Ancient Thera
Ancient Thera is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Santorini audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Santorini Santorini guide
About Ancient Thera
A windswept Greco-Roman city strung along a high ridge between Kamari and Perissa, with a sea-view theatre, an agora, and some of the oldest Greek-alphabet graffiti.
Ancient Thera is the Greco-Roman city built along the Mesa Vouno ridge, about 360 metres above sea level, on the saddle between the modern resorts of Kamari and Perissa on Santorini's southeast coast. By tradition it was founded by Dorian colonists and named after their leader Theras, though this account survives mainly through Herodotus; archaeological evidence dates continuous settlement from about the ninth century BCE. Around 630 BCE colonists from Thera founded Cyrene in North Africa.
The city reached its height in the Hellenistic period, when the Ptolemaic fleet used it as an Aegean naval base and it was rebuilt on a regular grid with grand peristyle houses. Its ruins include a long main street, the agora, a theatre seating roughly 1,500, several sanctuaries, and the Terrace of the Festivals. Excavated by Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen between 1895 and 1904, it was gradually abandoned in Byzantine times.
Did you know? Around 630 BCE, colonists from this small island city sailed south and founded Cyrene in North Africa, one of the great cities of the ancient Greek world, in what is now Libya.
How long should you spend at Ancient Thera?
Plan about ~90 min at Ancient Thera. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Ancient Thera worth visiting?
Ancient Thera is one of the 12 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Santorini, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Santorini
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Ancient Thera and read more:
Day 1 of the Santorini in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Ancient Thera
Preview the Santorini tour free in the Gingerguide app.