Ancient stone ruins covered in yellow wildflowers on a hillside overlooking a deep blue sea under a clear sky.

Ancient Thera

Santorini, Greece

Plan your visit

Check the Hellenic Ministry of Culture website for current access and opening information.

About this place

Ancient Thera is a ruined settlement that sits on the ridge of Mesa Vouno, a rocky mountain on the south-eastern side of Santorini. The remains spread along the narrow summit and include streets, temples, houses, and inscriptions dating from several periods of occupation spanning the Archaic, Hellenistic, and Roman eras.

The site can be reached on foot by hiking one of the paths that climb the mountain from either the village of Perissa or Kamari on the coast below. The ascent covers steep, uneven terrain, so appropriate footwear is useful. There is also a road that reaches the area from the Perissa side.

Once at the top, the ruins sit alongside open views across the eastern coastline of the island. Stone walls, column bases, and carved rock surfaces remain visible across the site, giving a sense of the settlement's original layout and scale.

Location

Find Ancient Thera

Ancient Thera occupies the ridge of Mesa Vouno, a mountain along the south-eastern coast of Santorini, Greece.

Coordinates: 36.3636° N · 25.4778° E

Nearby places

All of Santorini

Other stops in Santorini

Recommended

A beach club below Santorini's volcanic cliffs, with Greek food, shaded loungers and a rocky shoreline. We visited after Oia and Fira on our Celebrity Xcel excursion.

Recommended

A viewpoint in Oia, Santorini, where you can photograph the famous trio of blue-domed churches above the caldera. Crowds build through the morning, so an early visit is worthwhile.

Museum

Akrotiri is a prehistoric site on Santorini, buried under volcanic ash thousands of years ago. Visitors walk through excavated ruins and see clay artefacts under a protective roof.

Attraction

Ammoudi Bay is a small inlet below Oia on Santorini, reached by steps cut into the cliff. Seafood tavernas line the waterfront and the rocks are used for swimming.

A trail along the caldera rim of Santorini linking the main town of Fira with the village of Oia, passing through smaller cliffside settlements across volcanic rocky terrain.