Welcome to Akrotiri |
| In Medieval times, Akrotiri was one
of the 5 fortified settlements on the island. Akrotiri is a
village of great interest on the south west coast of Santorini.
Apart from having some of the best views on the island which
reach as far as Oia, magnificent sunsets, wonderful fish taverns,
quiet undeveloped beaches, and tiny churches, it is also home
to two of Santorini's jewels, the Akrotiri Excavations and Akrotiri
Castle. |
| Photo : Klearchos Kapoutsis |
| The Lighthouse of Akrotiri |
| Akrotiri lies exactly on the axis
of the shipping lane from Piraeus to Alexandria. The lighthouse
is one of the best in Greece. It can be found 18 kilometers
from Fira at an altitude of 58 meters. The geographical coordinates
are: Latitude 36° 21' 05" N. and Longitude 25°
21' 05" E. |
| The History of the Lighthouse |
The lighthouse was built during
the Ottoman Rule in 1892 by the French company 'La Société
Collas et Michel'. Initially it operated on oil, and its beams
reached a distance of 23 nautical miles. In 1925 it was renovated.
During the Second World War the lighthouse stopped operating
and started up again in 1945. By this time the lighthouse
was manned by four persons and it had a beam visibility that
reached a full 25 nautical miles, with a rotary flash every
30 seconds.
In 1983 electricity was installed and in 1988 the lighthouse
became fully automated. |
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Archaeological Discoveries : |
| Akrotiri is one of the most important prehistoric
settlements of the Aegean. The first habitation at the
site dates from the Late Neolithic times (from 4th millennium
BC). The Exhibition of the Wall Paintings of Thera is
on display at the Nomikos Conference Center in Fira. |
| Fira town : 15 kilometers |
| Akrotiri excavations, Akrotiri Castle &
Tower |
| Restaurants, fish taverns, small shops |
| Buses from Fira depart for both Akrotiri
village and Akrotiri beach |
| Photo : Klearchos Kapoutsis |
| Balos Cove |
| Balos is a small cove north west of Akrotiri
village. According to tradition, it was called that because
'there the girls dance the Balos'. In the 19th century
it was used as a small commercial harbour that serviced
the needs of the community in the area. Today, getting
down to the cove is rather difficult since the steps have
fallen into a state of disrepair. However, one can approach
the cave Chapel of Eisodion Theotokou, otherwise known
as Panagia of Balos via a cement paved path. In older
times, nuns used to live in caves on the Caldera cliffs,
the main cave being a shrine of Agia Triada. According
to local history, the caves have tunneled passage ways,
and were used by the nuns as refuge or to escape from
raids on the island. |
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