Santorini Greece Hotels in Santorini Map of Santorini Hotels Travel Agents Car Rental Tours Santorini Island (Thira) Greece

After a day of lying on breathtaking beaches, guests of Santorini Island Greece are treated to a fantastic time at the island's nighttime entertainment venues.

If you are fond of dancing and loud music, we suggest spending your nights in Fira and Kamari, where the main concentration of Santorini nightlife venues is located. Clubs and bars of all types, ranging from mainstream pop to rock music are available. Relaxing jazz and classical music cafes can be found not only in Fira and Kamari, but also in Oia, with a spectacular view of the Santorini Caldera.

One of Santorini's most famous features is its delicious cuisine. Visitors can choose from a wide selection of traditional tavernas and gourmet restaurants located throughout the island. Some of the finest Santorini restaurants are the luxurious 1800 Restaurant - Bar in Oia (Ia), the hospitable and traditional Irini's Restaurant in Kamari, the gourmet Zannos Melathron Restaurant in Pyrgos and the Elia Restaurant of the Bellonias Villas Complex in Kamari. While in Santorini Greece, be sure to try the scrumptious local dishes, such as tomato balls, squash balls, fried white eggplants, sun-dried cherry tomatoes, fava (lentil dip) and a plethora of fresh seafood dishes. Any meal becomes even more delicious when accompanied by a bottle of famous Santorini wine, which has a unique bouquet due to the volcanic properties of the soil on the island of Santorini Greece.

To truly experience Santorini Greece, we recommend attending the various cultural events that take place on the island. For a contemporary night, go to the Santorini Jazz Festival, which takes place every year in July, or to the annual Santorini International Music Festival in August and September in Fira. If traditional entertainment is more to your liking we suggest attending the traditional festivals such as the "Ifaisteia" Cultural Festival in Fira or the Episkopi Festival in Mesa Gonia on August 15, where you are served fava (a Santorini lentil dip delicacy).

Famous for its spellbinding sunset view and splendid beaches, Santorini also possesses some of Greece's finest archaeological sights. The most impressive Santorini sight is the Minoan City of Akrotiri, which is located on the southern side of Santorini and was one of the most significant centers in the Aegean Sea region during the Bronze Age. Discovered in 1866, it has become closely connected with the legend of the Lost City of Atlantis. Much of the city is intact, offering visitors the chance to get a glimpse of a genuine Minoan town including a number of three-storey buildings, a drainage system, storage rooms, a mill, staircases and pithi (ceramic storage jars). When the Santorini volcano erupted in 1550 - 1500 BC, the entire city of Akrotiri was coved in ash and lava.

Another significant archaeological jewel of Santorini Greece is the site of Ancient Thira, situated on the southeastern side of the island, on the Mesa Vouno headland. During antiquity, the site was as observation post on Santorini Island. Today, visitors can see the remains from the Hellenistic and Roman Periods (the Temples of Artemidoros and Dionysus, the Agora, Sanctuaries, the Graveyard and the Stoa) as well as the ruins of several monuments built in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC by the Ptolemies (the Theater).

While in Fira, the capital of Santorini Island Greece, we recommend visiting the 17th century Gizi Manor and the 2 Cathedrals (one orthodox and one catholic). The excellent Archaeological and Prehistoric Museums in Fira display exquisite collections of objects found during excavations on Santorini Island Greece. The Fira Folklore Museum includes a superb collection of traditional objects of the people of Santorini Greece, while the Maritime Museum in Oia has an extensive collection of nautical paraphernalia.

Like other Cycladic Islands, Santorini Greece has a wonderful climate, perfect for pleasant holidays. In the summertime, the weather in Santorini Greece is hot and dry. In the afternoon, sunbathers and sightseers should have a good sunscreen, a hat and a bottle of water with them due to the intensity of the sun. On summer evenings, because cool breeze coming from the sea, we recommend a light jacket. In the winter, Santorini Island Greece weather is mild.

From January to March, Santorini Greece temperatures range from 12°C to 13°C. It warms up in April and May, when temperatures are 17°C and 19°C respectively. During June, July, August and September, the weather in Santorini Greece becomes hot and the temperature ranges from low 20s to low 30s. October weather in Santorini Greece is still warmish at low 20s, but as November and December arrive temperatures begin to drop and range from low to high teens.

The prevailing winds in Santorini Greece are the Sirocco in the spring and the Meltemi in July and August, which at its strongest, can reach a force of 6-7 on the Beaufort scale.

Travelling to Santorini Greece is convenient and easy, especially in the summer months when flight and boat trips are more frequent. You can board a direct flight from Athens Airport and Thessaloniki Airport in Greece, as well as charter flights from other European Airports. If you feel like exploring other Greek Islands, you can go island hopping by airplane from Santorini to other Cycladic Islands, Skiathos Island and Crete.

Ferries and hydrofoils depart for Santorini from Athens (Piraeus Port), Thessaloniki, and other Cyclades Islands, Dodecanese Islands and Crete. During the summer months, ferry transportation to Santorini Greece is very frequent, often departing every few hours. Boat fares to Santorini Island Greece depend on the season and the type of vessel (ferry boat or hydrofoil).