|
 There
are two volcanic isles, Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni that were formed after
the volcano eruptions. When the volcano erupted, around 1450 BC, it is
said to have caused tidal waves in excess of 200 metres which were sent
crashing into the northern coast of Crete, causing heavy destruction.
Earthquakes were triggered and the ash and debris choked the skies. It is
not long after that the Minoan civilization, once rulers of the seas,
ceased to exist. After the eruption, all that remained of round island
Strongili was the horse-shoe shaped island we know today. The island was
covered in a layer of volcanic ash 30-40 metres deep. Eruptions continued
in the 3rd century BC when the island of Thirassia was severed from
Santorini, and in the 2nd century BC when the volcanic islet Palea Kameni
began to appear in the bay. In 1707, eruptions caused Nea Kameni to
appear. There is nothing more on the Palea Kameni isle but the crater of
the volcano from which a strong smell of sulphur springs. The ground there
is warm and the water warm yellowish-blue.
The volcanic isles are situated opposite Fira and the connection between
them is possible by regular itineraries conducted by caiques. |
