The Greek island of Santorini or also Thera lies in the south part of the Aegean Sea and belongs to the so-called Cycladic Islands. Its distance to Crete is around 126 km (approx. 70 nautical miles) in direction to the north.

The uniqueness of Santorini is in the strong volcanic activity which is influencing the island since its formation. One of the biggest eruptions in the world´s history occurred on the island of Thera in 17^th century BC and gave the island its today´s shape. High steep rocks, rugged nature and dark beaches combined with typical white houses and chapels with blue roof. The stunning view on the sunset above the flooded caldera is a small bonus at the end of each day spent on the island.

The main sea route between Crete and Santorini has around 136 km and goes from Heraklion to Fira (Thira). The trip takes from 2 to 4 hours, depending on which type of boat do you decide to travel on. Classical ferries need approximately 4 hours and longer, speedboats can cover the distance within 2 hours. Currently, there are four transport companies on the route Heraklion-Thira and if you search a connection on your own you can use several web search engines (see at the end of the article).

If you prefer to have everything arranged before the trip starts, you can try the big offer of facultative trips. Travel agencies organize one-day trips to the island of Santorini. The departure from Heraklion is usually early in the morning (around 5 am) with the return late in the evening. We recommend you to make yourself clear in advance which type of boat are you going to travel with, not to spend most of the day on the ship. Often, the price of the trips includes sightseeing of the beautiful cities of Thira and Oia, sometimes you can also manage to see the city of Kamari or bathing on the unique volcanic beaches.

Would you like to explore the island for longer than just a few hours? To see the stunning sunsets and visit its beautiful volcanic beaches? Stay more days on Santorini and enjoy the local atmosphere. There is usually no problem to find accommodation, but have on mind, that the prices on the island are generally higher. Did Santorini captivate you? Plan your holidays for the next year right here!

Web search engines of ship connections in Greece - most used:
Ferries.gr
Greeceferries.com
Directferries.cz

More touristic destinations of Crete

Tips for trips on Crete: Cretaquarium (sea aquarium), Zeus Caves, Kournas Lake, Minoan Palaces, Zeus Island, Gramvousa Island, Samaria Gorge, Waterpark Water City

Resorts, beaches, sights or trips - clearly listed on the map of Crete.