Santorini, once known as the “Island of the Vampires,” lies in the Aegean Sea about 200 km southeast of mainland Greece. Shaped by a catastrophic volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago, Santorini’s dramatic landscape serves as a backdrop for numerous supernatural legends and paranormal tales.
Santorini was once believed to be the most vampire infested place in the world. The island’s vampire lore centres around the Vrykolakas, a type of Greek vampire that was said to terrorise the living. According to local legends, Vrykolakas could be created through a variety of circumstances. These included babies who were stillborn, people who died without receiving their final rites, those conceived or born on a holy day (considered a great blasphemy), individuals who consumed meat from improperly slaughtered animals, or those who led sinful lives. This wide range of potential origins for vampires contributed to the belief that Santorini was teeming with these undead creatures.
The Vrykolakas of Santorini were not your typical vampires, they were said to engage in a range of mischievous and sometimes bizarre activities. Reported phenomena attributed to these vampires included sitting on sleeping victims’ chests and crushing them, pulling on bedclothes as people slept, consuming food and wine left out in homes, mocking people on their way to church, and even pelting them with stones.
Interestingly, unlike the nocturnal vampires of popular culture, the Vrykolakas were said to be active during daylight hours. However, they were believed to be confined to their coffins from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, providing a brief respite for the island’s inhabitants.
The prevalence of vampire lore on Santorini led to the emergence of a unique profession: vampire hunters. The island’s inhabitants were reputed to be leading experts on vampires and their destruction. People would reportedly capture suspected vampires and bring them to Santorini for the local experts to deal with. These vampire hunters achieved high status in Greek societies, nearly on par with scribes and healers.
Santorini’s reputation as a hub for vampire activity and expertise was documented by various travellers and researchers over the centuries. Montague Summers, who visited the island in 1906-1907, and Paul Lucas in 1705, both contributed to spreading tales of the island’s vampire myths.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Santorini’s vampire history is its use as a quarantine zone for suspected vampires. Bodies were transported to Santorini and other uninhabited islands in the area for burial to prevent the spread of vampirism on the mainland. This practice underscores Santorini’s central role in Greek vampire folklore and gave rise to the Greek proverb “to send vampires to Santorini,” Santorini was already thought to be heavily populated with vampires, so sending more was seen as redundant or unnecessary.
As of February 2025, Santorini and neighbouring Amorgos are under a state of emergency due to unprecedented seismic activity. Over 12,800 earthquakes were recorded in the Santorini-Amorgos zone between February 1-10, with the strongest registering 5.3 magnitude on February 10.
