World Tourism / The Most Dramatic Sea Cliffs in the World / Santorini
Santorini
The island of Santorini is situated on the southernmost island of Cyclades of the Aegean Sea. It has an area of 76 sq km with a coastline of 70 kilometers with the most dramatic sea cliffs in the world. Santorini is a volcanic island near Crete.
Today Santorini is the result of a powerful earthquake that struck the island at about 1450 B.C. The cliffs rise at nearly 400 feet above the sea level. The island has the shape of two huge jaws around the lake, filled with clear blue water. The extraordinary beauty of the nature, the wild landscapes of volcanic origin, the unique landscape of rocks and the red-black sand beaches caused the rapid development of the tourism industry on the island. Santorini ‘s capital, Fira is located on the edge of a sheer precipice at a height of 260 m above the sea level. Cruise ships drop the anchor at the bottom of Fira, mooring Mesa Gialos. Here you can climb on foot about 700 steps. Santorini offers travel services to suit all tastes and financial possibilities. Santorini is a fabulously beautiful archipelago island. Jacques-Yves Cousteau called Santorini mysterious . Black volcanic sand beaches, snow-white houses on the slopes of gentle hills, green vineyards, the blue Mediterranean Sea, the Mediterranean landscape make the place one of the most beautiful attractions.
Santorini is a refined place. Also known as Fira, the cliffs had been produced by the locally extinct volcano, which then flooded with sea views. Santorini is the world's largest active volcano in the sea. Periodically over several millennia the active volcano attacked the land and sea. As a result, the modern crescent archipelago of Santorini is the remnant of the once unified whole - a round, conical island with an active volcano in the middle.
The archipelago of Santorini is a group of five islands:
The main island – Fira, 75,8 square kilometers, coastline - 70 km and a population of about 8,000 inhabitants. It is a visited place by our tourists, and where most hotels are located both in the mountains on the left side of the island, and on the plains on the right side of the island.
Thirassia, 9,3 square kilometers, about 250 persons. Visits by boat are performed to the volcano and to thermal areas here. They offer an unforgettable spectacle.
Aspronisi, 0,1 square kilometers is not populated.
Old Kameni (Palea Kameni) 0,5 square kilometers, a resident.
New Kameni (Nea Kameni) 3,4 square kilometers. It is not populated. The rocks of the island rises almost 400 feet above the water, and above - the intricate maze of terraced streets of the island's capital Fira and hovering over the roofs of blue-domed churches.
If you see the dramatic views and if you travel on this small island by car, you can see the unique sunsets which do not happen anywhere else. Where else can you see the colorful beaches with their white or black high sea cliffs?
Maps of Santorini
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What is a sea cliff? A sea cliff is a steep rock created by erosion along a coast.
The word cliff applies to any rocky escarpment, near a coast.
Types of cliffs We can distinguish: low cliffs (height less than 2 meters ), medium cliffs (between 2 and 10 meters) and high cliffs (over 10 meters).
The highest cliffs in the world, Kahiwa Falls , are located in Hawaii on the Molokai Island, and they are about 610 meters high.
Cliff formation Cliffs are formed: by the action of horizontal erosion on an elevated bank either by vertical action digging on a substrate rock or by a differential erosion on two types of rocks , one being more sensitive than the other.
At the foot of the cliffs are usually the remains of their collapse phase in the form of piles of rocks.
The importance of these clusters often depends on the sensitivity of the erosion of the rock.
Nesting habitats Enjoy the close-up views of the beautiful sides of the rock nesting colonies, with binoculars and telescopes provided.
If you someday visit a sea cliff, you can closely look and see a basking adder, while at sea, may be porpoises and dolphins.
The sea cliffs provide nest sites for about 4,000 birds, including puffins, guillemots, auks and fulmars.
Other birds that use this habitat include Peregrines and Ravens.
Seabird populations are monitorized not to be bothered and any disturbances to the colony are minimized.
Visitors’ value The beauty of the reserves with seabird spectacles, operational lighthouses and many sites of geological and of archaeological interest, make the sea cliffs very popular among visitors.
These are major tourist attractions to enhance the flow of tourist revenue to islands and seas.
If possible, you will be provided support by the local communities and you will be transported to another slower, more relaxing time.
As the cliffs are located along rocky coastlines, being on the top of them offers stunning and spacious views.
Sea cliffs are the most beautiful parts of the seas.
The array of barren rocks, the reefs and beaches serve as the best opportunities for excellent tours for a day, swimming and romantic vacations.
Sea cliffs are good spots, splendid isolations for relaxation and meditation.
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