THE FORMATION OF SANTORINI IS DUE TO VARIOUSGEOLOGICAL OCCURENCES, MANY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONSAND EARTHQUAKES SO VIOLENT AS TO CHANGE THE SHAPEOF THE ISLAND SEVERAL TIMES. DORIANS, VENETIANSAND TURKS OCCUPIED SANTORINI, BUT ITS MOSTINFLUENCIAL EARLY INHABITANTS WERE THE MINOANS.THEY CAME FROM CRETE SOME TIME BETWEEN 2000 AND1600 BC, AND THE SETTLEMENT OF AKROTIRI DATESFROM THE HEIGHT OF THEIR GREAT CIVILIZATION.THE ISLAND THEN WAS CIRCULAR AND WAS CALLEDKALISTI OF STROGGYLIS THE ROUND ONE. AROUND1650 BC A CHAIN OF EARTHQUAKES AND ERUPTIONSCULMINATED IN ONE OF THE LARGEST EXPLOSIONS INTHE HISTORY OF THE PLANET. THIRTY CUBICKILOMETERS OF MAGMA SPEWED FORTH AND A COLUMN OFASH 36 KILOMETERS HIGH JETTED INTO THEATMOSPHERE. SO MUCH MAGMA WAS EJECTED THAT THEMAGMA CHAMBERS OF THE VOLCANO GAVE WAY AND THECENTRE OF THE ISLAND COLLAPSED, LEAVING A CALDERAWITH HIGH CLIFFS ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST DRAMATICGEOLOGICAL SIGHTS. AFTER THE BIG ONE, SANTORINIONCE AGAIN SETTLED DOWN FOR A TIME AND WASRECOLONISED. IN 236 BC VOLCANIC ACTIVITY RESUMEDAND SEPARATED THIRASIA FROM THE MAIN LAND. THELAST MAJOR EARTHQUAKE ON THE ISLAND, MEASURING7.8 ON THE RICHTER SCALE SAVAGED THE ISLAND IN1956. SHOULD YOU WALK AROUND THE VILLAGES, YOUWILL FIND MANY ABANDONED MANSIONS FROM THISPERIOD.CLIMATECLIMATECLIMATESANTORINI ENJOYS A TYPICAL MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATEWITH HOT, DRY SUMMERS AND MILD WINTERS. IN JULYAND AUGUST THE MERCURY CAN SOAR TO 40 CELSIUSOVER 100 FAHRENHEIT. JULY AND AUGUST ARE ALSOTHE MONTHS OF THE MELTEMI, A NORTHERLY WIND THATSWEEPS THE AEGEAN. THE WIND REDUCES HUMIDITY ANDOFFERS WELCOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT. NOVEMBER ISWHEN THE RAINS START IN MOST AREAS.LOCAL PRODUCELOCAL PRODUCELOCAL PRODUCEDUE TO ITS VOLCANIC NATURE, LOCAL GOODS AREPRODUCED IN SMALL QUANTITIES BUT ARE OF EXCELLENTQUALITY. SANTORINI PRODUCES SOME OF THE BESTWINES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SUCH AS NICHTERE, BRUSKO, MALAVAZIAS AND VISANTO. A SPECIALHYBRID OF SMALL TASTY TO