site can be visited on foot from either Perissa or Kamari: the path climbs up to the Mesa Vouno pass, where the entrance to Ancient Thera is located.

Next, a flight of warming steps leads up to the site itself: the remains are fairly sparse, but give an idea of the composition of the ancient city, and above all, the traces left by its various occupants over the course of its history: the 4th-century Christian basilica, the agora and theatre, the ancient temples, the sanctuary of the Egyptian gods, the temenos and its sacred animals, the Roman baths, etc...

Below, the view also opens out onto Santorini's two great volcanic beaches: Perissa on one side and Kamari on the other. The two are linked by small boats in summer, providing an opportunity to make a loop with a swim once you reach the very bottom of ancient Thera.