Santorini’s Special Charm

A cable car takes tourists on a spectacular trip that joins Santorini’s port with charming citadel Fira.

The Island Landscape

Santorini or Théra, its official name, is one of the Greek Cyclades islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. Its uneven, rugged land is the result of a volcanic eruption that took place in the 16th century B.C. Whitewashed houses make up Santorini’s main cities, Fira and Oia, which cling to the cliffs over a breathtaking sea view.

The island’s present name is of Italian origin. It was baptized Saint Irene by Venetian merchants in honor of the island’s patron, Saint Irene of Thessalonica. The name turned into Saint Rini, and later, it became Santorini.

On account of its beauty and its lively nights, it has become one of the main European tourist attractions. The Oriental design of white houses with blue window frames and doors resembles those on the Moroccan and Tunisian coasts.

Which Means of Transportation Do You Prefer: Mules, 650 Steps or the Cable Car?

The cable car is an easy choice for tourists arriving in cruisers, not only because of its comfort and speed, but also so they can easily enjoy the enchanting landscape during the trip.

The cable car installed on Santorini’s island connects the port with Fira, its capital city. This installation facilitates the ascent to and descent from the white and blue citadel perched on volcanic mountains. In addition to being a means of transport used by the local inhabitants, it is a tourist attraction.

The Santorini cable car was built and installed thanks to the Loula and Evangelos Nomikos Foundation. A cable car is a type of cab with a continuous lifting system similar to a sky lift or chair lift, but the cabins are closed and hang from a cable.

This means of transportation belongs to Santorini’s 14 towns, and it is funded by the above-mentioned foundation. Part of the ticket collection is paid to the mule owners to satisfy the tourists who wish a mule ride to comply with the tradition of going up and down in the old way. The other option is to climb up and go down 650 steps. The cable car travels to Oia, located 220-m above sea level. Its capacity is 1,200 passengers/h with six passengers per cab. The travel takes just 3 min.

Construction and Installation

Santorini’s cable car was manufactured and installed by Doppelmayr^®, one of the world leaders for mobility by means of ropes or cables according to the Austrian directives. The Santorini installation has given Fira’s port a new life. It had been undervalued due to the difficulty getting up to the city.

Doppelmayr is a company dedicated to transportation by means of comfortable and safe cable cars. This means of transportation is fit to meet the needs of winter and summer tourism, urban transportation in hilly surroundings and for material transportation. The company has 15,400 installations in 50 countries where it has subsidiary firms.

Since 1893, Doppelmayr has facilitated circulation in inaccessible areas. In 2002, the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group was established when Doppelmayr (founded in 1893) in Wolfurt, Austria, merged with the Swiss company Garaventa AG (established in 1928), becoming, in this way, one of the greatest cable car manufacturers in the world.