Firá is the capital of Santorini. It is a traditional settlement. Fira is a city of whitewashed houses built on the edge of the 400 m high caldera on the western edge of the semi-circular island of Santorini. The two main museums of interest are the Santorini Archeological Museum, (300 m east of Villa Dakoronia), and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera at the southeast corner of the White Orthodox Cathedral . Access to Fira is mainly by roads on its eastern side, climbing from its port via the Zshaped footpath on foot or on donkeys, or by riding the steep cable car from its lower terminal by the port. The central square of Fira is called Plateia Theotokopoulou, with a bus and taxi station, banks and pharmacies. The narrow paths, lined with all kinds of souvenir shops, jewelry shops, and restaurants linking the upper cable car terminal and the central square, are packed with tourists during the summer seasons. The view from Fira is magnificent, with a nice panoramic view of the 18 km long caldera from southern Cape Akrotiri to northern Cape Ag. Nikolaos, plus the volcanic island Nea Kameni at the center with Thirassia Island in the distant west on
blueAegean water. Big cruise ships can usually be seen anchoring in the small harbor between Nea Kameni and Fira.