A Guide to Hiking the Imposing Skaros Rock, Santorini
An unmissable feature of Santorini’s landscape, Skaros Rock is a worthwhile short hike from Imerovigli or as part of your Fira to Oia hike. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.
One of the most striking features of the landscape around Imerovigli is Skaros Rock, a jagged promontory protruding from the Aegean Sea, vaguely reminiscent of Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya.
Once the medieval capital of Santorini, Skaros Rock was fortified in the 13th century by the Byzantine Empire. The settlement grew to become the island's most important and protected village, providing protection to its villagers from marauding pirates that terrorised the seas here for over 600 years.
Eventually, Skaros' undoing would be the volcano that shaped the whole of Santorini; eruptions in the 17th century crumbled parts of the town into the ocean, and destructive earthquakes in the 18th century caused most of the residents to abandon it entirely.
What's left of this powerful fortress today is fairly insignificant; a few foundations scattered about that certainly don't represent its legend of it never having been conquered.
That’s not to say that visiting Skaros Rock itself isn’t worth your time though. The hike is still one of the best things to do on Santorini for the equally breathtaking and slightly dizzying views of the Caldera alone.
Whether you're looking for a unique perspective on the island or simply a way to burn off all that extra Tzatziki you've been indulging in, here’s everything you need to know before you go!
SKAROS ROCK OVERVIEW
Where | Santorini, Cycladic Islands
How to get there | The hike begins in Imerovigli
Hiking time | 45 mins
What to bring | Water (lots), proper shoes, camera
A SHORT GUIDE TO HIKING SKAROS ROCK
WHERE IS SKAROS ROCK?
You'll struggle to miss Skaros Rock; it's an unmissable jagged promontory that soars from the sea in front of the village of Imerovigli, Santorini.
Imerovigli itself is located in between the main tourist hotspots of Fira and Oia. Find it on the map below.
HOW TO GET TO SKAROS ROCK
The Skaros Rock hike is really pretty straightforward, with one way down and back.
The path is clearly marked and begins in Imerovigli, on the stairs that lead down from the Grace Hotel (we can guarantee you'll be staring at their pool enviously as you make the sweaty return journey back up the stairs to Imerovigli!).
Alternatively, if you’re completing the Fira to Oia hike, you can follow the path left from Blue Note Restaurant.
SKAROS ROCK HIKING ROUTE
There are technically two Skaros Rock hiking routes; one that will take you along the side and down to a pretty chapel, and the other that ascends to the 'summit’ of the flat-topped rock.
We should probably point out that the second path is pretty sketchy and isn't really a trail but an unmarked rock scramble/climb, so we opted against it. Especially after watching a small rockslide occur on the right side of the promontory!
About 10 minutes after starting at the Grace Hotel, you'll pass the pretty Agios Georgios (Church of St George) — where you can probably expect to see a few insta-shoots happening in the late afternoons...! — and continue to where the ruins of the Epano Kastro (upper castle) can be found.
Here, the path forks left and right.
We opted for the left, which takes you along the side of the outcrop and then down the hill for probably 15 minutes until you get to the breathtakingly beautiful Chapel of Agios Ioannis Apokefalistheis.
The church terrace looks out over the sparkling Caldera and from here you can see the whole expanse of Santorini from north to south, Oia in the distance, and the island of Thirasia across the water from Santorini.
The chapel itself is closed for entry but is still occasionally used by locals for special ceremonies.
Once you're done snapping photos and taking in the views, simply follow the same trail back along the side of the rock and back up to Imerovigli!
HOW LONG DOES THE SKAROS ROCK HIKE TAKE?
The hike takes about 45 minutes one way from the edge of Imerovigli to the outcrop, but shouldn’t be underestimated; it’s mostly up and down, and absolutely should be avoided in the middle of the day when the heat is searing (we know this because we made this mistake so you don’t have to).
You could also do the Skaros Rock hike as part of your longer Fira to Oia hike (guide coming soon!) - just add another 1-1.5 hours to your total itinerary.
HOW FIT DO YOU NEED TO BE?
We'd recommend a basic-moderate level of fitness for this one. The trail itself isn't that difficult, but it does involve lots of stairs up and down and some pretty searing energy-sapping heat if done in the peak of summer!
WHAT TO TAKE ON YOUR SKAROS ROCK HIKE
At the risk of sounding like your mum, don't attempt this without adequate sun protection.
Santorini's sun is a fireball like nothing else, and it's super easy to crisp up in no time here!
We recommend taking:
Your own water bottle and PLENTY of water | We used our The Grayl filter bottle all through our Greek Islands travels, which also came in super handy when the water quality was in question (the islands have a varying degree of drinkable water).
Hat | You'll thank us when the top of your head survives without getting roasted
Sunscreen | Lather yourself up; the beating sun and reflection off the water guarantees some sunburn if you're not careful!
Sunglasses | The reflection of white-washed buildings and the sea are blinding - don't forget your sunnies to protect those peepers!
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING SKAROS ROCK
THE AREA IS SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE
Do note: Skaros Rock is prone to rockslides (we actually saw one tumble down the right side as we hiked down towards the outcrop), and the area is generally pretty precarious.
This is one place to avoid standing too close to the edge or lingering for too long under cliff sides.
DON’T HIKE SKAROS ROCK AT MIDDAY!
We made the mistake of hiking Skaros Rock smack in the middle of a searing 36c day purely so that you guys don't have to.
There's very little shade on the trail, the surrounding rocks are burning hot and the sun feels as though it's beating down upon you at every turn.
Take it from these two Aussies who nearly met their very sweaty expiration date: do as we say, not as we did, and avoid hiking during the middle hours of the day.
Instead, we'd recommend either going first thing in the morning (sunrise would be magical!) or in the last few hours of the day.
WEAR PROPER SHOES
There are a few hundred steps up and down, and the path can be rocky, a tad unstable, and sometimes slippery if recently hosed down to clear off Donkey poop.
You could accomplish it in thongs/flip flops (and many do) but you'll definitely be more comfortable in proper sneakers.
This is especially true if you're planning to scramble up to the top of the rock (more on that later!).
WHERE TO STAY ON SANTORINI
We’ve written a comprehensive guide on where to stay on Santorini, including our personal recommendations, which you can read here.
We stayed at Remezzo Villas in Imerovigli for the majority of our stay. In our opinion, Imerovigli is by far the best town to stay in on Santorini.
It's the highest of the caldera towns, with sweeping views over the caldera, Skaros Rock, and the endless sea.
It also provides super-easy access for those wishing to take on the Skaros Rock hike!
GREECE PACKING ESSENTIALS
Travelling through Greece comes with a unique set of needs. To help you have a comfortable, happy journey, we recommend bringing the following items with you:
Reusable water bottle | THE BEST INVESTMENT WE’VE EVER MADE! We use the Grayl water purification bottles, which allows us to fill up from any water source, anywhere in the world (including train taps!)
A Tote Bag | The humble tote is a versatile little lifesaver when on the road. They're plastic-free, small, easily foldable, and can pack a surprising amount in! Check out this range of beautifully designed, personalisable totes bags here
Biodegradable Wet Wipes | Keep clean without destroying the planet!
Hand sanitiser | This is not something we’d actually recommend normally, but we now live in Covid times... so this can be a bloody great investment
International travel adapter | You’ll need a European plug to keep your gear going!
Waterproof camera | We used our Go Pro for a few hours every single day to capture all our underwater fun! DEFINITELY BUY ONE OF THESE!
Power bank | Don’t get caught out without power for your devices
Eye mask |For those annoyingly early European sunrises!
Bio-friendly toiletries | Avoid damaging and chemical-heavy products and facial scrubs with microbeads altogether. We recommend Lush solid shampoo, conditioner and bodywash bars, ocean-friendly sunscreen (Stream2Sea), a mooncup is a great investment for “that” week, and Lip balm for the sun
READ | check out our eco-friendly packing guide to travel through Greece consciously and comfortably
TRAVEL INSURANCE | STAY SAFE IN THE GREEK ISLANDS
If you can't afford travel insurance, you really can't afford to travel. As the current global situation has taught many people, things can go wrong anywhere in the world - and insurance is often the only way of mitigating any issues with minimal expense or stress for you.
For all travellers | HeyMondo - COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel + medical insurance, an app with 24-hour medical support, and no out of pocket fees. *Get 5% off your policy by booking through our link here.
For digital nomads | SafetyWing - COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel & medical, and policies can be purchased while already abroad.
Car Insurance | Insurance4CarHire - a great annual car insurance policy
*In normal times, we recommend using World Nomads travel insurance, but unfortunately they're not currently covering COVID-19 related claims right now.
PLANNING A TRIP TO GREECE SOON?
Check out these essential guides, travel tips, and more to help you plan your trip:
SANTORINI ATTRACTIONS | The best of Santorini, Where to stay in Santorini, A curated guide to Oia, Santorini, A short guide to Ammoudi Bay, Our guide to hiking Skaros Rock, How and where to find the best Santorini sunsets
THE BEST OF NAXOS | Top things to do on Naxos, Things to do in Chora Town, A guide to the pretty town of Halki, A guide to Plaka Beach
EXPLORE PAROS | The best things to do on Paros, A guide to Naoussa town, A guide to Lefkes, A short guide to Parikia Paros, Where to stay on Paros
GREECE SAILING | This is what it’s like to sail the Greek Saronic Islands with Medsailors
PHOTOGRAPHY | Love our photography? Wondering what gear we use to get all of our photos around the world? Click here to view our detailed photography gear guide, as well as our top travel photography tips!
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | Responsible travel is important. REALLY IMPORTANT. Learn our top responsible travel tips to help you, your family and your friends travel more consciously around the globe
ECO-FRIENDLY PACKING ESSENTIALS | Don’t leave home without our favourite eco-friendly travel essentials
PLAN YOUR OWN GREEK ISLANDS ADVENTURES HERE
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That, and you're officially a legend.