This summer I wached the Eurovision 2008 in a Santorini hotel of the cosmopolitan island of Santorini. Santorini is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world to see. Santorini is also known from the white houses with blue roofs and the beautiful black sand Santorini beaches, which are often listed on postcards and Greece travel guides and books. Santorini is, in essence, what remains of a huge volcanic explosion that destroyed the first existing settlements, blurring much of the territory of the former island and causing the creation of the current geological boiler. Its spectacular beauty, along with a lively Santorini nightlife, have become a major tourist destinations in Europe. Its buildings have an air east, with white houses and window frames and doors in blue, as can be found on the coast of Morocco or Tunisia. On the other hand, have also been criticisms made against the excessive and disorderly nature of its recent urban development. Despite the constant danger of the volcano, life is sweet and quiet Santorini. The Mediterranean climate is mild all year round, even in summer thanks to sea breezes. The cove at the centre of volcanic islands offer an anchor of natural protection against the wave of pleasure boats during the storms rare.
A giant central lagoon, more or less oval, and measures approximately 12 by 7 km, is surrounded on three sides by high cliffs about 300 meters high. The slopes of the island are descended from the top of the cliff to the surrounding Aegean Sea. In the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by a much smaller island called Therasia, the lagoon joins the sea by two sites, northwest and southwest. The waters in the middle of the lagoon have a depth of 400 metres, thus enabling navigation of all types of vessels. The ports of the island are all in the lagoon, and the capital, Fira, hanging from the top of the cliff on the slope going down to the lagoon.
It is the most active volcanic center of the volcanic arc of the southern Aegean, while what remains today is actually a boiler flooded. On the island took place one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in recent prehistory, which occurred about 3,500 years ago. The eruption left a huge boiler surrounded by deposits of volcanic ash and, according to some theories, could have indirectly caused the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, located 110 km south, causing a giant tsunami. Another theory holds that the eruption of Thira could be the main inspiration for the legend of Atlantis.
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