Santorini Bounces Back After Earthquakes

• Santorini faced over 20,000 small earthquakes earlier this year, triggering evacuations and disruptions.
• Tourism and construction on the island were temporarily halted.
• Normalcy returned by March, with schools reopening and locals resettling.
• Tourists are rebooking trips, reassured by the island’s recovery.
• Businesses are pushing for promotional campaigns and flexible pricing to lure travelers.
• Visitors are unfazed by the seismic activity, showing strong interest in the island’s famed beauty.

Earlier this year, Santorini saw more than 20,000 earthquakes that resulted in halts in activity and evacuation. March found life picking back up. Safe Santorini is recovering, and here’s what visitors should know.

Though it’s atop a volcanic caldera that has been active for millennia, Santorini is not only absolutely beautiful.  However, earlier this year, the ground chose to remind everyone of its fiery beginnings.  The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens claims that over 20,000 little quakes shook the island between late January and late February. For paradise, that is a lot of shaking.

The earthquake activity was not a slight annoyance. Families and employees packed up and fled, particularly those connected to the peaceful off-season travel and building businesses. Teachers closed schools. Projects in construction stopped midway between hammers.  The upheaval was felt even by neighboring islands such Anafi, Amorgos, and Ios.  The usually peaceful winter season of Santorini was empty rather than simply quiet.

Still, Santorini is not one to remain down for very long. The quakes had calmed down, emergency plans were withdrawn, and life started to revert to normal. Schools reopened, building crews got back to work, and many of the people who had left began returning.

Anxiety about how these geological fluctuations could influence the busy summer season started to sweep around the island. Santorini lives and breathes tourism; that famous sunset in Oia does not pay for itself. Would guests still come, then was the question?

Business owners responded quickly. Hoteliers gave reluctant guests freedom by cutting April and May rates. Beyond cost, there is demand for a state-supported campaign to spread the word—Safe Santorini is once more ready for a close-up.

Surprisingly, visitors are not bothered at all. The earthquakes? Not a breakthrough deal. Their radar barely showed the earthquake waves.

Like many, they attribute the occurrence to the island’s natural geology. Earthquakes are a natural occurrence on the land.  

Rebuilding the island’s reputation requires haste and group effort. From restaurants to tour companies, local businesses are advised to present a consistent front that screams: Santorini is safe, beautiful, and ready for your Instagrams.

Travelers still find their way to this famous location, short-term hesitancy aside. They are lured, as usual, by its renowned sunsets, meandering streets, and singular experience. Though seismic activity adds an erratic dimension to Santorini’s narrative, it won’t change its reputation as a must-see destination.

Is Sanorini safe for summer travel? The answer is absolutely, for both residents and visitors returning to its coasts. If you ask Argophilia, the answer is NO.

Although the island has returned to doing what it does best—welowing the globe to its picture-perfect edge of the Aegean—the earthquake brought momentary anarchy.