Originally from California, Allison has been living in Bulgaria for the last two years and is obsessed with traveling around the Balkans. The ash has perfectly preserved the Minoan way of life, from painted frescoes to hundreds of pots. Alternately, you could take advantage of Akrotiris proximity to some of Santorinis best wineries on this Akrotiri and wineries tour, which takes you to three of Santorinis best wineries on a 5-hour private group tour. Get in touch with our travel specialists and design the trip of your dreams! For one, Akrotiri is a far more ancient civilization than Pompeii. Read More:Essential Greece Packing List: What to Wear & Pack for Greece. The first difference between Pompeii and the Akrotiri archaeological site is their age. Some small-scale digs took place but the remains stayed where they were for another hundred years until excavations began in 1967. We loveLonelyPlanetGreecefor this region and strongly recommend it to supplement blogs. After research from archeologists, evidence of human habitation at the historic site of Akrotiri, dates back to the Neolithic Age (4500 BC), when the village started to grow from a small fishing and farming village that it was, to become very important in the trading business in the Aegean. Copyright Greeking.me. Many of the pots are amazingly still in tact, and some even had remains of olive oil or fish inside. But the buried city of Akrotiri was forgotten about until the 1860s. As indicated by the pottery that was discovered, the residents of Akrotiri had trading relations with Crete, the Dodecanese, Greeces mainland, Cyprus and probably Egypt and Syria. We offer you only the best tours and activities you can do on the island of Santorini by leading local tour operators! Our guide was phenomenal and had a tablet on hand to show us renderings of what certain places must have looked like, as well as photographs of parts of Akrotiri which had been moved in other museums to be better preserved. This 1.5-hour tour is private and more in-depth than the tour I did, but youd have to sort out transportation yourself. The excavations in Akrotiri brought to light one of the most important and impressive prehistoric settlements of the Aegean. Private Boat Tours & Cruises in Santorini, Private Boats for Parties and Events in Santorini, Striking images and wondrous places offer unforgettable experiences, Extraordinary landscapes compose unique settings, Exemplary landmarks revive a glorious era, A vast collection of the history, evolution and culture of the island, The original taste of Santorini in a glass, Best things and attractions you have to do when you visit Santorini island, Explore the picturesque villages of the island. If youre planning to visit Akrotiri from Fira or other places in Santorini, heres what you need to know to plan the perfect Akrotiri tour. New finds are constantly being found and its estimated only a third of the city has been uncovered so far and it could take another century to excavate it all. Also, large murals were found that show their influence by the Minoans and constitute a valuable source of information about the way of life back then. You can choose among guided tours and tours that include visiting all the beautiful and most-known parts of Santorini island while traveling around in the comfort of having everything organized for you. During the excavations, remnants of peoples everyday lives were uncovered among the buildings, and theyre what makes the site so fascinating. It has locking zippers, slash-proof construction with metal mesh hidden in the fabric, and tons of other smart security features all while being cute and stylish enough to be our everyday bag. Amazing when you think this was during the Bronze Age, when people in Britain were still living in huts and building stone circles. We publish new content about the Balkans almost every day! Or at least thats what its known as now. Your email address will not be published. Entrance to Akrotiri costs 12 adults/6 concessions. But somewhere between 1620 and 1530 BC, it all went wrong for Akrotiri when the huge volcano Thera erupted and blew the centre right out of the island of Santorini. The security of your data is our highest priority. It was home to the ancient Minoans over 4000 years before Pompeii was founded, and has been preserved just as it would have been in 1500 BC. Visiting Akrotiri is a window into the life of a distant people and a different side of Santorini. Pro tip: If youll also be visiting Museum of PrehistoricThira, the Ancient Thira site, the Icons Collection in Pyrgos, or any other of the major sites on Santorini, buy the pass for 14 euros. A guide to visiting the archaeological site of Akrotiri, Santorini how to take a day trip to this fascinating ancient Minoan city, known as Greeces version of Pompeii after being buried by an earthquake. If you have a weak stomach like we both do, save yourself and bring somenon-drowsy motion sickness pills. But if you want to get more of an insight into Akrotiri its worth hiring a guide you can pre-book an hour-long tour* with an archaeologist, or otherwise there are usually guides gathered at the entrance. Where to Stay in Rethymnon: Best Hotels & Hostels in Rethymnon, 10 Best Athens Hotels with Acropolis Views, 7 Best Beaches in Crete: Picking the Perfect Cretan Beaches for Your Vacation, 13 of the Most Instagrammable Places in Chania, Crete, 11 Beautiful Mykonos Quotes & Instagram Captions. We help travellers have the best experience in Santorini by finding local advice and recommendations. Fax: 210-32.15.897 Fortunately, human remains have not been found, as the habitants were forced to leave after a series of strong earthquakes. A pathway leads down through some of the reconstructed houses, where you can see details like an original Minoan toilet and a stone bathtub. WHAT A REVELATION SINCE MY VISIT !. Required fields are marked *. She has been published in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, Matador Network, and the Huffington Post. Telephone: +30 22860-25405, +30 22860-81939, 210-33.10.280, 210-33.10.966 Its in remarkable condition, especially given that the entire city was destroyed in one of the largest volcanic eruptions the Earth has ever seen. Will be visiting Santorini this April-May and will be adding a visit to Akritori to our stay. Essential Greece Packing List: What to Wear & Pack for Greece, Get a travel insurance quote for your trip here, 30 Insanely Delicious Greek Street Foods You Need to Try, 13 Things That EXIT Music Festival Visitors Should Know, Herzegovinian Oasis in the Stone: How to Visit the Stunning Kravica Waterfall. Its strategic position between Cyprus and Minoan Crete made it a very significant point in the trade of copper, which helped in the development of its community. For more packing tips, check out our completeGreece packing list. Or if you want to make things easy you can also book a bus tour* from Fira to the ruins and the Red Beach. But things were put on hold at the site in 2005 after the roof of the previous building collapsed and killed a British tourist, and it took seven years to repair and reopen the site. It also set off a 100-metre-high tsunami that battered the coastline of Crete and reached as far as Egypt. We generally recommend using a water bottle with a purifying filter to reduce your plastic consumption and ensure you wont drink any funny-tasting water on your stomach that could make your trip unpleasant! Check tour itinerary and details here. Their crops included wheat, barley, legumes, olives and vineyards and they exported wine, metals and volcanic rocks. Nicknamed Santorinis Pompeii, its similar in that both cities are important archaeological sites buried by a volcanic eruption, but there are a few big differences between them. Theyre located in the south of the island, 20 minutes drive from Fira. Its always been a dream of mine to visit the ancient ruins of Rome and Greece, and especially Pompeii. Pompeii was founded in 600 BC and destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, but Akrotiri makes it look young. TheMinoan people decorated Akrotiri with elaborate painted frescoes, made their own wine and crafted furniture, pots and sculptures. Even though it was discovered over a hundred years ago, the work is still ongoing (and Balkan bureaucracy is likely not speeding up the process!). Workers quarrying ash to build the Suez canal dug down and discovered artefacts from the old city. Walkways are suspended above the ruins and take you around the edge of the city. Highest levels of trust, transparency, standards conformance, and regulatory compliance of any cloud service provider. Now theres a new destination how exciting, one day Ill be able to come a experience these historic sites. Theres now a smart new building, made of steel and wood to let just enough light in but keep things cool and protected. Full-Day Santorini Sightseeing Bus tour with Sunset in Oia, Santorini Must-See Highlights Private Sightseeing Tour, Discover the wonders of Santorini 6h Bus tour, Visit the excavations of Akrotiri with an English speaking licensed tour guide, Full-Day Cultural Sightseeing Bus Tour in Santorini with Sunset in Oia, Private Half Day Bus Tour of Santorini's South Side, Catamaran Sunset Boat Tour in Santorini with BBQ and Drinks, Romantic Catamaran Cruise in Santorini with lunch or dinner on board, Private Motor Yacht Cruise from Oia with meal and drinks, Caldera Private Power Catamaran Cruise with meal and drinks, Private Motor Yacht Cruise in Santorini with BBQ Food and Drinks. If you are still trying to figure out your Greece itinerary, check out our guides onwhere to go in Greece, the best places forisland hopping in Greece, and when is thebest time to visit. Sofia Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. The guided tour that I did covered a lot: visiting Akrotiri as well as the Mountain of Prophet Elias (and its monastery), the adorable traditional village of Megalochori, the Red Beach, Perissa Beach (the black sand beach), and wine tasting at Santo Wines. Even if you just visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thira (6 euro entrance) plus visit Akrotiri, youll save 4 euros. this is the affordable group tour I did and loved. Just a few hours into the excavation archaeologists discovered the first of Akrotiris historic buildings. All rights reserved. For more information about traveling to Greece and the Balkans, bookmark ourGreeceandBalkantravel pages so you can find out whats new before your trip. GREAT TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE EVER GROWING SITE. You can also get a combined ticket for the Archaeological Museum, Museum of Prehistoric Thera and Collection of Icons and Ecclesiastical Artefacts at Pyrgos for 14/7. Though where they went next and why they never came back to Santorini is another of the many mysteries surrounding Akrotiri. It was christened Akrotiri after the nearby modern town of the same name, but its original name is just one of its mysteries. Thank you for sharing information about this ancient city. I'm Lucy, I've been travelling for over 25 years and share guides, itineraries and advice on my blog On the Luce to help you create stylish, affordable and sustainable travel experiences around the world. Pompeii was discovered nearly 300 years ago, so theyve had a lot longer to uncover the sight. Greek islands, Address: 206, Syggrou Avenue, Athens, Email: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_96bbe88d", 1);, Phone: +302109567326| US Number: +1(530) 495-4340. Covered with hot lava and piles of ash, the island was abandoned for centuries. The prehistoric site of Akrotiri became known worldwide due to the excavations that were conducted under the supervision of the eminent Greek archeologist Spyridon Marinatos in 1967, which were continued by archaeologist Christos Doumas in 1974. Its thought there were probably many foreshocks before the big eruption so the Minoans had time to pack up their livestock and valuables and leave the city, unlike in Pompeii where it all happened so quickly. The ruins of Akrotiri make an easy Santorini day trip. Imsure youre aware that its a good idea to havetravel insurancefor traveling in Santorini, Greece in general, or anywhere in the world! Looking for somewhere to stay in Santorini? Akrotiri was a democratic place though, with its own parliament and no palaces. People lived in two- and three-storey houses which had balconies, underfloor heating, hot and cold running water and some of the first indoor toilets. If youre traveling in a group and prefer a private tour at your own pace, there are some options!

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