Akrotiri is a village in the southern part of Santorini, famous for its huge archaeological site located about 700 meters south of the village center. The archaeological excavations of Akrotiri are among the largest and most important in the Greek islands and carry the message of one of the most important prehistoric settlements in the Aegean.

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History

The excavations of the prehistoric city date back to 3,500 BC and during its heyday it had an elaborate system of sewers, a street network and, by the standards of the time, the most modern buildings in Greece.

The city's glory lasted until 1 600 BC, when the island of Santorini was rocked by a massive eruption of the local volcano, covering the entire city in a layer of hot ash several metres thick. The fate of Akrotiti is reminiscent of Pompeii in Italy. Thanks to this, however, the town was practically preserved in its former form and at least the foundations and the structure of the street network have been beautifully preserved to this day.

The excavations were discovered in the late 19th century and are still being investigated today. To keep them as preserved as possible, the entire site is covered by a solid roof.

Admission and opening hours

The site is open daily from 8:30am to 3:30pm except on Tuesdays when it is closed.

Adults pay 12 eur, children and pensioners pay 6 eur. For 15 eur you can buy discounted admission for 3 sites: Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and the Archaeological Museum of Fira.

Official website: odysseus.culture.gr

How to get there?

You can get directly to the excavations of ancient Akrotiri by bus about once an hour from Fira, Akrotiri or Megalochori. The ticket price is around 1,80 eur.