12 Otherworldly Volcanic Landscapes: From Lava Tubes to Steaming Calderas
4. Santorini Caldera, Greece: Aegean's Drowned Volcano
The breathtaking beauty of Santorini is born from one of history's most cataclysmic volcanic eruptions. Around 1600 BCE, the Minoan eruption blew out the heart of the island, creating a vast, sea-filled caldera. Today, picturesque whitewashed villages cling precariously to the towering, multi-hued cliff edges, offering iconic views into this drowned volcanic crater. The dark volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni at the caldera's center still smoke, a reminder of the fiery power sleeping beneath the idyllic Aegean beauty.
