Take a Tour of These Active Volcanoes of Greece

No discussion on Greece’s active volcano can be complete without mentioning Santorini that is a simply stunning island with wild scenery and exotic natural beauty. It came into its present form after the eruptions that took place over here from 1613 to 1614 BC. The force with which the volcano erupted resulted in the disintegration of the volcano mouth and created the superlative caldera that we see today. During the last 400,000 years, it has spawn ash at least twelve times and is particularly responsible for the archipelago’s peculiar landform. 

However, since 1950, only hot springs have bubbled from the sea and vapours can be seen near Nea Kameni as evidence. Ferry rides take visitors to the caldera so that the sulfur vents and the hot springs can be seen here in all earnestness. The volcanic beaches of Santorini are a prime example of its iconic past.

The volcano on this island has not been active from 90,000 BC. Kalamos is located centrally on the oldest volcanic points where eruption happened previously. The gases and steam from a volcanic eruption can reach up to 100 degrees Celsius and the improper geological formations and the mineral deposits on the island are a testimony to that effect. Beaches on this island like the Papafragkas beach and the Sarakiniko beach along with over 70 others have only been created due to it.   

Visit the Milos Mining Museum before embarking on the volcano tour so that the best information regarding the occurrence can be obtained in detail. Due to the volcano, the island’s geology has also been impacted to a great extent due to a lot of minerals being present here. There are a lot of mines in this area that constitute a major part of Milos. Minerals like Kaolin and Bentonite can easily be procured here. 

The volcano of Methana is still active under it as the place is not exactly an island in the true sense of the word. It is more aptly a peninsula that has developed on the Peloponnese. However, due to the volcano, there are rich natural surroundings in this area with a lot of greenery all around it. A spa complex has come up over here that utilizes the hot springs of the volcano and it has been quite popular as a favorite spa town for many visitors. 

The consequences of its eruption can also be witnessed in Paleokastro where remnants of the gates and walls of an acropolis can still be seen that broke off in the sea after the volcano erupted. Visitors here can see for themselves the ancient and completely solidified lava that lend them a raw beauty and absolute charm. The place also offers some dazzling volcanic beaches like the Vathy, Limnionas and many others which can be worth a visit.  

The pristine elegance of Dodecanese in Nisyros has always been encouraged by visitors due to its volcano that has not shown any activity since 1888 while at the same time remaining pretty active. As a matter of fact, the complete island is a volcano with the highly popular Stefanos crater being present here. The crater is somewhat around 3,000 to 4,000 years old. In the island’s center, there is a 4-km caldera together with about five smaller ones spread all around it. 

The Stefanos has a 330-meter diameter and is about 27-meter deep. It is regarded as the biggest and the best-maintained hydrothermal crater anywhere in the world. Sulphuric fumes can be seen here emanating from its multiple fumaroles and hence sometimes it can be tough to go to the area. 

These are undoubtedly some of the best active volcanoes of Greece and apart from them, the one in Kos can also be visited by a tourist. All of them offer considerable insight into the formation of these islands so that the geology of the place can be well understood.