Thirasía and the Kaméni islands

Crusts of land mark the rim of Santoríni’s spooky 10km (6-mile) wide and 380m (1,250ft)-deep caldera. The largest, curving around the northwest, is Thirasía, part of Santoríni until the two were blasted apart in the mighty eruption of Santoríni’s volcano. In one of its pumice quarries a Middle Cycladic settlement was discovered, pre-dating Minoan Akrotíri, though there are no traces of it now.

As soon as you arrive at Thirasía’s little port of Ríva, it’s like arriving in a time warp, withits atmosphere reminiscent of Santoríni in the 1950s. The main business of the five little villages on the island is growing tasty tomatoes, grapes and beans on the fertile plateau, although there is increasing tourism spillover from Santoríni, especially in the largest village, Manolás.