The village of Oia on the island of Santorini, Greece

© Zebra-Studio/Shutterstoc

Sunset on Santorini. Santorini, Greece

Officially known as Thira, the glamorous Greek island of Santorini sits at the southern end of the Aegean Sea. Part of the Cyclades islands between Athens and Crete, this small island receives about 2 million visitors a year. Its whitewashed, clifftop villages, like Oia featured in our homepage image, offer stunning panoramic views of the Mediterranean.

This beautiful island was born out of a cataclysmic event. About 3,600 years ago, one of the world’s largest known volcanic eruptions destroyed what was a thriving Minoan city and created a giant caldera – a huge volcanic crater - that sank below the sea, leaving the picturesque lagoon seen here. Volcanic activity has continued since. At the centre of the lagoon is the uninhabited volcanic island of Nea Kameni, which emerged from the sea in 19 CE, according to the Roman author Pliny the Elder. It's had several major eruptions over the past 300 years.

Tourism is now the main activity on Santorini, along with a small winemaking industry. Throw in sunshine, sea breezes and meandering steps through picturesque villages and you can see why this 28 sq mile island, with just 15,000 residents, attracts so many visitors each year.