Santorini caldera was created by the eruption of a volcano whose crater was submerged by the sea. Cliffs plunging straight into the sea, volcanic islands in the centre and a main island which surrounds them in a half moon shape, all bear witness to the turbulent past.
I came across the caldera as I arrived from Athens by boat at sunset. The view of the cliffs was breathtaking.
The many ways to explore the caldera are on offer in Fira. I decided to walk down to the port of Fira Skala via a little footpath (you can also go down by mule or a cable car) and I boarded a boat heading for the islands.
I loved this trip to visit the volcano which included a stop to bathe in the hot springs of Palia Kamena, but I was disappointed by the glass bottom boat which should have given us a view of the sea bed, but which was far too cloudy for us to see anything.