Half-rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1956, FIRÁ (also known as Thíra or Hóra) still clings precariously to the edge of the enormous caldera, affording astonishing views. You will, of course, have to pay for such a beautiful setting. It's so thoroughly commercialized and, in summer, so inundated with cruise-ship passengers and day-trippers that it can get overwhelming; it is definitely worth phoning for accommodation in advance.

However, the view is still thrilling, and Firá also has several excellent museums. The Archeological Museum (Tues-Sun 8am-2.30pm; ?3), near the cable car to the north of town, has a collection which includes a curious set of erotic Dionysiac figures. The handsome Museum Megaro Ghyzi (Mon-Sat 10.30am-1.30pm & 5-8pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm; ?1.50) above the Archeological Museum in an old mansion owned by the Catholic diocese of Santoríni, has been restored as a cultural centre, and has a good collection of old prints and maps as well as photographs of the town before and after the 1956 earthquake. Further north along the caldera the Thira Foundation , housed in galleries carved into the cliffside, contains superb life-size 3D colour photo reproductions of the frescos of Akrotíri (Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; ?3). At the other end of town, between the cathedral and bus station, the Museum of Prehistoric Thira (Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; free), a newly opened museum housed in a handsome building, has interesting displays of fossils, Cycladic art, and astonishing finds from Akrotíri.