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Everyone comes to Santorini for the caldera views and the white-and-blue villages. Far fewer realise that under the volcanic ash at the island's southern tip lies Akrotiri, a complete Bronze Age town frozen in time three and a half thousand years ago. This guide covers the buried city, the island around it, and how one Europe eSIM keeps you connected across Santorini and every Greek island on your route.
The Pompeii of the Aegean, a Thousand Years Earlier
Around 1600 BC, the volcano at the centre of Thera, as Santorini was then known, erupted in one of the largest volcanic events in human history. The eruption buried the prosperous Minoan-era port town at Akrotiri under metres of ash, collapsing the island's centre into the sea and creating the caldera that postcards are made of today. Unlike Pompeii, no bodies have been found: the inhabitants seem to have evacuated, warned perhaps by earthquakes, leaving behind streets, houses of two and three storeys, drainage systems, storage jars and frescoes of saffron gatherers, boxing boys and blue monkeys that rank among the treasures of the ancient world. Some scholars link the eruption and the drowned city to the legend of Atlantis.
Visiting Akrotiri
- The site is covered and shaded by a modern bioclimatic roof, making it one of the best midday activities on a scorching island.
- Walk the actual streets. Raised walkways take you through the town at rooftop level, past doorways and stairs that look abandoned rather than ancient.
- Pair it with the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira, where the finest frescoes and artefacts from the site are displayed.
- Book tickets online in high season and go early or late to dodge the cruise excursions.
- Add Red Beach, a short walk from the site, for the classic volcanic cliff swim.
The Rest of the Island, Done Well
- Oia sunset is famous for a reason, but the walk along the caldera rim from Fira to Oia is the better experience
- Ancient Thera, on the headland above Kamari, adds Greek and Roman ruins with enormous sea views
- The caldera boat trip to the volcanic islets and hot springs shows you the crater from sea level
- Santo wineries grow vines in basket shapes against the wind, in soil made of the ash that buried Akrotiri
Staying Connected in the Islands
Ferry tickets, changing departure times, restaurant bookings, sunset-spot navigation and beach-club reservations: Greek island hopping runs entirely on your phone, and since UK networks no longer guarantee free EU roaming, daily charges across a two-island trip add up fast.
A SimplySIM Europe eSIM covers 35 areas including Greece on one installation, from £1.85, with 10GB for £12.99, so the same plan works in Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and wherever the ferries take you, and still works when you land back in the UK departure lounge. See the Greece eSIM page for single-country options or the regional and global eSIMs page for the multi-country plan.
A Santorini Long Weekend With Substance
- Day 1: arrive, Fira, Museum of Prehistoric Thera, sunset from Firostefani
- Day 2: Akrotiri in the morning, Red Beach, wine tasting in the afternoon
- Day 3: Fira to Oia caldera walk, Oia sunset
- Day 4: caldera boat trip or Ancient Thera, then home or the next ferry
Final Thoughts
Santorini is at its best when the postcard views share the itinerary with the buried city that made the caldera in the first place. Book Akrotiri for the hottest hours, walk the rim for the views, and let one Greece eSIM handle every ferry, booking and photo along the way.
