Greece: Santorini

Santorini is a circular archipelago of volcanic islands in the southern Aegean Sea, about 125 miles southeast of Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thera, and is the southernmost member of the Cyclades islands. It's essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion. Santorini was first settled around 3000 BC, but its prosperous civilization disappeared after the volcanic eruption. Later, it was resettled by the Phoenicians and around 1000 BC by a Dorian colony.