Ancient Thira
Ancient Thira (or Ancient Thera) is an archeological site with ruins of an antique town in Santorini. It is located on a high rocky hill, called Messa Vouno, overlooking the southeastern coast of the island.
It is supposed that the town was inhabited during the 8th century BC by Dorian colonists from Sparta and some of the sanctuaries found on the site date back to 2nd and 3rd c. BC. The town was built along the long narrow ridge of the hill, with open air sanctuaries, temples, heroa, public buildings, a theater, an agora, shops, residences and a well-developed road network with drainage system. Since 3 c. AC the town began to decline and finally was left semi-ruined and ceased to be inhabited.
The road to Ancient Thira starts from Kamari, winds up the hill above the sea for a few kilometers and reaches a small parking lot. There is a regular bus service from the resort to the top of the hill, in case you have no vehicle. The entrance fee is about EUR 4 per person (by 2018). From the top of Ancient Thira, you can enjoy nice views of the coastline of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos. Keep in mind that it takes some time to reach the top of the hill from the parking lot. You need to take a bottle of water with you in the hottest months because there is no shade on the way up and no shop from which to buy drinks.
From the parking lot starts a small footpath which leads down to Perissa.
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highlights: archeological site with ruins of an antique town, historic sight in Santorini, Cyclades Islands, Greece