Nea Kameni and Palia Kameni Santorini
The beautiful Santorini in addition to extraordinary beaches, views to leave you breathless, a unique and rare landscape, offers small jewels such as Nea Kameni island and Palea Kameni island.
Ideal for a day to discover everything that surrounds this mysterious territory full of history and myth where you can let your imagination run wild and get lost in the imagination.
Let's start with Nea Kameni island. Needless to say, its origins are volcanic as everyone knows Santorini and its satellite lands are the result of the great eruption of 1600 BC that shook the whole Aegean Sea, making the rich Minoan civilization disappear and so powerful that it scattered ashes for many kilometers. up to the Black Sea, generate a tsunami that destroyed the coasts of Crete and affect the climate of the entire planet. Speaking of myths, many argue that Santorini is the lost Atlantis! According to studies, it was formed over the last two millennia and until the last eruption detected in the fifties, it continued to expand and create this extraordinary scenario with a spectral and lunar appearance. With a round shape with a diameter of about 2 kilometers, it is totally uninhabited and almost desert, it has only a few succulent plants with a red color that give their best in the summer and a solitary fig tree that stands out as a guardian on the oldest part. It is part of the study and monitoring project of the volcano and also hosts the National Geological Park, thus making it part of a protected area. Small hot springs with sulfur and gypsum crystals that give life to the typical fumaroles are found on the summit and in some coastal areas, confirming that the volcano is still active but in complete tranquility. You can see three craters, the first Mikri Kameni dating back to 1570, the 1925 Dafne crater and the 1940 central crater called Georgios. The waters that surround it are of an intense blue due to the considerable depth and are considered therapeutic because they are rich in iron, manganese and sulfur. The water also reaches 35 degrees and near the shore changes color becoming reddish, and the consistency transforming into pleasant natural thermal mud In this regard, if you decide to indulge yourself in this pampering, remember that the minerals in the sea ruin the fabrics and oxidize the metals . It is also possible to take a walk on the island and reach the small craters, even here we recommend that you bring a pair of sneakers so as not to burn your feet as well as a good amount of water to hydrate yourself better given the perceived heat.
Once on the island it is possible to take the path that crosses this extraordinary landscape up to the central crater 130 meters above sea level where you can enjoy a beautiful view.
The island of Nea Kimeni can only be reached by boat that leaves from Fira or Athinios and in about ten minutes you will be at your destination. There are several agencies and lodgings themselves that organize this exciting excursion and if you want, you can extend the visit by first reaching Thirassia island and then heading to Oia village to enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets in the universe.
Palea Kameni island instead we find it just below the village of Oia in the south east part. Also called Palia Kameni (palia in Greek means old), it too is of volcanic origin and, like its older sister, remains inside the Caldera. The numerous eruptions that have taken place over the millennia have given life to this rock formed by deposits of pumice and dactite. Its dating dates back to between 197 and 47 AD. The island of Palea Kameni is uninhabited and without vegetation but houses a lovely and small church. Without a landing point, it cannot be visited, but on the other hand in the bay of Agios Nikolaus it will be possible to take a medicinal bath in a natural spring of sulphurous water that flows from the subsoil.
It too can only be reached by sea and usually the excursion to Nea Kameni also includes a stop in Palea Kameni.
A trip out of the island we can call it nicely that will make you discover wonderful places. To put on the list of things to see in Santorini.