The everlasting beauty of Santorini island attracts thousands of visitors every year and it is no wonder that the island is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Its wild volcanic landscape, the rugged cliffs, the wild nature and beautiful beaches combined with its rich history and traditions make Santorini the gem of Greece. Santorini got its present half-moon shape in about 1,650 BC when a severe volcanic eruption took place. In the ancient times, the shape of the island was round and in fact a myth says that Santorini was emerged out of the sea in a miraculous way. However, the intense volcanic eruption of 1,650 BC disappeared about half of the island, covered in ashes the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri on the southern of the island and raised waves so high that reached the northern coasts of Crete and destroyed the Minoan towns there, including the famous Knossos.