A Holiday in Santorini: What to See, the Best Colourful Beaches and Sunsets

I’ve been to Santorini twice. Once for a week on a ferry from Athens, once for a day on a Mediterranean cruise. It’s touristy as hell, but I was thrilled both times. The blue roofs on the white houses, the views of the city and surrounding islands, and the volcanic beaches are all really beautiful.

Where to stay in Santorini

The best and most luxurious accommodation with the best views of the caldera is definitely in Oia or Fira. The little white hotels have beautiful seating in the terraces on the cliff for a romantic evening. The accommodation here will be the most expensive anyway.

In Kamari or Perissa, you can stay close to the volcanic beach. Less touristy, with an authentic Greek atmosphere and cheaper to stay in Emporio.

My advice? If you are going to Santorini for the first time or just for a few days, Fira is a great base. Everything is within easy reach, buses go in all directions and that caldera view will get you out of your regular hotel. And don’t forget that prices on Santorini go through the roof in high season (July, August), so if you can go in June or September, you’ll save money and it will be less crowded.

Day trips and experiences in Santorini

Santorini is one of those destinations where it pays to have the most popular activities booked ahead. Cruises and wine tours sell out fast, especially in season.

• Caldera cruise with Greek food and transfer – one of the most popular activities on the island; in season it’s sold out even a week ahead.
• Island bus tour with sunset in Oia – a practical way to see the island’s main spots without a car, with a guaranteed spot for the Oia sunset.
• Wine tasting at 3 wineries with a sommelier – Santorini has unique volcanic wines; without a guide the wineries are harder to reach and you’d mainly miss the context.
• Cruise to the volcano, hot springs and Thirassia – boat capacity is limited and spots go fast in high season.

Caldera of Santorini

Caldera craters are large craters formed after a massive volcanic eruption in which a volcanic mountain partially or completely collapses. The caldera on Santorini was formed after one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, sometime in the 17th century BC. It is partially submerged by the sea and forms a bay surrounded by steep cliffs. This is what gives Santorini its characteristic dramatic appearance.

Several islands surround the caldera – the main island of Santorini and the smaller islands of Thirasia, Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni.

What to see in Santorini

Santorini has a lot to offer. Stunning towns with white houses and blue roofs, spectacular views and sunsets, majestic cliffs, but also beautiful beaches and volcanic landscapes.

Fira

If you come to Santorini by boat, come here. There are two ports. One is the large and main port of Santorini Athinios about 10 kilometers from the city to the south. You come here by ferry from Athens or other islands. There are KTEL buses right at the exit of the harbor that go to the center of Fira and other major destinations on the island. The public transport system here works very well, in addition to taxis or car, scooter and quad bike rentals at the port.

The second port is the Old Port of Fira, just below the town centre, which is up on the cliff. It is quite small, the pier is not built for big ships at all. However, there are large cruise ships moored in front of the harbour a short distance from the shore, and small boats transport tourists from them to the harbour.

From the old harbour you can also take a boat to Oia (the journey takes about 20 minutes) or to the islands of Thirisia and Nea Kameni. The bus from Fira (up town) to Oia runs every hour.

From afar you can see the winding path that leads from the harbour up to the town. Be careful, it doesn’t look like it, but the path takes more than 20 minutes and the rocks are a bit slippery. Plus, the sun has been beating down all afternoon and there’s not a bit of shade, so bring water, it’s quite a struggle even just going down.

There is also a “donkey taxi” on the trail, not really donkeys, but mostly mules. I’d actually feel sorry for them if they had to pull me, and on that incline I don’t think it’s very comfortable for humans either, and probably not substantially faster.

In addition to the trail, there is a cable car leading up from the harbour, which was built here in 1982 due to the growing tourism. It costs 6 euros one way and when there are tourists from cruise ships, there are quite big queues.

Fira is the capital of Santorini. Up in the city there is nothing major, there is the Metropolitan Cathedral (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Theotokos), white with blue domes. The Church of St. John the Theologian is famous for its Byzantine frescoes. There is also the Archaeological Museum of Thera and the Prehistoric Museum of Thera, but the most beautiful thing to see in Fira, apart from the Old Port, is the town itself and its views.

Oia

Oia is the most famous town on Santorini, it’s where all those iconic postcards of white houses with blue roofs come from. In fact, I was surprised myself what marketing will do to my own memory as well, there are few of those blue roofs, the town is mostly white.

People go to Oia for the sunsets, and there are literally queues for them. You can wander the streets between the white houses for hours and have a drink or a good Greek meal in one of the many restaurants overlooking the caldera.

Below Oia is the pretty harbour of Amoundi, from which the town can be reached by climbing 300 steps or by a circuitous road. There are tavernas in the harbour serving mainly seafood. There is also a small beach at the harbour and swimming in the clear water is popular in Ammoundi Bay.

On the main square is the church of Panagia Platsani. On the edge of the caldera cliff is a small church, Ekklisia Agios Georgios.

One of the oldest buildings in Oia is Kastro Castle, or rather its remains. Nowadays, it’s more of a popular viewing platform with views of the caldera, the city and the sunset.

There are also windmills in Oia, as you may know them from many other Greek islands.

The trail from Fira to Oia

One of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Aegean Sea, offering spectacular views of the caldera, leads from Fira to Oia. It works both ways, of course, but it’s better to go from Fira to Oia than the other way around, both because of the better views in that direction (so you don’t have to turn around to see them) and because it’s slightly downhill in that direction. The journey is just under 10 kilometres long and takes just over two hours if you just walk, but believe me, you’ll enjoy it so much that it could easily stretch to twice that.

Along the way you will meet:

• Firostefani – a small town on the road with beautiful views, there is also the much photographed church of Agios Theodori,
• Imerovigli – another village,
• Skaros Rock – a fortress, on a small promontory, to which you can make a detour.

The best beaches in Santorini

Santorini is full of interesting beaches. While the west of the island is rather devoid of traditional beaches and has harbours like Ammoundi Bay and rocky areas, the east has beaches characterised by black volcanic sand and the south has quieter beaches with stunning colours and rocky cliffs, often less accessible, some only by boat.

• Kokkini Paralia (red beach) – one of the most famous beaches on Santorini is near the ancient city and archaeological site of Akrotiri on the southwestern tip of the island and is famous for its fiery red cliffs and dark red sand.
• Kamari Paralia – beach with black volcanic sand.
• Perissa Paralia – beach with black volcanic sand.
• Aspri Paralia – surrounded by high white cliffs and offering a quieter atmosphere, access is possible by boat or on foot from the neighbouring red beach Kokkini Paralia.
• Koloumbos Paralia – a quieter and more secluded beach, north of Oia.
• Monolithos Paralia – sandy beach north of Kamari with shallow waters, good for families with children.

Surrounding islands

The islands in the caldera, which can be seen from Fira or Oia, can be reached from the old port of Fira and from the port of Ammoundi below Oia.

Nea Kameni

A completely new volcanic island formed during a series of volcanic eruptions in 1570 is directly opposite the town of Fira. The last significant volcanic activity on Nea Kameni was in 1950.

At Nea Kameni you can walk on the volcanic terrain and get to the main crater. The path gives you a view not only of the volcanic landscape, but also of Santorini and the surrounding islands.

In the sea near Nea Kameni are the hot springs of Aghios Nikolaos. The water here is warmer than in the surrounding sea, around 30 to 35 degrees, and can be yellow-brown in colour due to the minerals. The easiest way to get to them is on an organised excursion, boats anchor just off the springs and then you can jump in and swim to where the springs rise. The springs are also popular for their supposed therapeutic and relaxing effects.

Thirasia

An inhabited island that is closer to Oia. Normal life works here, there are also accommodation options. The island is not as touristy as Santorini and so offers a more authentic experience. You can visit the main village of Manolas, where there are also tavernas and cafes (and possible accommodation). The ancient ruins of Agia Irini are also nearby.

Thirasia has wonderful walking routes that pass through traditional villages, with views of Santorini and the Aegean Sea.

Palea Kameni

From Fira you can’t see the island much, because it is hidden behind Nea Kameni, it is much smaller. The island was formed as a result of volcanic eruptions that took place from ancient times until the Middle Ages, and during the confluent eruptions it gradually formed and expanded. Here, too, you can walk on the volcanic terrain.

What to taste in Santorini

In addition to classic Greek cuisine such as Greek salad, gyros, souvlaki and tzatziki, you can taste traditional specialities typical of Santorini. A very popular dish here is fava, a porridge of yellow peas with onions and olive oil. Tomato patties tomatokeftedes are made with local cherry tomatoes, which are mixed with herbs and then fried. Sweet melitinia cakes made from local mizithra cheese are available here especially at Easter. Santorinio Sfougato is a traditional omelette made with potatoes, tomatoes and herbs and Loukoumades Santorinis are small Greek doughnuts fried in oil.

Santorini also grows a lot of capers, which are part of many salads and other dishes. Thanks to the volcanic soil, Santorini has unique conditions for growing vines. Local varieties such as Assyrtiko are highly prized.

Where is Santorini

Santorini is part of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea, about 200 kilometres southeast of Athens and a little closer to Bodrum in Turkey. About 140 kilometres south of Santorini is Crete. Due to this location, Santorini has very hot summers and mild winters.

How to get to Santorini

Santorini gets more than 3 million tourists a year. Over a third of them are Greeks. There are direct flights from many European cities. In high season, planes land here from Athens up to ten times a day. A few thousand more people come off cruise ships for the day. And others arrive by ferry from Athens or the surrounding islands.

Arrival by airport Santorini

Santorini has its own international airport (JTR). It’s near the town of Kamira, on the east coast in the central part of the island. If you don’t have a direct flight, connecting via Athens with the Greek airline Aegean is usually the most convenient option.

By boat to Santorini

You can reach Santorini by boat from Athens, from the port of Piraeus. Alternatively there’s the port of Rafina, closer to the airport but with less on offer. Ferries and speedboats are run by companies like Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets and Hellenic Seaways. The fastest ferry from Athens to the port of Fira takes about 5 hours. But it depends on the type of boat and the stops along the way. Some routes take 6, 8 or even 13 hours. There are also overnight crossings with the option of a cabin.

You can also take a ferry from the neighbouring Cyclades islands or even from more distant Crete, from where it takes just over 2 hours. Check the connections on ferryhopper.com.

Sightseeing cruise

As one of the most popular Greek islands, Santorini is a common stop on Mediterranean cruises. Ships anchor out at sea in front of the port of Fira. The port is small, so smaller boats shuttle tourists from the big ships to shore. In a day’s visit you can catch Oia, Fira and a bit of beach.