Santorini is the most southern island of the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea, and is located 63 nautical miles north of Crete.
Its surface area is 73 sq. km. and its population, distributed among thirteen villages, just exceeds 13,600 people.

Getting to Santorini (JTR) from Athens (ATH) by air
Santorini can be reached by air via Athens and Thessaloniki. The flying time from Athens to Santorini is approximately 40 minutes and cost 190 to 250 euros. The airport is about 10 km from the central town of Fira where the Nomikos Conference Center is located, and transportation to Fira is normally by taxi or hotel shuttle service. Airlines servicing Santorini (JTR) from Athens include the Greek flagship carrier Olympic Airways and the newer independent carrier Aegean Airlines, which has a more complete schedule.

Nearly all international scheduled flights arriving at Athens allow adequate time for making the connecting flight to Santorini. Numerous charter flights from different European Cities fly directly to the island during the summer period. During the same period Santorini is also connected with flights to and from Thessaloniki.

Getting to Santorini from Athens by sea
Another way to reach the island is by a regular ferry boat service from the port of Piraeus, Thessaloniki or Crete and almost all the Cycladic islands. The boat trip takes approximately 7-9 hours, depending on the ferry and the ports of call.

A daily high speed boat is available only during the summer period leaving from the port of Piraeus and from numerous other Cycladic islands and Crete.

Boats to Santorini leave from the Athenian port of Piraeus (TZE) located about an hour's drive away from the airport. There is public transportation from the airport and other parts of Athens to Piraeus. The train station in Piraeus is directly across the street from the port itself. Boat tickets can be arranged beforehand, or purchased as late as the day of travel, but often the less expensive classes of travel fill up early. If you are flying in to Athens and want to take a ferry the same day, we strongly recommend arranging the sea tickets beforehand.

There are two broad classes of boats which service the Aegean islands: traditional ferries, and high-speed ferries. The traditional boats are slower, have open decks, often make more stops, and are relatively inexpensive. The high-speed ferries are faster, enclosed, and are more costly. Be sure to check the transit time in addition to the departure time for any boat you are considering, as some boats make many stops on the way to Santorini. There is only one seaport in Santorini (ATI). Slower boats can take 10 hours, and high-speed boats as little as 4 hours, depending on schedule and number of stops. Be sure to check the route and schedule when booking. As of summer 2006, passage on a high-speed boat from Piraeus to Santorini was approximately EUR 50. Some useful links if you are planning to travel by boat are: www.gtp.gr, www.bluestarferries.com, and www.hellenicseaways.gr where boat schedules are available.

For accomodation issues please don't hesitate to contact peach2007@heliotopos.net