Nisyros Volcano | Largest Crater in the World

The island of Nisyros is a volcano itself, belonging in the arc of southern Greece. It is located on the edge of the Aegean arch, along with the Caldera of Kos and the island of Giali. The first underwater eruptions occurred 150.000 years ago, while the main activity occurred 40.000 to 10.000 years ago. Today, hydrothermal explosions are taking place.

Man vs Nature in the Crater of Nisyros Active Volcano - Photo by: ID 67214044 © Aniaannamaria | Dreamstime.com

Nisyros consists of volcanic mountains around a main caldera with 4 km diameter, in which sulfur can be everywhere found. The caldera hosts the largest hydrothermal crater in the world, Stefanos, with a diameter of 300 meters. In total, Nisyros has 5 craters.

Activity of Nisyros Volcano - Photo by: S.Nikolakakos, Nisyros Volcano 6, CC BY-SA 4.0

The last eruption of the volcano took place in 1888 and today there are active fumaroles on the island. Due to volcanic activity, Nisyros has thermal springs with a temperature of 30 to 60 °C, of which the main ones are in Loutra and Palos.

The Caldera of Nisyros Volcano - Photo by: Tatiana Bashinskaya, Kaldera - panoramio, CC BY 3.0

A volcanic structure rises to about 700 meters, giving the highest altitude of the island. The experience of a flight with helicopter over the caldera is definitely worth it.

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