Akrotiri Thera

Akrotiri Thera: after seven years it was well worth the wait!

By: Voyages to Antiquity

Aegean Odyssey really was in the right place on Sunday when we were the first cruise ship to visit the re-opened Akrotiri Thera site on Santorini. Regarded by many as the 'Pompeii of Greece' the site was destroyed by a volcanic eruption nearly 4,000 years ago and was closed to tourists after a safety incident in 2005.

Many of our guests were unaware that the site was being re-opened and as the first cruise ship into the island, we were assured of a warm welcome and most importantly few other visitors.

Commenting on his first visit to site, Dr Matthew Nicholls, one of our guest lecturers onboard said, “The winding road up from the port takes you over the rocky spine of Santorini and you can imagine what life would have been like on the island before the volcanic eruption which covered the town and its inhabitants. The archaeological site has been completely rebuilt and covered with a new steel roof and is now fully open to visitors.

"We were lucky to have been accompanied by one of Voyages to Antiquity's tour guides which helped us uncover the wonders of the site. You really need a guide to get the most out of the visit as many of the signs and info boards have yet to be completed. This made our whole experience so much richer and enjoyable."

"One of the best parts of a Voyages to Antiquity visit is you don't have to fight through hordes of visitors. We had the site to ourselves and were able to see so much. This really is a 'must see' for anyone interested in Greek history. The whole site dates back 850 years before Homer and is truly unique. We were privileged to have seen the re-opened site in its newly refreshed style and I hope to be back in the coming years to discover more."