Santorini has two Seaport: Athinios Port and Old Port Skala
Athinios Port that is for passenger ferries and cargo. It is here at Athinios port that all the ferry boats arrive from the other ports of Greece. The port code is ATI and there is only one passenger terminal building. Port Authority recommends reservation holders arrive 45 minutes prior to departure to ensure timely processing and boarding.
Most of the time, taxi drivers are waiting for arriving passengers at the ferry port, but during high season it may be difficult to find one available. Tourists can also use the public bus or pre-book a shuttle bus or a private transfer with an independent company to reach their hotel or airport.
The main ferry port of Santorini called Athinios, cannot accommodate large vessels, so most cruise ships either put down anchor in the caldera, just below Fira or 1 – 2 miles away from the old port.
Passengers are brought to land (pier at Skala) with tenders (small boats).
By request, they can transfer the passengers to the Athinios Ferry port.
Santorini Cruise Port: Created by the volcano eruption in 1650 B.C., Santorini’s Cruise Port port of call is located at the bottom of the Caldera Cliffs in Fira, the capital of Santorini.
The port of call doesn’t have a cruise terminal. Instead, visitors are tendered ashore by small boats.
During high season the island hosts about 80,000 visitors per day, and there can be as many as five cruise ships arriving on the same morning, making the port one of the most crowded parts of.
Santorini or Thira (as well as Anafi) is the most southern islands of Cyclades and especially Santorini is one of the most popular summer destinations worldwide.
There are 2 ports in Santorini; the first port is located in Fira (capital of the island) and the other port is called Athinios and is actually the main port of the island. Cruises to nearby islands, the volcano of Santorini, and the small island of Thirassia depart from the port in Fira.
Athinios abstains 12 km from Fira and serves all the major ferry companies that come from Athens (Piraeus port) or Crete. At Athinios port, you will find two mini markets.
In case you need more information on ferry departures and arrivals at the port of Santorini, call at ( 30 22860) 24444, 22239.
Old Port of Santorini
At this small harbor, you will find Duty-free stores, restaurants, taverns, and small shops where you can buy souvenirs or traditional local products.
From Skala, there are three ways to reach the top of the cliff which is 260 meters above sea level, cable car (daily, 6.30 am-10 pm, every 20 mins, €5 / $6.90),
mule ride (€8/$11.05) or a tough hike up 580 steps (following the same path as the mules).
Skala was an old port serving the Santorini before the bigger port of Antonio’s took over. This old port became a tourist hub of the sort, a small town of seaside cafés, boat rental agencies, and trinket shops. During summer times, there are tours going to the nearby volcano and hot springs.
Ferry Itineraries from Santorini
There are daily ferries, high-speed boats, and catamarans that depart from the port of Piraeus in Athens to Santorini island. The frequency of itineraries depends on the season. During summertime, the itineraries are very frequent (more than once per day). The cost of the ferry tickets depends on the type of boat that you will select to travel with (ferry-boat, high-speed boat, flying dolphin). Traveling with a ferry-boat lasts approximately 9-10 hours, while with a high-speed boat roughly 4-5 hours. Boats of the ferry companies Blue Star Ferries, Sea Jets, Hellenic Seaways, and GA Ferries connect Santorini to Piraeus (Athens). There are also other itineraries that connect Athinios port in Santorini to other ports in Cyclades, Dodecanese, and Crete. More specifically, Blue Star Ferries has scheduled ferry itineraries from Kos and Rhodes to Santorini. GA Ferries has scheduled ferry itineraries between Santorini and Heraklion in Crete, Ios, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Tinos, Skopelos, Skiathos, and Thessaloniki. GA Ferries boats also connect Paros, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios and Anafi with Santorini. Hellenic Seaways connects Heraklion in Crete, Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos. Also, Santorini is connected with Anafi by NEL Lines ferries. Finally, Santorini is connected with Milos, Folegandros, Amorgos, and Koufonisia with ferries of the ferry company Sea Jets.
Santorini is the most intriguing island in Greece. Simply its name is more than enough to unfold in mind stunning sunsets and scenery, white, red and black sand beaches, impressive traditional houses, balconies with view to the Volcano, and lively nightlife. All the above, along with the remains of the antiquity and the myth of the Lost Atlantis justify the words in which the tourists determine this wonderful island.
The active volcano of Santorini erupted in the ’50s and ruined many towns of the island. Santorini is also called Thira and its capital is the town of Fira. It is a very touristy island and therefore rather expensive.
The locals live mainly in agriculture and tourism. The island’s largest export product is soil; 2.000.000 tons a year are used all over the world, mainly to make concrete. The Suez channel was built with this concrete, for example.
Most holidaymakers stay where the beaches are, Kamari and Perissa, but these places really do not represent the island’s amazing distinctiveness.
If you can, you should try to stay in Fira, Imerovigli or Oia, the towns on the cliffs, which are very beautiful and full of little cafes, shops and places of interest. There is a bus that goes to the beaches every day, and it is much better to be in the towns in the evening and on the beaches during the day. If you stay in Monolithos you will have more peace and quiet.
Approaching the island by boat the immediate impression obtained is this is a Greek island unlike any other. The island of Santorini was formed out of the lava from the volcanic eruption in 1660 BC. The central part of the volcano sank into the sea leading to the emergence of Santorini itself and the tiny neighboring islands of Thirasia, Palaia, and Nea Kameni close by.
Today, Santorini is the only inhabited Caldera (volcano cauldron) in the world. Unlike other islands in Greece, the towns and villages sit densely on top of the massive cliffs of the Caldera and from a distance appear like snow capping the towering mountain tops. The colored strata of the volcanic rock of these cliffs are spectacular in themselves: chocolate brown, rust red, yellow ochre, white, and cream. The geological uniqueness, however, is not the only thing that makes Santorini a special holiday destination. sunset in Santorini.
Everyone has read about the spectacular sunsets that occur on this island and the skeptic may question whether the setting sun can really appear differently here than from the neighboring islands of Naxos or Ios. Nevertheless, the sunsets at Santorini, viewed from the Caldera, really are breathtakingly beautiful when seen as a backdrop to the volcano. The colors that streak the sky change from lilac to deep purple, from yellow to orange to red, as the golden sun sinks and becomes blood red reflecting its light on to the sea and the surrounding little islands, an amazing scene for photography. The eastern slopes of the island are green and fertile, even in October. This is due to the copious vineyards that grow so well in the fertile volcanic soil. The terraced slopes of the mountains use every available part of this fertile land. The island suffers from water scarcity because it has few natural water reserves, but the nature of the dry soil of Santorini produces grapes that make up one of the best wines of Greece. The climate, though damp is healthy and perfect for producing the famous wine (Vin Santo), fava beans, and tomatoes. There are many wineries and a local factory for canning tomato paste, tomatoes, and vegetables. Santorini used to export a lot of pumice that finally stopped due to the destruction the old pumice mines did to the island. The old mines now are used for the burial of waste.
Today the island’s economy relies on tourism, where tens of thousands of tourists from Greece and around the world visit the island for unforgettable holidays.
History Santorini used to be around the island, but during an earthquake and volcano-outbreak in the 15th century BC, the middle of the island sunk and gave it the shape it has today. The underwater volcano, which is one of the rare examples of volcanoes in the world created by a circular island that was there before the explosion, a group of islands namely Thera, Thirassia, New, and Old Kameni and Aspronisi. This is one of the reasons why many believe Santorini really is where Atlantis once was. The Minoan civilization on the island was razed after this, but apparently, most people managed to flee.
The island has changed names throughout history. Originally it was called Strongyle (“round”) since that was the shape of the island. When the Phoenicians came they named it Kallisti (“the very best”), and finally, it got the name Thira after its first ruler.
There was the son of the Theban hero Autesion who was a descendant of Cadmus. He was the vice king of Sparta and responsible for his twin nephews Procles and Eurysthenes. When they were old enough to rule by themselves, Theras left Sparta with a company of aristocrats and settled on Santorini.
The Romans originally used the island as a place for exiles, but later helped in building up the island. The Christianization of Santorini took place between the 2nd and 5th centuries.
The island was often ravaged and even destroyed by pirates and in 1204, it was conquered by the Venetians. It was about then the island got its current name. The island’s patron saint was Agia Irini (St Eirene) and the foreign sailors called her St Irini – thus Santorini.
The island was destroyed by the Venetians in 1354, and once again in 1397, this time by the conquering Turks. In 1821, Santorini joined forces with the Greek revolutionists and the island was subsequently freed from Turkish rule. In 1956, there was a terrible earthquake which caused many buildings to be ruined. The people in Kamari are almost all from a village that was totally destroyed back then.
The island has been reconstructed after the terrible earthquake that destroyed it on 9 July 1956.
