Photo: Joyofmuseums · CC BY-SA 4.0 · editedAkrotiri Archaeological Site
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Norbert Nagel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · edited
Why go
- The Spring Fresco in Room Delta 2, the first fresco found perfectly preserved in place.
- Stone-paved streets with sewers running beneath them, lined by buildings of two or three storeys.
- The buildings and frescoes, preserved in a state matched only at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Objects left under doors, which suggest residents expected to return one day.
Opening hours
Today08:00 – 15:30Show all
Know before you go
- Open every day from 08:00 to 15:30.
Tips for your visit
- Most excavated finds are displayed in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, away from the site.
- After decades of digging, only a small part of the town has been uncovered.
Interesting facts8
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Only one gold object was found, and no unburied remains, suggesting an orderly evacuation.
Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia -
Analysis showed that a purple in one fresco came from processed purple-dye shellfish.
Ακρωτήρι Θήρας - Wikipedia -
Although Cycladic, the site is linked to Minoan civilization through Linear A inscriptions.
Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia -
Marinatos chose the spot because the pumice layer was thinnest there, at most 15 m.
Akrotiri (Santorin) - Wikipedia -
Before the dig, locals used large stone mortars from the donkey cave as troughs.
Akrotiri (Santorin) - Wikipedia -
Plaster poured into ash-filled negatives of wooden objects produces casts of beds, tables and stools.
Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia -
1999
A golden goat was found in 1999 near Xeste 3.
Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia -
Pottery is especially abundant here because of how the town came to an end.
Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
By the end of the third millennium BC the community had grown, and the settlement became urban, with multi-storey houses and an early sewer network. Copper finds elsewhere and its trade-route position may have driven that growth. No human skeletons have been found, which suggests residents left before the eruption. A volcanic eruption then buried the town in pumice and ash, and the ash preserved its buildings and frescoes for over 3,500 years. A roof built to protect the site collapsed in 2005 just before it opened.
- 5th millennium BCSettlement begins as a coastal village on a small flat peninsula.
- around 2500 BCTraces of metalworking appear.
- 18th century BCThe settlement has grown into a town.
- early 17th century BCEarthquakes cause major damage.
- 1627–1600 BCAn eruption buries the town in pumice and ash.
Show all
- 1967Spyridon Marinatos starts the modern excavation.
- 2005Part of a new protective roof collapses just before completion, killing a tourist and injuring six.
- 2012The site reopens to visitors in April 2012.
How to get there
- On footThe modern village of Akrotiri lies about 700 m north-west, above the dig.
- On footA path descends from the village to the excavation parking lot. It was reopened and signposted in September 2012.
Accessibility
- Parking A parking lot serves the excavations. A path runs down from the modern village of Akrotiri to it.
Sources: Akrotiri (prehistoric city) - Wikipedia · Akrotiri (Santorin) - Wikipedia · Ακρωτήρι Θήρας - Wikipedia · Akrotiri (Santorin) - Wikipedia · checked 19 Oct 2026
Questions and answers
What are the opening hours of Akrotiri Archaeological Site on Santorini?
Akrotiri Archaeological Site is open every day from 08:00 to 15:30.
Why is it called Akrotiri?
The site is named after the modern village of Akrotiri, which stands on a hill to the north.
What can you see at Akrotiri Archaeological Site?
Well-preserved buildings and frescoes show the social and cultural life of the Bronze Age. The town's streets were paved, with sewers running beneath them.
Where are the finds from Akrotiri Archaeological Site kept?
Most finds from the excavation are shown in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, not at the site.
When did Akrotiri Archaeological Site reopen to visitors?
It reopened to visitors in April 2012, after being closed from 2005.
Who has led the excavations at Akrotiri Archaeological Site?
Christos Doumas, a former assistant of Spyridon Marinatos, took over as head of the excavations in 1975.
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