Also Known as Nimborios, is the largest village of Santorini. It can be found in a central southern location 12 kilometers from Fira at the foothills of Profitis Ilias Mountain. Emporio is a traditional settlement and one of the five fortified castles in Santorini, the Goulas of Nimporio. In Medieval times, the inhabitants used to build their houses side by side, so that they could protect themselves against the pirates.
There are different theories about the origin of the name Emporio. The prevailing idea is that the name came from ’emporio’ = trade, because the settlement was the center of buying and selling all kinds of merchandise, due to the geographical proximity of the mercantile port of Ancient Elevsina.
Above Emporio one can see the mountain ridge of Gavrilos, where ruins dating to the Byzantine period have been discovered. As you drive to Emporio from Fira, you can spot eight windmills on the right hand side of the road.