Atlantis. The lost city beneath the sea. One of the great legends of the world.

Santorini, a
unique, modern tourist resort which may just be the location of the legendary city.

A few years ago I was travelling through the Greek Islands and ended up on Santorini, one
of the most spectacular islands in Greece. I was travelling with my girlfriend, Cecilia, and
as we approached the volcanic cliffs of the Island she said, "This must be where the Greek
gods lived!"
Although it may not be where the Greek gods came from many people believe that
Santorini was once the location of the city of Atlantis which, according to legend, sank
beneath the sea after a violent volcano. Santorini is certainly the result of a violent volcanic
explosion and the core of the volcano still rumbles and smokes just off the coast of the
main island.
The legend of Atlantis describes a prosperous land with a highly advanced and civilized
people that disappeared beneath the sea after the population made the gods angry. It is one
of mankind's oldest and most enduring myths and, like the biblical Garden of Eden,
represents a lost paradise.
The classical Atlantis story is the one told by the Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Like
many writers of his time Plato did not write factual history but rather a moral tale that is set
against a backdrop of real events. And one of the most debated questions has always been
the location of Plato's Atlantis.
There are a number of clues in Plato's story that make many people believe that the
destructive Minoan volcanic eruption on Santorini is the closest event to the one in Plato's
Atlantis.
However, this fascinating argument, now many decades old, is yet to be resolved although
visiting Santorini makes it easy to imagine that a prosperous race of creative, cultured and
happy people once lived on this magical island.