Santorini: things to do, villages and how to get around

Things to do in Santorini: the short list

Twelve things, roughly from unmissable to nice to have. The first six are what most people come for, and they fit into three days.

1. Watch the sunset over the caldera, from Oia if you plan the timing, from Imerovigli or Pyrgos if you would rather keep your elbows.
2. Walk the rim from Fira to Oia, 10.5 km of cliff path, or just the first hour to Imerovigli.
3. Take a boat into the caldera to climb the volcano and swim at the hot springs, or spend a day on a catamaran.
4. See Akrotiri, a Bronze Age town buried by the eruption and dug out under a roof.
5. Taste the island's wine, grown in vines coiled into baskets on the ground.
6. Wander Oia in the morning, when the blue domes are empty.
7. Climb Skaros Rock from Imerovigli.
8. Walk up to the castle at the top of Pyrgos.
9. Swim off the black sand at Perissa, Perivolos or Kamari.
10. Look down on Red Beach from the viewpoint, without going down to it.
11. Take the cable car down to the Old Port of Fira, and back up.
12. Eat grilled fish at Ammoudi Bay, at the bottom of the steps below Oia.

Santorini tours: volcano boat trips, catamarans and wine tasting

The boat trips and the wineries are the two things on Santorini that are much easier with a tour. The volcano and hot springs cruise is the cheapest way onto the water: a big boat, a hike up the crater of Nea Kameni and a swim at the springs, with no meal. A catamaran costs more and gives you a smaller group, swim stops, food and drinks. The sunset sail ends the day in front of the cliffs, and the other cruise lets you choose between a morning and a sunset departure.

For wine, the small-group tour visits three wineries with a tasting at each, which solves the problem of driving after the third glass. The highlights day puts a tasting and the Oia sunset into one long day, which suits a short stay. The Akrotiri ticket comes with an audio guide, so you can go round the site at your own pace.

See more activities in Santorini

Santorini villages: Oia, Fira, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Pyrgos and Akrotiri

Four of the six villages sit in a line along the caldera rim, joined by a footpath: Fira in the middle, then Firostefani, Imerovigli and, at the northern tip, Oia. Pyrgos is inland on a hill, and Akrotiri is at the end of the southern arm of the island. Our map of Santorini places every one of them.

Oia, the village at the northern tip

Oia is the Santorini of the postcards: white houses stacked down the cliff, the blue domes of its churches, windmills on the ridge and the ruined castle of Agios Nikolaos at the end, where the sunset crowd gathers. It is also the most crowded place on the island. The quiet hours are 8 to 11 in the morning, when the domes are almost empty, and a second lull from 2 to 5 in the afternoon. From about 6 pm in summer, the main lane fills up.

Below the village, a long flight of steps leads down to Ammoudi Bay, a tiny harbour with fish tavernas on the water. Walk down, eat, and take the steps back up slowly. Some of the catamaran trips also leave from here.

Fira, the capital on the cliff

Fira is the island's main town and its transport hub: every bus route starts here, so it is the easiest base without a car. It has the shops, the bars and the busiest evenings, and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, which holds the frescoes and pottery found at Akrotiri. A cable car and a long stepped path link the top of the town to the Old Port, where the boats to the volcano leave from.

The sun sets behind the island of Thirassia from here, a little before the official time, so the view is good but not the full sunset you get in Oia.

Imerovigli and Skaros Rock

Imerovigli sits at the highest point of the rim, which is why it is called the balcony of Santorini. It is mostly hotels cut into the cliff, quieter than Oia and Fira, and for many people it has the best balance of view and crowd for a stay. Below it stands Skaros Rock, where a Venetian castle once stood. The path out to it takes 45 minutes to an hour there and back, with a steep section down and back up, and the top is one of the best free sunset spots on the island.

Firostefani, a 20-minute walk from Fira

Firostefani starts where Fira ends, 20 to 30 minutes on foot along the rim path, and it has the same view with a fraction of the noise. The church with the three bells, one of the most photographed buildings on the island, is on this stretch of the path. It is a good base if you want to walk into Fira for dinner and sleep somewhere quieter, and hotel prices are usually lower than in Fira itself.

Pyrgos, the hill village inland

Pyrgos is the best preserved of the old villages, a tangle of lanes climbing to a Venetian castle at the top, with a view over the whole island, both coasts and the caldera at once. It sees a fraction of Oia's visitors. The monastery of Profitis Ilias is on the summit above it, and the wine village of Megalochori is a short drive away. A car or quad makes it easy to combine the three in an afternoon.

Akrotiri archaeological site: tickets and hours 2026

Akrotiri was a prosperous Bronze Age town that the eruption buried in ash, which kept its houses standing two and three storeys high. You walk through it on raised walkways under a modern roof, so it is a visit you can do even in the midday heat.

Tickets cost €20, €10 reduced, according to the Ministry of Culture's official page in November 2026 (some sites still say €5, which is out of date). From 1 April to 31 October, it opens from 8:00 to 18:00 on most days, later in September and early October, but only 8:30 to 15:30 on Mondays and Thursdays. From 1 November to 31 March it opens 8:30 to 15:30 and is closed on Tuesdays. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. The bus from Fira stops at the site for €2.20.

The village of Akrotiri is a little further on, and the lighthouse at the end of the road, built in 1892, is one of the quiet sunset spots described below.

Fira to Oia hike: distance, time and route

The walk along the caldera rim from Fira to Oia is about 10.5 km and takes 3 to 5 hours. It is the best free thing to do in Santorini and moderate rather than hard, but it is exposed and it has a real climb in the middle. Walk it from Fira to Oia: you end in the nicer village, with the bus home.

• Fira to Firostefani, 20 to 30 minutes. The path starts on the rim near the Atlantis hotel. Short and steep at first, paved, and busy.
• Firostefani to Imerovigli, 30 to 45 minutes. Still paved, with cafés on the way. Imerovigli is the last reliable place for water, food and a toilet.
• Imerovigli to the ridge near Profitis Ilias. The village ends and the path turns to loose volcanic gravel with no shade. Where it splits, the caldera side is the more beautiful and the rougher, the inland side the easier.
• Down to Oia. The last part runs past a few hotels, along a short stretch of road, then climbs again into the village.

Carry 1 to 1.5 litres of water each, a hat and shoes with grip. The best months are May, early June, late September and October. In July and August, start at sunrise or do only the paved first hour to Imerovigli. There is no lighting on the path, so do not set off late in the afternoon to finish at sunset. Buses back from Oia cost €2.20 and are packed after the sunset from June to September, and a taxi from Oia has to be booked ahead.

Santorini sunset without the crowds

The sun sets at about 20:40 at the end of June, just after 19:00 at the end of September and around 17:05 in early December, after the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October. In Oia, the castle end of the village is full by about 18:30 in high season. To get a place there, arrive about two hours early from June to September, 90 minutes in April, May and October, and 45 minutes to an hour the rest of the year. Those are estimates from people who go every evening, not official figures.

The alternatives, all with fewer people:

• Skaros Rock or the rim at Imerovigli. Free, and the sun drops behind Thirassia a little earlier than in Oia.
• Firostefani. Any bench on the rim path, with a drink from a café behind you.
• Pyrgos. From the castle at the top, with the whole island below.
• Akrotiri lighthouse. At the end of the southern arm. The bus stops at the village, not at the lighthouse, so you need a car or quad.
• On a boat. A sunset catamaran watches it from the water, with the cliffs lit up behind you.

The other problem with Oia is getting home. Buses fill up after the sunset, and the island has very few taxis, so book a transfer or stay the night in Oia.

Santorini volcano boat tour and hot springs: what to expect

Nea Kameni and the hot springs of Palea Kameni

The classic volcano trip leaves from the Old Port of Fira, Ammoudi Bay or Vlychada and stops at two islets in the middle of the caldera. On Nea Kameni you walk up to the crater on black lava: the climb is short, but it is hot and has no shade, so take water and proper shoes. At Palea Kameni, the boat anchors 30 to 50 metres from the springs and you swim to them. The water is lukewarm rather than hot, and the iron in it stains, so wear a dark swimsuit.

Catamaran cruises: day or sunset

A catamaran is what most people mean by a Santorini boat trip: about five hours along the caldera and the south coast, with swim stops, a meal and drinks on board, in a smaller group than the volcano boats. The sunset departure is the most popular and books up first in summer. The morning sail is often calmer and less crowded. Some trips include the volcano, many do not, so check the itinerary before you compare prices. The cards above show the current prices.

Santorini wine tasting: wineries and the kouloura vines

Santorini grows its vines low to the ground, coiled into basket shapes called kouloura that protect the grapes from the wind. The main grape is Assyrtiko, a dry white, and the island's sweet wine is Vinsanto. A tasting usually means four to six wines, for about €18 to €45 depending on the winery and the wines poured.

Santo Wines, near Pyrgos, has a terrace on the caldera and is the busiest at sunset: book that slot several weeks ahead in high season. Megalochori, the old wine village nearby, has smaller family wineries such as Gavalas. Many wineries take visitors only by booking, and a tour that drives you between them is the simplest way to visit two or three in an afternoon.

Santorini beaches: Red Beach, Perissa, Perivolos and Kamari

The caldera side is all cliff, so the beaches are on the flat east and south coasts, and they are black volcanic sand and pebbles, which gets very hot by midday. The sea there is usually calm and good for swimming from May to October, at around 23 to 25 °C in September.

Red Beach: closed to swimmers

Red Beach, near Akrotiri, is the beach on every list and the one you should not plan on. It was closed after rockfalls in the earthquakes of February 2025, and the municipality's ban on going down to it was still in place in 2026. Treat it as a viewpoint: the red cliffs are best seen from above, a few minutes from the car park. Some boat trips pass in front of it.

Perissa and Perivolos

A long stretch of black sand on the south coast, with Perissa at one end, Perivolos and Agios Georgios further along, and sunbeds and beach bars all the way. It is relaxed rather than a party beach, and the cheapest place on the island to sleep by the sea. The bus from Fira costs €2.70.

Kamari and Ancient Thera

Kamari, on the east coast, has a long promenade of tavernas behind a black pebble beach and is close to the airport and €2.20 by bus from Fira. The headland of Mesa Vouno separates it from Perissa, and on top of it are the ruins of Ancient Thera, reached by a winding road. The site is closed on Wednesdays in summer and opens only on some days in the off season.

How many days in Santorini, and when to go

Three to four days is right for most people. Two days is the minimum to see Oia, Fira and a sunset without rushing, and it is what most island-hoppers give it. Day three adds a boat trip or the hike, day four Akrotiri, a winery and a beach. If you have a week, split it with another island: Santorini is better as a few nights at the end of a trip than as a whole holiday.

The best months are May, June, September and early October: warm, the sea is swimmable, and the crowds are thinner than in July and August, when it is 27 to 30 °C and the rim is packed. From November to March the island is quiet and cheaper, but many hotels, restaurants and boat trips close, and it is too cold to swim.

Cruise ships and crowds in Santorini

Much of the crowd in Oia and Fira comes off the cruise ships, not from the hotels. Before the limits, the island could see 11,000 to 17,000 cruise visitors on a single day. Santorini now caps cruise passengers at 8,000 a day, and 595 cruise calls were scheduled for 2026, against 728 in 2025. Cruise passengers also pay a landing fee, reported at €20 per person from June to September. Hotel guests and ferry passengers do not pay it.

Ships arrive in the morning and leave before the evening, so the lanes of Fira and Oia are busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon. Plan the villages early or late, and keep the middle of the day for the beach, Akrotiri or a boat.

Getting around Santorini: KTEL buses, quads and car hire

The KTEL buses are cheap and cover the main villages, beaches and sites, but every line starts in Fira, so going from Oia to Perissa means changing there and buying a second ticket. With a base in Fira and no plans beyond the main sights, the bus is enough. For Pyrgos, the lighthouse or several beaches in one day, rent something.

Santorini bus fares and how to pay

Fares as of autumn 2026. There is no day pass and no return ticket, and a night fare 25% higher applies from 00:30 to 05:00. In Fira and Oia you buy tickets from machines that take cards and phones. At the airport and the port you pay on board, and at roadside stops the conductor comes round after the bus leaves. Carry some coins for the small stops. Timetables change through the season, so check them at the Fira bus station rather than trusting a schedule found online.

Renting a quad or ATV in Santorini

Quads are everywhere on Santorini and handy for the lighthouse, Pyrgos and the beaches. Rental shops usually accept a car licence, but visitors from outside the EU should carry an International Driving Permit, which Greek law asks for, and your travel insurance may not cover you on a quad without the right licence. Check both before you sign. The roads are narrow and busy in summer, so wear the helmet.

Car hire in Santorini

A small car is the most comfortable way to see the whole island in a day or two. The roads are fine but narrow, and parking in Fira and Oia is hard in summer: leave the car at the edge of the village and walk in. Taxis are few and best booked ahead, which is one more reason to drive if you are going to watch the sunset away from your hotel.

The Fira cable car and the Old Port

The cable car links the top of Fira to the Old Port, where the volcano boats and the cruise ship tenders land. It cost about €10 one way in 2025, with a charge for luggage, and ran from about 06:30 to 22:00, later on busy cruise days. The alternative is the long stepped path, on foot. Skip the donkeys.

Where to stay in Santorini: caldera or beach

The choice is between a view and a beach. The caldera villages (Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira) have the famous view from your terrace and cost much more. The east and south coasts (Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos) put you on the sand for less, a bus ride from the sunset. Fira is the practical choice without a car, Imerovigli the best mix of view and calm, Oia the one for a special occasion. Our guide to where to stay in Santorini compares each village with hotels at every price.

Getting to Santorini by ferry and plane

Ferries dock at Athinios, a port at the foot of the cliff about 20 minutes by road from Fira. Our Athinios port guide explains the buses and the queue for the road up. From Athens, the Athens to Santorini ferry takes about 5 hours on a fast boat and about 8 on a conventional one. Santorini is also the end of the main ferry line through the Cyclades, so it combines easily with Mykonos, Ios and, to the south, Crete.

The airport is on the east coast, 6 km from Fira, with flights from Athens all year and direct flights from much of Europe in summer. Our Santorini airport guide covers the buses, taxis and transfers. For the other islands on the same line, see our guide to the Cyclades.

Santorini vs Mykonos: which island to choose

Santorini is a view, Mykonos is a night out. Santorini is the island for the caldera, the sunsets, the boat trips, the wine and the hotel terraces. Its beaches are black sand and secondary. Mykonos has the better beaches and the nightlife, and it is expensive all over, where Santorini has cheaper corners on its east coast. If you cannot choose, do both: two or three nights on each, in June or September, with the direct fast ferry between them. Most people do Mykonos first and keep Santorini for the end.