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Santorini Overview
Spectacular Santorini -- scene of one of the world's most violent volcanic eruptions around 1450 B.C. -- is arguably the most scenically dramatic of all the Greek Islands. With its pitch-black beaches, rugged landscape and stunning caldera (volcanic crater), it's more akin to one of the Canary Islands than the Cyclades, though its whitewashed churches and clifftop houses score highly in the charm stakes.
This is the island for lovers of natural beauty, though sun seekers may not fancy its beaches. Best views are from the cliffs bordering the caldera, which was formed when the centre of the island basically collapsed in onto itself. Geologists marvel at the cliffs' multi-hued strata of rock, lava and pumice, so take your camera and be prepared to feel the earth move (perhaps even literally -- Santorini's most recent major earthquake was in 1956).
It's worth remembering that the bay surrounding Santorini is actually the world's largest volcanic crater, created 3,500 years ago by a massive eruption of the Thera volcano (which is still active!). The bay is also believed by some to conceal the legendary lost city of Atlantis -- so there's plenty here to set your imagination working, even though modern-day Thera was completely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1956.
If you're happy to enjoy a browse around the shops and a lazy lunch with a view, Thera will fit the bill perfectly -- and it even has some 9th-century clifftop ruins to explore. But to see the best of Santorini, you should take a shore excursion, via bus or taxi, further afield.
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Other Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Ports:
Athens • Corfu • Crete • Dubrovnik • Haifa • Istanbul • Izmir • Jerusalem • Katakolon • Kusadasi • Limassol • Mykonos • Rhodes • Santorini • Split • Varna • Venice • Volos
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Language
Greek, but virtually everybody speaks English.
Currency & Best Way to Get Money
Euro. There are banks and bureaux de change in Thera.
Where You're Docked
Ships have to anchor off Santorini and tender passengers into Skala Fira, the small port below the capital, Thera (also known as Fira). Thera/Fira dates from the 9th century and lies atop 1,000-foot cliffs at the edge of the caldera. You can reach it by funicular or go up the steep, winding steps the fun way -- by donkey!
Hanging Around
Tenders shuttle passengers right to the base of Thera; you must ride the funicular (or a donkey) up to the town itself.
Getting Around
Thera can easily be explored on foot, and buses run hourly to Akrotiri and Oia from the bus station at the end of Gold Street. Taxis also abound (negotiate a rate in advance) and are a more reliable option if time is at a premium.
Watch Out For
Ubiquitous -- and noisy -- Greek motorcycles; touts hustling you onto donkeys at the port.
Best Souvenir
Intricate Byzantine jewelery is a good buy here; so are local wine (Santorini produces a very drinkable white) and locally produced pottery and embroidery. Many of the shops feature tourist tat, but there are a few good ones among the dross.
Don't Miss
 In Thera you'll find cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and churches, lots of jewelery and craft shops, a small archaeological museum (near the cable car station), clifftop restaurants and cafes with terrific views of the sparkling seas below.
Akrotiri lies at the southwestern tip of Santorini and is Greece's answer to Pompeii. Though covered in a sea of lava by Thera's cataclysmic eruption (four times the strength of Krakatoa!) in 1450 B.C., it has now been partially excavated, revealing some beautiful frescoes and buildings dating as far back as the 16th century B.C. Amazingly, many of these remain intact -- including some huge clay storage jars that survived the eruption.
Also worth visiting is Oia (pronounced Eeh-Ah), a pretty village of pastel-tinted and whitewashed houses set into the cliffside. Here you'll find leafy squares, picturesque restaurants, art galleries and decent craft shops -- good for a browse and a pleasant lunch. There are also paths down to two black-sand volcanic beaches.
Lunching
Avoid restaurants and cafes advertising pizza, toasted sandwiches and other fast-food staples, and seek out a clifftop restaurant with fresh fish on the menu; grilled red mullet is particularly good. Too hot to pig out? Order mezedes -- small portions of traditional Greek food like taramosalata, olives and tsatsiki -- with bread and salata choriatiki (salty feta cheese salad) on the side and a bottle of local wine to wash it down. Sit back, savour the view -- and enjoy.
Shopping
Go up any of the streets facing the cable car station and you'll find yourself on the shop- and restaurant-lined main thoroughfare, Odos Erithrou Stavrou. Here you can book a local excursion from one of the numerous travel agencies, or shop for jewelery and designer goods.
But your best bet if you're in search of the offbeat is simply to follow your nose down cobbled alleyways, some of which contain quite upmarket shops. If you're buying several things at one store, it's worth asking for a bulk discount -- but this isn't the place for really serious haggling.
Been There, Done That
Looking for something a bit different? Take a ferry trip (bookable either on the ship or ashore) to the tiny volcanic island of Palaia Kameni, famed for its therapeutic thermal mud baths in which visitors are welcome to wallow!
Shore Excursions
Try a three- to four-hour tour to see the archaeological excavations at Akrotiri, which date back to the Minoan Civilization of 2000 B.C. Typically, passengers sail aboard small caiques to the port of Athenios, then join coaches to visit the site, returning by road via the vineyards of Boutari for some free time in Fira.
Some ships also run four-hour tours to the lovely whitewashed village of Oia via Santorini's highest peak, Profitis Ilias. They include free time in both Oia and Fira.
Staying in Touch
There is an Internet Cafe about 50 yards from Thera's main square (Plateia Theotokopoulou); charge is five Euros per hour.
For More Information
Call 212-421-5777
On the Web: www.greektourism.com
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 Shore Excursions
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