Santorini is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 120 miles southeast of Greece's mainland. It was was named by the Latin Empire in the thirteenth century, and is a reference to Saint Irene, from the name of the old cathedral in the village of Perissa. Before then, it was known as Kallístē "the most beautiful one" or Thēra. The name Thera was revived in the nineteenth century as the official name of the island and its main city, but the colloquial name Santorini is still in popular use.
Santorini is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. It is also known as the 'Black Pearl of the Aegean' and is by far the most spectacular of the Greek Islands. Check out this stunning photos of this gorgeous island.
