- The village of Fira on Santorini - The center of the activities is the capital Fira which is positioned high on the edge of the caldera rim. Stairs lead down the crater wall, 587 steps, to the old port of Skala Fira. You can walk or you can go by donkey, but there is also a cable car. Skala Fira is a place where the cruise boats moor. Allthough Fira can be seen as a tourist centre it still has enough charm left to pay it a visit. Even if it was just for taking a drink on a terrace and enjoying the views. It is a photegenetic and picturesque place and there are views from Fira to the neighbouring island of Anafi. The big attraction in Fira is the view over the caldera and the vulcano. There are telescopes on some of the places so you can take a better look. Along the edge of the caldera and in the many small and narrow streets behind it you find all kinds of small bars, tavernas and shops. It's worthwhile to take a real good look the village because there is much to see and if you wonder around a bit longer here you will find more and more cozy and quaint shopping streets that are paved with cobblestones, where many interesting small shops, ice cream parlors and restaurants. In Fira you can also find most travel agencies where you can buy a ferry ticket to the next destination if you have that planned.

Like in many of the villages on Santorini there are many churches with domes and there are characteristic cave houses: dwellings that are cut into the rocks. The most famous and most photographed church is the 18th century Agios Minas church with its blue dome and white clock tower. There are also two Archeological Museums in Fira. In the old museum there are mainly finds to be seen that date from the post Minoan times and in the new museum next to the bus station there are Minoan frecoos on display that have been found in Santorini. There is also a town museum. The best time to exlore Fira is in the mornings when it is not so hot and so busy yet and the sunrise gives the buildings a beautiful glow. In the cause of the day the village will fill up with tourists that are armed with cameras ready to take their pictures and not until the end of the afternoon the peace will more or less return. In the evening the village comes to life again and the bars and the clubs in Fira fill up.