Machu Picchu—the “lost city of the Incas”—sits at 7,970
ft (2,430 m) in the remote Peruvian Andes.
86 CITIES & BEYONDGREECE
Some claim it was the source of the legend
of Atlantis, while others say it caused the
collapse of the Minoan civilization on Crete.
What is sure is that the volcanic eruption at
the heart of the Aegean 3,600 years ago,
one of the most powerful in history, had the
happy efect of creating the collapsed cal-
dera that makes up Santorini. It is an island
painted in vivid colors: the white of clif-top
villages, the green of tiny vineyards, the
black of ancient lava, and the encircling
sapphire of a sparkling sea.DON’T MISS
Choose the cool of sunset or early morning to hike
from Fira to Oia (6.5 miles/10.5 km), a superb three-
hour, high-level clif walk that ofers breathtaking
views of the caldera, or hire a bike and follow an
almost parallel road route.Visitors flock to the picturesque village of Oia to
watch some of the finest sunsets in the Aegean.santorini