Santorini – The South of the Island – Ancient Historic Thera – general

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Ancient (Historic ) Thera

Open daily 8.30–3 except Mon.
The siting of Ancient Thera– is one of the most audacious in the Aegean. It occupies the exposed, eastern spur of Mount Prophitis Elias, known as Mesa Vouno, looking across the water to the island of Anaphi thirty kilometres to the east. To the west rises the island’s highest summit; on all other sides the mountain drops over 300m, straight to the sea. The Prophitis Elias protrusion is the only solid limestone on the island where foundations can be sunk into rock rather than into volcanic pumice.
   The remains of the city are interesting and varied: it was the only large settlement on the island in early his toric times—not to be confused with the prehistoric city whose remains are at Akrotiri (see below). Access by foot is arduous: either by an unrelenting, thirty-minute climb up a switchback road from Kamari (on the north side), or by a rough track from Peri­ssa (on the south side); there are no buses but taxis will, somewhat reluctantly, take visitors to the top of the road. These two paths converge on a narrow saddle, which was occupied by the ancient cemeteries of the city, between the summit of Prophitis Elias (567m) and the acropolis of the ancient town (366m) to the east.

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