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Best known for the stunning cliff-top villages of Thira and Oia, Santorini is a favorite port of call for cruise ships sailing the Aegean. The island gained its current crescent-shaped form when a massive volcanic eruption blew out the island’s center around 3,600 years ago, creating a caldera that was rapidly engulfed by the deep blue sea. All the trappings of a dream vacation are here: Postcard-perfect cliff-side villages, exotic black-sand volcanic beaches, transcendent sunsets, luxurious cave-rock hotels, dramatic striated red-and-gray cliffs stretching to the sky, and the Aegean’s finest wineries.
For the super-luxurious boutique hotels (the best occupy former cave dwellings and boast infinity pools), stunning sunsets, gourmet dining, and dry white wines.
