The island's spectacular mountainous landscape offers lots of photography opportunities and the Blue Flag beaches are perfect for an afternoon of relaxing in the sun. No trip to Santorini would be complete without exploring the villages of Imirovigli, Megalocon, Perivolos and Pyrgos. Each village has a unique atmosphere and a rich history so if you are staying for a while it is well worth exploring them all.

History lovers should take the time to explore the islands archaeological sites and museums. The ancient city at Akrotiri is incredibly well preserved and is the most important prehistoric settlement in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

The Mesa Vuono is another site well worth exploring: this limestone formation was used as a natural fortress by the island's Lacedaemonian colonisers in the 9th century BC. Some archaeologists believe that the caldera crater on Santorini was the inspiration for the legend of Plato's Atlantis.

Of course it's not all history lessons on the island. There are beaches to explore, such as those at Kamari and Perissa, with their dark volcanic sands where you can top up your tan or try out one of the many water sports on offer.

For meals and snacks, you will find a more traditional type of Greek holiday in the tavernas, restaurants and bars, with lots of locally caught seafood and Greek dishes on offer.

Most flights are offered by the holiday companies of Thomson, Thomas Cook, Cosmos and Olympic, with departures several times a week from airports in London, Manchester, Gatwick, Newcastle and Birmingham. easyJet also flies from Manchester and Gatwick, with a journey time of around four hours.

Santorini Thira Airport (JTR) can also be reached on services from the Greek mainland via Athens, with a flight time of around 30 minutes. Athens can be reached from London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. This is a good solution if travelling outside of the main summer season.

Cheap flights to Santorini can be found using TravelSupermarket's price-comparison tool.

The airport is located not far from Kamari village, near the Monolithos area. There are frequent buses from the airport to Fira and transport links from Fira to other towns are readily available. 

Taxi services from the airport are usually available. Most hotels offer airport transfer shuttles, however it is usually cheaper and faster to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

You can also rent a vehicle to pick up at the airport, which will probably be cheaper if you pre-book it in the UK.

The capital, Thira, sits on an extinct volcano and has outstanding views across the ocean. It's a classic Greek island town, with blue-domed, whitewashed buildings. There is a good choice of hotels in the town, which makes an ideal location if you want to pep up your break with added culture from the local museums and churches.

If you want a quieter hilltop theme to your break, you could consider Pyrgos, Imerovigli or Firostefani villages, all with narrow streets and the traditional Greek buildings painted white to reflect the hot summer sun.

Beach lovers should opt for Perissa, Kamari and Perivolos, where there are a small friendly hotels, self-catering apartments and larger properties to pick from.