Greece Earthquakes & Volcanoes: Important Information for Your Vacation

Greece is one of the sunniest holiday destinations in Europe, but also one of the most seismically active regions in the world, true to the motto: Even in paradise it can rumble. The ancient Greek word ‘seismos’ means ‘shaking’, and while the gods were said to be at work in the past, we now know what caused the Greece earthquakes.

“Greece has more earthquakes per year than any other country in Europe, fortunately most of them are hardly noticeable.”

Personally, in the more than 15 years that we have been traveling to Greece, we experienced Earthquakes on the Greek islands, too. Nevertheless, there is no reason to panic, the people in Greece have been living with it for thousands of years. Even in ancient times, temples were built earthquake-proof.

If you hear about an Earthquake on Crete, Santorini & Co., you may be wondering: Why are there earthquakes on the Greek islands and how do they occur? Is my destination affected and are there any safety warnings or travel restrictions for my holiday?

In this post, you’ll find answers to these questions and important tips for your trip. To this end, we clarify the influence of the volcanoes on the Greek islands like Santorini, Milos and Nisyros and whether you should let them influence your holiday in Greece:

#1 Why are there earthquakes and volcanoes in Greece?

In the eastern Mediterranean, there are several plate tectonic phenomena that can lead to earthquakes in Greece. Since we are not geologists, we limit ourselves to the essentials. In the south of the country, on the so-called Hellenic subduction zone, the African Plate pushes northwards and dives under the Eurasian Plate.

By folding the earth’s crust, Crete with its mighty mountains was created. At the same time, magma emerged and formed the Greek volcanoes of the Hellenic island arc. In the east, near the islands of Kos, Samos and Lesbos not far from the Turkish coast, the Anatolian Plate rubs against the Eurasian Plate and the resulting fault leads to earthquakes.

The central scene of this “plate battle” is the Aegean Sea with its many beautiful Greek Islands like Santorini & Co. The plates move extremely slowly towards each other, usually only 50 millimeters per year, so the plate friction is hardly noticeable. This goes well until Mother Earth has had enough and really “lets off steam” every few years or decades.

Plate tectonics simply explained

The uppermost layer of our earth (earth’s crust) consists of several tectonic plates, which are put together from pieces of different sizes in a simplified way like a giant puzzle. Currents in the liquid mantle keep them constantly in motion and can thus shift by several centimeters per year.

At some point, the plates get stuck together, get caught and tensions arise. At the plate boundaries of two or more plates, the pressure increases and jerky discharges occur, then the earth shakes, volcanoes can form and even deep-sea trenches in the sea.

Geologists distinguish three different types of plate movements:

• Divergent plate boundaries: two plates move away from each other, creating fissures in which hot magma rises (e.g. Iceland, East African Rift)
• Convergent Plate Boundaries: two plates collide, one plate can slip under the other, pressure creates mountains and volcanoes in the sea (e.g. Himalayas, Japanese islands)
• Transforming Plate Boundaries: two plates slide past each other and tectonic fault points, so-called faults (e.g. San Andreas Trench, Anatolian Fault)

#2 Santorini earthquake 2025

The Earthquake on Santorini have increasingly come into the public eye in February 2025. The volcanic complex around Santorini (see point #3) has been showing increased seismic activity since the beginning of the year. The initially small quakes have expanded into strong earthquake swarms since the end of January.

Up to 150 earthquakes per day were recorded just a few kilometers northeast of the Greek volcanic island, with the epicenter only a few kilometers deep. The cause was probably the volcano Kolumbos (also Koloumbo), which is located in the sea and belongs to the volcanic field of Santorini. A current map with Santorini Earthquake can be found here: Volcano Discovery

The Columbo Volcano is located between the islands of Santorini, Amorgos, Ios and Anafi. For decades, the marine volcano, which reaches to a depth of 500 meters, has been closely examined. In many places, hot thermal water (approx. 225 degrees) emerges from submarine chimneys up to 4 m high.

Experts assume that, over the centuries, an extremely high-pressure magma chamber has formed under Santorini. The approximately 13,000 inhabitants of Santorini are alarmed, especially among the elderly, memories of the severe earthquake of 1956 are awakened, in which the village Oia was almost completely destroyed.

By 5 February 2025, most residents had left the island. The first strong earthquakes had already triggered landslides on Santorini. On 6 February 2025, a state of emergency was declared and schools and public institutions were closed. By mid-February, the Santorini earthquakes had subsided. In March 2025, everyday life returned to the island. Seismic activity has calmed down, the earthquakes have subsided after a certain period of time, and holidays on Santorini are currently possible again.

#3 Greece earthquake at a glance

As already described, parts of the Greek islands and some mainland regions are potentially vulnerable to earthquakes due to the local plate movements. But you can also be confronted with it elsewhere in Europe as a holidaymaker, e.g. in southern Italy, Turkey and the Canary Islands.

There are earthquakes in Greece every day, most of them in the imperceptible range of magnitude 1-3. If you’re traveling to seismically active Greece as a vacationer, it’s wise to be aware of the forces of nature. Under point #5 in this post, we have shared our personal experiences with earthquakes in Greece.

But don’t worry, new buildings and hotels are being built to be earthquake-proof, and many Greek construction companies have made a name for themselves as earthquake experts throughout Europe. We would like to point out again that severe earthquakes with magnitudes above 6 or 7 are extremely rare in Greece.

The consequential damage of an earthquake depends not only on the magnitudes, but also on the duration and depth of the earthquake (kilometres below the earth’s surface), the epicentre (the triggering point on earth), and the subsoil (e.g. sea or mainland). For example, an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 can have less impact than an earthquake of magnitude 6.5.

How often does the earth shake in Greece?

Since the middle of the 19th century, there has been active earthquake research in Greece. In 1898, the first seismograph was installed in Athens and early warning systems were installed on the Greek islands as early as 1965. Since then, earthquakes in Greece have been recorded almost seamlessly.

In 2024, there were about 200 earthquakes with a minimum magnitude of 4.0 (source: earthquakelist.org). In fact, earthquakes occur with varying degrees of intensity almost throughout the country. On the islands, the epicenters are often on the Turkish coast, and severe earthquakes often occurred on Samos, Chios or Kos.

In the last 10 years, however, only one earthquake in Greece appeared with a magnitude of 7.0 (Izmir – island of Samos, October 2020), as well as 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 and larger, which, however, caused damage to buildings and also civilian casualties. The most destructive earthquake of the last 150 years was the Chios earthquake in 1881 (M 6.5).

Frequently affected by earthquakes are Crete and the islands of the Eastern Aegean, but also the Ionian islands such as Kefalonia, Lefkada and Zakynthos. The reason for this is the African Plate, which advances far to the north and makes up a large part of the seabed of the Ionian Sea and burrows further every year. West of Zakynthos the water depth reaches up to 5,000 meters.

Are there earthquake-free regions in Greece?

In addition to the central and eastern parts of northern Greece, most of the Cycladic islands have proven to be almost earthquake-free. An evaluation of the earthquakes (M 4 – M 7) in the period from 1900 to 2023 showed that islands such as Mykonos, Naxos, Tinos and Andros have hardly any quakes in their vicinity.

An exception is Santorini and the surrounding islands such as Amorgos and Anafi. Among the Ionian Islands, Corfu is considered to be an Earthquake-free region in Greece.

History of the strongest earthquakes in Greece

Since people have been living in the Mediterranean region, they have been reporting violent earthquakes. The reports go back several millennia, even if their veracity is difficult to verify today. Strong earthquakes do not occur suddenly, but are usually announced by a swarm of smaller quakes.

Nevertheless, many earthquakes in Greece’s history have caught the population unprepared. Quite a few ancient cities were completely destroyed by the tremendous tremors. The most famous is Akrotiri in Santorini, which was devastated during the Minoan eruption and lay buried under ash for centuries.

→ Enclosed is an overview of the strongest earthquake in Greece:

• September 27, 2021 – Earthquake in Crete (M 6.0): near Arkalohori, 30 km southeast of Heraklion, more than 1,000 damaged buildings
• October 30, 2020 – Earthquake off Samos (M 7.0): numerous buildings damaged and 2 fatalities
• 21 July 2017 – Earthquake off Kos (M 6.6): significant damage on Kos, one fatality
• September 7, 1999 – Earthquake near Athens (M 6.0): 1,600 injured, 50,000 people left homeless
• July 9, 1956 – Amorgos earthquake (M 7.8): Oia on Santorini badly damaged, as well as settlements of Amorgos
• August 12, 1953 – Earthquake near Kefalonia and Zakynthos (M 6.8): many settlements destroyed
• April 23, 1933 – Earthquake near Kos (M 6.4): Damage on Kos and Nisyros, including the village of Emporios severely destroyed
• September 26, 1932 – Earthquake in Halkidiki (M 6.9): Ierissos and other villages in the east destroyed
• June 26, 1926 – Earthquake off Rhodes (M 7.4): high tsunami and some aftershocks
• April 3, 1881 – Chios earthquake (M 6.5): Chios town almost completely destroyed
• February 4, 1867 – Kefalonia earthquake (M 7.9): Lixouri city completely destroyed
• February 16, 1810 – Earthquake off Crete (M 7.5): Heraklion severely affected
• 7 June 1750 – Kythira earthquake (M 7.0): almost all settlements severely damaged
• September 30, 1636 – Earthquake off Kefalonia (M 7.2): Hundreds of victims and damage on Kefalonia and Zakynthos
• May 29, 1508 – Earthquake off Crete (M 7.2): severe damage in eastern Crete and Ierapetra
• August 6, 1384 – Lesbos earthquake (M 6.8)
• August 8, 1303 – Earthquake near Crete (M 8.0)
• December 856 – Corinth earthquake (M 7.9): Corinth devastated, probably 45,000 victims
• 7 July 551 – Gulf of Corinth (M 7.1)
• 365 AD – Earthquake off Crete (M 8.0): devastating catastrophe in the entire Aegean Sea
• 426 BC – Earthquake in the Gulf of Euboea (M 7.1)
• 1620 BC – Minoan eruption: eruption of the Santorini volcano, impact throughout the Mediterranean

#4 Volcanoes in Greece

For us personally, Greece is one of the most fascinating regions in the world, especially the Aegean Sea as part of the Mediterranean Sea is not only a popular holiday destination, but also the scene of natural forces. Between turquoise-blue sea and enchanting beaches there is a chain of still active volcanoes.

Over a length of 450 km, the Greek volcanic arches (also called the Cycladic fire arc) stretches from the mainland near Methana in the west to the Greek islands of Kos and Nisyros or Bodrum in Turkey in the east. Even though part of it is considered extinct, there is still enough volcanic activity in Greece.

As in other countries of the world (e.g. New Zealand and Indonesia), volcanoes have become the focus of tourist interest in Greece. From picture-book flair to the Volcanic islands of Santorini and Milos to the possibility of descending into an active volcanic crater on the island of Nisyros, the volcanoes of Greece are already attracting crowds of holidaymakers.

Volcanoes of Santorini

Thera Volcano – Last eruption: c. 1520 BC

The Thera volcano was formed 360,000 years ago on the island of Santorini and is the largest volcano in the complex Christiana- Santorini- Columbo- Volcanic Field. 3,500 years ago, it erupted in a huge explosion (Minoan eruption) and was flooded by the sea. Ash and pumice were hurled hundreds of kilometers.

Today, the remaining Santorini Caldera with the islands of Thira (Santorini), Thirasia and Aspronisi (uninhabited) a dream destination for holidaymakers from all over the world. Against this background, scientists have been alarmed for years, because the 60 km long volcanic field around Santorini has the highest activity of all Greek volcanoes.

Paleo Kameni – Last eruption: 726 AD

The volcanic island of Paleo Kameni is only 900 by 200 meters in size and 98 meters high. The barren island is located in the center of the caldera of Santorini, right next to Nea Kameni (nea = new, paleo = old) and was probably formed in several phases from 46 AD. Today, Paleo Kameni with its sulphurous thermal springs is a destination for Santorini tourists.

Nea Kameni – Last eruption: 1950

At 2 km by 2 km, Nea Kameni is larger than the neighboring volcano Paleo Kameni and was probably formed as a sequence of several submarine volcanoes in the 16th and 17th centuries. Again and again there were eruptions with lava flows that made the island grow. Fumaroles on the upper twin crater bear witness to the current activity of this Santorini volcano.

Columbos – Last eruption: 1650

The submarine volcano Koloumbo (also known as Kolumbos) begins about 7 km northeast of Santorini. The entire volcanic chain with more than 24 submarine cones stretches for several kilometers towards the island of Amorgos. The last eruption in 1650 caused devastating damage to Santorini and the neighboring islands. The earthquakes that occurred in early 2025 are associated with the volcano.

Nisyros volcano

last eruption: 1888

The Volcano of Nisyros is located in the eastern Aegean Sea, just a few kilometers south of the famous Greek island of Kos. The volcanic island is a popular destination, with boats crossing from the large neighboring island every day. We were also captivated by the wild nature of Nisyros, we have already visited the island, which is only 49 km² in size, eight times.

The volcano erupted 150,000 years ago, leaving behind a collapsed caldera almost 4 km wide in the interior of the island. The last hydrothermal explosions took place 140 years ago and left behind small craters. On Nisyros, you even have the opportunity to enter the largest crater in the caldera. A unique spectacle, everywhere it smokes and seethes.

In addition, there are some thermal springs around Nisyros and a bizarre landscape that can be explored on countless hiking trails. The surrounding islands such as Strogyli and Gyali are also volcanoes, but have been extinct for thousands of years. Today, pumice stone is mined on a large scale on Gyali.

Milos Volcano

last eruption: about 2nd century AD

The Volcano of Milos is believed to have originated 3 million years ago and has changed over time through several eruptions, the largest 90,000 years ago. It has been quiet for almost 2,000 years, only at the crater Fyriplaka (also called Tsigrado) you can still admire volcanic vapors in the form of fumaroles.

Nevertheless, the island of Milos captivates with its volcanic landscape – red, black, beige and gray shimmer the coastal landscapes of the Cycladic island. The volcanic complex of Milos also includes the islands of Andimilos and Polyegos (both uninhabited) as well as the tranquil islet Kimolos, which is considered an insider tip of Greece among connoisseurs.

Kos Volcano

Last eruption: 160,000 years ago

A part of the popular island Kos is of volcanic origin, even if you don’t see it at first glance. The last major eruption dominated the western part of the island, called Kefalos peninsula. Today, small gas bubbles near the beach at Paradise Beach and the Embros Thermal Baths Kos from the geothermal activity of the extinct volcano.

Sousaki Volcano

Last eruption: 2.5 million years ago

The Sousaki Volcano is located about 7 km east of the Gulf of Corinth. It is considered one of the oldest volcanoes in Greece and still shows light activity, hot vapors rise in many places. The thermal springs of Loutraki, not far from the Corinth Canal, are probably connected to the Sousaki.

Methana Volcano

last eruption: about 3rd century AD

Methana is a small peninsula in the Saronic Gulf, near the islands of Poros and Aegina. The volcanic origin is unmistakable with its lava domes and colorful rocks, and the activity is evident in the form of hot thermal springs that have been used for therapeutic purposes for centuries.

#5 Earthquakes and holidays: How safe is Greece?

On a holiday in Greece, as in many countries in Europe, you can be confronted with the forces of nature in the form of earthquakes. In neighboring Turkey, the Anatolian, Eurasian and Arabian plates meet, which leads to frequent and sometimes strong earthquakes on the Turkish coast and in Istanbul, among other places.

In southern Italy, there are several earthquakes every year, and the Eurasian and African plates also interact here. Calabria and the island of Sicily as well as the Aeolian Islands are affected. In the summer of 2024, there was an eruption of Mount Etna, in which ash was ejected into the atmosphere. Catania airport was temporarily closed. Since February 2025, Mount Etna has been active again and lava flows down the slope.

The Canary Islands with their islands such as Tenerife, El Hierro and La Palma are also affected by earthquakes caused by volcanic activity (including rising magma). The last major volcanic eruption on La Palma in 2021 caused earthquakes that lasted for weeks. In addition, lava poured over large parts of the island, and numerous houses were destroyed.

Why Greece is safe despite earthquake risk

Greece is as safe at all times as any other country where earthquakes can occur. If you are very anxious, you should avoid all earthquake areas in the world and thus also large parts of the Mediterranean region. In many holiday regions, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions can occur unexpectedly. Early warning systems now enable timely warning.

However, the probability of other “accidents” or “attacks” is probably much higher than the natural disasters mentioned. In the end, however, nature has its own rules. Nevertheless, Greece has a very good network of seismological measuring stations installed by the University of Athens throughout the country.

The experiences of the last centuries in their own country, but also with neighbors such as Turkey, have trained the Greeks in dealing with earthquakes. The example of Santorini in 2025 shows that local authorities, the government and international experts are working flat out on solutions to keep the damage to the population and infrastructure as low as possible.

Rules of conduct in the event of earthquakes

If your destination is in an acutely earthquake-prone area and the holiday has not yet started, it makes sense to follow the recommendations of the Federal Foreign Office or contact the tour operator.

If you are on the ground and the earthquake is imminent for a longer period of time and the seismic activity is constantly increasing, it is advisable to leave the island or region and move to safe areas if possible.

In the event of a sudden earthquake in Greece, the Greek Civil Protection Authority automatically informs all persons in the endangered area by SMS. It’s also helpful to know the right behaviors depending on where exactly you are:

1. Indoors(e.g. hotel, apartment, supermarket, museum)

• Keep calm and don’t panic.
• Don’t run outside – falling debris or glass can be more dangerous than the quake itself.
• Seek shelter under sturdy furniture such as a solid table to protect yourself from falling objects.
• Keep away from windows, mirrors, shelves, cabinets, and loose items that could fall over or break.
• If there is no piece of furniture, kneel with your back to the inner wall, protect your head with your arms and wait.
• Do not use elevators as they could get stuck.
• Don’t panic when sprinklers or fire alarms go off – that’s normal.
• After the quake, leave the building calmly via the stairwell.

2. Outdoor (street, park, open space)

• Keep away from buildings, trees, power lines and bridges, as falling debris or falling objects can be dangerous.
• Stay in open areas until the quake is over.
• Watch out for rockfall and landslides.
• Moving away from cliffs, slopes and loose rocks.
• If in a dense urban area, seek shelter under a stable structure or move away from tall buildings as much as possible.

3. At or near the sea (tsunami danger!)

• Flee immediately to higher areas if the earthquake was strong or lasted a long time.
• Do not look at the sea or stay on the shore, as a tsunami wave often only comes after minutes or hours.
• Heed official warnings and only go back to the water after the all-clear has been given.

4. In the car

• Drive slowly to the side of the road, but do not stop on bridges, overpasses, under trees or in tunnels.
• Stay in the car until the quake is over.
• After the quake, continue to drive carefully, as roads may be damaged or blocked.

Personal experiences with earthquakes in Greece

In all the years that we have been traveling in Greece, we have only experienced four earthquakes. We felt our first quake in July 2017 on the island of Leros. Since the epicenter was several kilometers away from us near the island of Kos (M 6.6), we woke up during the night and could only notice a slight tremor.

Kos was followed by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in August of the same year, which was short, but still forced us to support ourselves against the walls in the apartment. After this experience, we dealt intensively with Greece and its forces of nature and an earthquake app (e.g. Last Quake) has been installed on our smartphones.

In 2023, we experienced on the island of Trizonia in the Gulf of Corinth a small earthquake (M 3.8) and in 2024 on Halkidiki an earthquake of magnitude 4.6. Only we noticed the earthquake, our friends didn’t even register it as such. We would like to recommend that you, as a holidaymaker in Greece, take a close look at the topic.

Our minds can only mature and make the right decisions if we are sufficiently informed. Ultimately, knowledge is also power over oneself and at the same time gives a feeling of security in order to assess things correctly, to perceive nature better and to keep track of things even in unpredictable situations.

When you realize that you are living on a sphere that floats in the middle of the infinite universe, the interior of which is scorching hot and covered by a thin, fragile crust, you are seized with awe for the creation of nature.

→ More Tips for the Greek Islands can be found here:

• Greek Islands (Overview of all island groups)
• Popular Greek Islands
• Which Greek island is right for me?
• Island hopping Greece

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