A tour of Akrotiri on Santorini

If you've done your homework, you'll know that visiting Akrotiri always features in lists of top things to do on Santorini. The archaeological site in the southwest of the island is old - very old! - and represents a vital piece in the puzzle of European prehistory.
To put it into perspective, the ancient city of Akrotiri was inhabited before the volcanic eruption that created Santorini and its caldera. We're talking about at least the 4th millennium BC (the Neolithic Period). Indeed, various settlements existed here through the Bronze Age until Akrotiri became, in around 1500 BC, one of the main urban centres of the Aegean. The 50-acre excavation you see today is from that time, much of it preserved in volcanic ash, giving it the nickname 'Greece's Pompeii'.

It's also one of the best-designed archaeological sites in Greece, with a bioclimatic roof maintaining a comfortable temperature even in peak summer through natural ventilation at the same time as providing natural light and protecting the artefacts from the elements.
There are walkways suspended above buildings that reach as high as three storeys. The design allows you to fully appreciate the public spaces and town planning of the ancient city, including a complex drainage system, as well as artefacts showing that engineers, architects and artists inhabited what was once a flourishing and advanced society that traded widely with the region.

Source: Discover Greece