The Best Things to Do in Santorini: An Honest Guide for First Timers
Santorini is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which means the pressure is on to do it right the first time. We spent five days here, watched sunset from Pyrgos instead of Oia, based ourselves in Imerovigli instead of Fira and found the best meal of our two-month Greek islands trip in a village most visitors never find.
Here's everything worth doing, and what to skip.
Our first glimpse of Santorini came from the deck of a Blue Star ferry as it lurched toward Athinios port, sheer red cliffs rising hundreds of metres from the water, sugar-cube villages perched along the ridgeline, the whole thing looking exactly like the photographs and somehow more dramatic in person.
Five days later, we left with a complicated relationship with the place.
Straight up, Santorini is extraordinary. The caldera views, the volcanic landscape, the sunsets, the villages hidden in the interior, the wine, the food, the sailing trip across the water, all of it deserves the reputation.
But Santorini is also the most crowded place we visited in Greece, and the crowds change the experience in ways worth knowing about before you go.
Oia at sunset is incredible, but it’s also genuinely packed. Fira, where we made the mistake of staying briefly, is tourist infrastructure all the way down, without much of the soul that makes the rest of the island worth visiting. The traffic jams are no joke, and the prices are sky-high by Greek island standards.
So if you want our honest take: Santorini is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for most people, and once is probably enough. Which means the pressure is on to do it right the first time.
This guide is built around that idea. Where to base yourself, what's actually worth the effort, what to skip and how to get the best version of the island rather than the most photographed one.
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SANTORINI AT A GLANCE
DON'T MISS | Sunset from Pyrgos Kastelli, Exploring Oia, sailing the caldera, Megalochori & Pyrgos, Ammoudi Bay, wine tasting, Akrotiri
BEST FOR FIRST-TIMERS | Imerovigli as a base, Oia at sunrise, Pyrgos at sunset, Megalochori during the day, one sailing trip
WHAT TO SKIP | Fira is too touristy, too crowded, very little soul
BEST FOOD EXPERIENCES | Metaxi Mas in Exo Gonia (the best meal on the island),Domaine Siligas restaurant terrace
HOW LONG | Three days is the minimum to cover the essentials without rushing. Five at most
WHEN TO VISIT | Late April to June or September to October.
GETTING AROUND | ATV or scooter are the most affordable and flexible option. Local buses are available but crowded
WHERE TO STAY | Remezzo Villas (where we stayed, Imerovigli), Kapari Natural Resort (luxury, Imerovigli), Canaves Oia Suites (Oia, exceptional)
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO SANTORINI
WHY VISIT SANTORINI?
It’s a pretty simple reason… because there is nowhere else quite like it.
The caldera, the villages perched on the clifftops, the volcanic landscape, the incredible sunsets, and the history; Santorini has earned its reputation completely.
But the moments that stayed with us were from the quieter corners of the Island, and we believe this is where you will get the most out of your visit.
Watching the island roll out from the Pyrgos Kastelli ruins at sunset. Sitting on the terrace at Domaine Siligas with a glass of Assyrtiko. Lunch at Ammoudi Bay, grilled octopus and a glass of wine, enjoyed at a table practically in the sea. Wandering Megalochori in the middle of the afternoon, with the ancient village entirely to yourself.
These are the moments that make Santorini feel memorable rather than just visually spectacular.
The crowds exist because the island is worth visiting, so you need to go in knowing what you're getting into. However, you can avoid them - Santorini in the shoulder months, between late April and June or September to October, is less busy and considerably better experience. More on that below.
Our advice: Go once. Go properly. And visit during the shoulder season if you can.
HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED IN SANTORINI?
THREE DAYS is the minimum for a first visit, and probably where most travellers sit.
It’s enough to cover the Oia, the Fira to Oia walk, a caldera sailing trip, a winery visit, one inland village and a proper sunset from your hotel pool. You'll leave satisfied but aware you've moved quickly.
FIVE DAYS is ideal, if you can afford it, and time allows.
You can slow down, do the sailing trip properly, visit Akrotiri, spend an afternoon in Megalochori and Pyrgos, find the best restaurants without rushing and actually enjoy the hotel you've paid good money for. That's the version of Santorini we'd recommend.
A WEEK works if you're a slow traveller who's happy to sit by the pool with a glass of Assyrtiko and watch the caldera change colour through the day. But you’ll need a bucketload of cash.
WHEN TO VISIT SANTORINI?
LATE APRIL AND MAY | The island is green, the crowds are manageable, prices are noticeably lower, and you can get into restaurants without a reservation made three weeks in advance. Our pick for shoulder season.
JUNE | the sweet spot between shoulder season and peak. Still manageable, warm enough for the caldera sailing trip to be at its best, the sunsets are extraordinary.
JULY AND AUGUST | peak season. The island is at maximum capacity, every sunset spot is packed, accommodation prices are at their highest, and the traffic is genuinely bad. Still worth visiting if this is your only window — just book everything well in advance and adjust expectations accordingly.
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER | the other shoulder season sweet spot. The summer crowds thin from mid-September, the sea is at its warmest, and the light in autumn is exceptional. October is quieter still, but some restaurants and hotels start closing at the end of the month.
HOW TO GET TO SANTORINI
BY FERRY | The most atmospheric arrival and the one we'd recommend. All ferries dock at Athinios Port, which is small, crowded and not walkable to anywhere useful. Pre-arrange a hotel transfer or taxi before you arrive, or take the bus into town.
Two operators run the route from Piraeus: Blue Star Ferries on conventional vessels (6-9 hours, more comfortable, open decks, from around €47) and SeaJets on high-speed catamarans (5-6 hours, more expensive, no outside deck). Our recommendation is Blue Star — the extra time is worth it for the space and the deck experience. Book well in advance for July and August.
BY FLIGHT | Direct domestic flights from Athens take 45 minutes. Olympic Air and Sky Express both operate the route. Flights start from around €60 in shoulder season and climb significantly in peak summer. The airport is 5km from Fira.
FROM OTHER ISLANDS | Santorini is well connected to Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Ios by ferry. Island hopping to Santorini as a final or early stop is the most popular Cyclades route. Book via FerryHopper.
READ MORE | Our complete Athens to Santorini guide covers every option, price and tip in full
GETTING AROUND SANTORINI
ATV OR SCOOTER | Our strong recommendation and the best way to get around the island.
An ATV gives you access to every part of the island on your own schedule without the cost of a car rental. Hire from any of the rental shops near the main towns, although expect to pay around €25-40 per day, depending on the season.
LOCAL BUSES | cheap and surprisingly efficient, but crowded in peak season. Getting out of Oia by bus on a summer evening after sunset is an experience: long queues, packed vehicles and slow progress. The buses do move efficiently once you're on, but allow extra time.
TAXIS | limited in number and often unavailable at peak times. Don't rely on taxis as your primary transport option, particularly for the post-sunset Oia exodus.
CAR | The traffic jams on Santorini are genuinely bad, particularly around Fira and on the road to Oia in peak season. Forget about it
CABLE CAR | connects the old port of Fira to the town above. A four-minute ride, extremely busy with cruise ship passengers. Worth knowing about for the port arrival if you're coming by ferry to the old port rather than Athinios.
WHERE TO STAY IN SANTORINI
Accommodation on Santorini is one of the most important decisions you'll make before arriving, so choose wisely.
Our strong recommendation is to base yourself in Imerovigli. It's quieter than both Fira and Oia, more affordable than Oia, and the caldera views are identical. We stayed at the affordable Remezzo Villas and would recommend the location to anyone visiting.
On accommodation budgeting, if there is anywhere in the world to spend more on a hotel than you normally would, this is it.
The pool with the caldera view is not a luxury; it's a significant part of the Santorini experience.
WHERE WE STAYED | Remezzo Villas: Family-owned, affordable for Santorini, caldera views, Imerovigli. The owners gave us the best restaurant recommendations on the island
BEST LUXURY | Kapari Natural Resort: Cave suites, infinity pools, clifftop caldera views in Imerovigli. One of the finest hotels on the island
BEST IN OIA | Canaves Oia Suites and Spa: If you want to be in Oia, this is where to stay. Exceptional in every way, priced accordingly
For the full breakdown of every area and every budget, our Where to Stay in Santorini guide covers everything in detail.
THE BEST THINGS TO DO ON SANTORINI
#1 WATCH THE FAMOUS SANTORINI SUNSET
With the caldera facing west, Santorini is perfectly positioned for the kind of sunsets that make you arrange your entire evening plans around that time of day.
Every night, the coloured light shifts across the cliffs and villages, and watching it from anywhere on the caldera ridge is spectacular. The problem is that everyone knows this, and the most famous spots show it.
Oia Castle is the obvious choice, but also the most crowded one. We went once, staked our spot early and stayed put, with beers and crisps as an accompaniment.
The atmosphere is actually quite something, with hundreds of people collectively watching the same moment, the light changing across the blue domes and the cliffs below. We made some friends during that moment that we’re still in touch with today.
So go at least once during your visit. Then consider going back at sunrise the next morning, when the town is empty, and the light is arguably better.
That being said, our favourite sunset on the island wasn't in Oia at all. It was at Pyrgos Kastelli, the medieval ruins at the top of the inland village of Pyrgos, with the whole island spread out below and nobody else around.
Quiet, panoramic and completely unhurried. The version of Santorini we came back from talking about.
Imerovigli is equally good from the caldera path or a hotel terrace, and considerably calmer than Oia. And watching the sun drop behind Oia from the deck of a catamaran on the caldera is something else entirely.
For the full breakdown of every viewpoint on the island, including the ones most visitors miss, our Santorini sunset guide covers everything in detail.
THE DETAILS
RELATED | Where to find the best Santorini Sunset locations
#2 GET LOST IN OIA'S BEAUTIFUL STREETS
The 1956 earthquake that devastated Santorini left Oia in ruins.
What was rebuilt in its place has become one of the most visited places on earth, with whitewashed & colourful buildings cascading down the caldera cliffs, blue domes catching the light, narrow laneways opening onto views that stop you mid-step.
It also produced a place that receives several cruise ships daily at peak season, with most shore excursions heading directly here for those exact views.
On the wrong morning, Oia's narrow lanes become gridlocked with tour groups, the viewpoints are queued, and the heat makes the whole thing thoroughly unenjoyable regardless of how beautiful it is.
We saw both versions and very quickly decided there were far better places on the island to explore.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution: arrive before 9 am. The town before the crowds is a completely different experience - think quiet laneways, soft morning light on the blue domes, and the caldera views to yourself (well, mostly).
For everything worth seeing, doing and eating in Oia, our complete Oia guide covers it all.
PLAN | Our curated guide to Oia, Santorini
#3 EXPLORE SANTORINI'S TRADITIONAL VILLAGES
A few kilometres beyond the caldera, Santorini becomes a different island entirely. The tourist infrastructure thins, the streets narrow and the villages feel like places people actually live in rather than backdrops for photographs.
These were our favourite parts of the island.
MEGALOCHORI
A warren of whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches, quiet laneways and grand mansions built by 17th-century wine merchants wealthy enough to need high walls and solid wooden doors against marauding pirates.
The Vinsanto wine produced here for centuries is still made by the wineries in the surrounding area, with Gavalas and Venetsanos both worth visiting.
We were basically the only tourists in Megalochori during our visit, which, on one of the most overcrowded islands in Greece, felt like a significant discovery.
Here are some of our favourite things to do in Megalochori:
Visit the famous Megalochori Bell Tower
Lose yourself in the quiet streets and secret alleyways
Take an authentic Greek cooking class at Petra Kouzina
Sip Vinsanto wine at a local winery
Enjoy a super creamy, tasty ice cream at Mr Scoop in the main square!
For the full guide on what to see, where to eat, the cooking class at Petra Kouzina and the ice cream at Mr Scoop in the main square, our Megalochori guide covers everything in detail.
PYRGOS
We raced to Pyrgos as the sun started to dip, hoping for a good sunset from Santorini's highest village. What we found was our favourite evening on the island.
On an island where tourism has taken over entire towns and left them feeling hollow, with Fira being the obvious example, medieval Pyrgos feels authentic.
The streets are narrow and winding, all of them weaving upward toward the Kastelli eventually. Built in 1580, the castle ruins sit at the top of the village with the whole of Santorini and the Aegean spreading out below.
We found a quiet corner among the ruins and had it almost entirely to ourselves. The light changed colour as the sun dropped, the villages one by one disappearing into shadow, the sea turning gold. No crowd, no drones, no queue.
If you want the sunset experience that Oia promises but rarely delivers, come to Pyrgos.
Our favourite things to do in Pyrgos:
Wander the pretty, narrow market streets of the old town
Watch the sunset from the Kastelli
Enjoy a meal at Rosemary Restaurant
Sunset drinks at Franco Bar
#4 SAIL THE SEAS WITH SANTORINI SAILING
The caldera views from the clifftop villages are incredible. From the water, looking back up at them, they're something else entirely, and the scale of the cliffs is actually hard to process until you're looking up at them from sea level.
Getting on the water for at least one day is, in our view, non-negotiable on Santorini. A boat trip gives you a completely different version of the island, plus access to swimming spots, hot springs and stretches of coastline impossible to reach any other way.
We spent a day on a shared catamaran - a five-hour trip that took in the Red and White beaches from the water, Akrotiri Lighthouse, the volcanic island of Nea Kameni, sulphuric hot springs well away from the crowded tourist ones, and several swimming stops off the side of the boat.
Lunch on deck was grilled meats, seafood, pasta, and an open bar, all with the caldera walls behind us.
It was, without question, one of the best days we had on the island.
For your own experience on the water, we’ve included our top tour selections below, including the day trip that we took:
SMALL GROUP CATAMARAN | Luxury catamaran with BBQ meal and open bar: the most popular option
SUNSET CRUISE | Catamaran caldera sunset cruise with meal and drinks: the sunset from the water over Oia is something else
TIP | Book a few days ahead in peak season and check the wind forecast — most operators offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Morning trips are generally calmer than afternoon sailings when the meltemi is up.
#5 ENJOY A WINE-TASTING (OR THREE)
Santorini is one of the superstars of the Greek wine industry and is unlike anything produced anywhere else on earth.
Grapes have been grown here for at least three thousand years, with the volcanic soil filled with ash and lava, passing on strong mineral notes and, crucially, protecting the ancient vines from the phylloxera plague that devastated European vineyards in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The harsh extremes of heat, wind and scarce rain produced the distinctive 'kouloura' training method: vines coiled into low basket shapes to protect them from the elements, drawing moisture from sea mists rather than rainfall. The result is a crisp, mineral, intensely aromatic white wine that tastes of the island itself.
The main grape-type is Assyrtiko, and you'll find it at practically every restaurant menu on Santorini, but visiting one of the twenty or so wineries on the island to experience it straight from the source is a different experience entirely.
We visited Domaine Sigalas on the ancient plains near Oia, a smaller and more personal winery than some of the larger names, with a shaded terrace overlooking the vineyard and a food menu worth staying for. The Skioufiktá pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and local cheese was excellent.
Wine tastings and tours here start at €12 per person, with their 2-hour Vineyard, Wine and Gastronomy Tour a worthwhile splurge at €100 per person
Other wineries worth knowing about: Gaia operates out of a beautiful old red and yellow tomato factory by the sea. Santo Wines and Venetsanos Winery both have spectacular caldera-facing settings. Hatzidakis has a more rustic, traditional character.
If you have an ATV, a DIY wine road route is entirely doable, just look for the 'Wine Roads' signs around the island.
If you'd rather leave the driving to someone else and visit several wineries in a single day, two excellent tour options are below:
A Half-day guided wine tasting tour with pickup, or a Half-day tour of 3 wineries with tastings
THE DETAILS
Where | Domaine Sigalas, Baxedes, near Oia
Hours | Daily 10 am to 8 pm (Monday to Friday), 11 am to 8 pm weekends, June to October
Cost | Wine tastings from €12 per person. Vineyard, Wine and Gastronomy Tour (10 wines, seasonal food pairing) €100 per person - advance booking required.
Note | Advance booking is required for all visits. Book online before arriving
BOOK | A Half-day guided wine tasting tour with pickup, or a Half-day tour of 3 wineries with tastings
#6 EXPLORE SANTORINI’S VOLCANIC HISTORY AT AKROTIRI
Santorini's most interesting sight has nothing to do with sunsets or blue domes - it's buried under the southern end of the island, and it predates Oia by about three and a half thousand years.
Akrotiri was a thriving Minoan Bronze Age port town and was one of the most significant trading settlements in the Aegean until the catastrophic eruption of the Thera volcano buried it in ash sometime around 1600 BC.
It was only rediscovered in the 1960s, and the excavations are still ongoing. What's been uncovered is actually incredible: multi-storey buildings with sophisticated drainage systems, frescoes still vivid after millennia, organised street layouts and a window into a civilisation that was, by any measure, quite advanced.
The comparison to Pompeii is inevitable and not entirely off the mark, although Akrotiri predates Pompeii by over a thousand years and the scale is different.
The site is enclosed within a large hangar-like structure, with wooden walkways that let you move above the excavated streets and look down into the ruins below.
We suggest allowing around 90 minutes for a full exploration of the site, and to visit in the morning when it's cooler, as the sheltered structure traps heat in the afternoon.
THE DETAILS
Where | Akrotiri Archaeological Site, Santorini
Hours | Summer (April to October): Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 8 pm. Monday and Thursday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Closed Tuesdays in winter
Cost | €20 per adult
TOURS | If you're looking for a guided tour of Akrotiri, we recommend this guided walking tour with a licensed archaeologist
#7 SWIM (& EAT) IN AMMOUDI BAY
Any Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants fans in the house?
Because half of this travelling duo was more than a little excited to visit Ammoudi Bay and relive the scene where Lena tumbles into the sea and is rescued by a strapping young fisherman. A love story for the ages (and no, it’s not Mark).
In all seriousness, Ammoudi Bay was one of our favourite places on Santorini.
A former fishing village tucked into the red cliffs directly below Oia, the bay is lined with rustic tavernas where the water laps right at the table's edge and the day's octopus hang in the sun to dry.
The atmosphere is completely removed from the tourist infrastructure above - it’s quieter, more local and considerably more beautiful than almost anywhere on the Island.
We suggest taking lunch here at one of the many seaside tavernas. Fresh octopus pulled from the water below the restaurant, fish that arrived as the day's catch rather than from a freezer, a table practically in the sea. Brilliant.
It’s also one of the more accessible swimming spots on the Island. Past the last tavernas, a dirt track leads five to ten minutes further along the cliff to a rocky bay that's popular for swimming and cliff jumping throughout the day. Bring water, sunscreen and a hat.
One note on the donkeys: if you take the stairs down from Oia Castle rather than driving, please don't take the donkey ride back up. The issues around their mistreatment on Santorini are well-documented.
THE DETAILS
Where |Ammoudi Bay (Órmos Ammoúdi), Santorini
Read more | Our complete Ammoudi Bay guide
#8 HIKE FROM FIRA TO OIA
On an island that can feel relentlessly crowded and performative, the Fira to Oia hike is the best antidote available.
Ten kilometres along the spine of the caldera, past whitewashed villages, dramatic clifftop scenery and the never-ending blues of the Aegean below.
Free, manageable for most fitness levels and one of the more memorable ways to experience Santorini, not from a restaurant terrace or a sunset viewpoint, but at walking pace with the whole island spread out around you.
We started from Fira, a town we really detest, and the trail improves as you go, passing through Firostefani and Imerovigli (where we were based, and where the views are outstanding) before the path heads along volcanic black dust and lava toward Oia.
Allow three to four hours without stops, more if you're planning to explore along the way. Skaros Rock is definitely worth the detour. So is stopping for a proper lunch in Imerovigli rather than pushing straight through.
On the practical side of things, we suggest, like everything on the Island, to start early. There's almost no shade on the trail, and the midday summer heat is punishing. Lots of water, a hat and sunscreen are non-negotiable.
The bus back from Oia to Fira costs around €2.10 and runs regularly, so there’s no need to retrace your steps.
We have a full dedicated guide to this hike coming. In the meantime, if you'd prefer a guided version, Santorini Caldera Trail Guided Hike is well-rated and includes hotel pickup and drop-off.
#9 VISIT FIRA, BRIEFLY
Fira is the island's capital and the transport hub for everything else. Buses depart from here, most cruise ship passengers land here, and the cable car connects the old port to the town above. You'll end up passing through Fira regardless of where you're based.
We stayed briefly in Fira early in our trip, and it's the one part of Santorini we'd do differently.
Soulless is the word that comes to mind - fish spas on every corner, pushy souvenir shops, bars serving watered-down cocktails at caldera-view prices that bear no relationship to quality.
The food is average and expensive by Santorini's already elevated standards. The crowds from the cruise ships make the main thoroughfare genuinely unpleasant between 10 am and 3 pm in peak season.
We know plenty of people love Fira. We were not those people.
That said, a few things are worth a brief stop:
The Old Market area has more character than the main strip
The Three Bells of Fira church is worth five minutes
The cable car down to the old port and back is a quick and painless way to understand the caldera geography
The Museum of Prehistoric Thera gets reasonable reviews for those who want more Akrotiri context without the full site visit
Base yourself in Imerovigli or Oia. Visit Fira if you need to.
#10 HIKE SKAROS ROCK
Just below Imerovigli, a jagged promontory juts out from the caldera cliffs into the Aegean, a striking enough to stop you mid-walk on the caldera path the first time you see it.
Skaros Rock was once the capital of Santorini and home to the island's most important medieval castle, a fortress that reportedly never fell to pirates over 600 years of occupation.
An earthquake in the 18th century took care of what the pirates couldn't, and what remains are a few scattered foundations and one of the most exhilarating viewpoints on the island.
The hike from Imerovigli takes around 45 minutes each way - mostly up and down, with sections that can feel precarious near the edge. We hiked it in the middle of the day and can confirm that was a mistake - go early morning or late afternoon.
The trail is well-marked, and you can continue past the main promontory down to the Chapel of Panagia Theoskepasti if you want to extend it.
One practical note: the area is prone to rockslides, and we watched one happen while hiking down. Don't linger under cliff faces and don't stand too close to the edges.
For the full route details, our Skaros Rock hiking guide covers everything.
THE DETAILS
Where | Skaros Rock, Imerovigli
Note | the area is prone to rockslides (we actually saw one as we hiked down to the rock), and the area is generally pretty precarious, so this is one place to avoid standing too close to the edge or lingering for too long under cliff sides.
READ | Our guide to the Skaros Rock hike
#11 VISIT NEA KAMENI AND PALEA KAMENI
Everything about Santorini is shaped by the volcano at the centre of the caldera, and visiting Nea Kameni takes you to the source of all of it.
Nea Kameni, literally "new burnt island", sits in the middle of the caldera and is still active, last erupting in the 1950s. The landscape is completely unlike anything else on the island: barren, black and moon-like, with steam still rising from the crater at the top.
A local told us to expect temperatures around 5 degrees hotter on Nea Kameni than on Santorini itself. They were not wrong. It. Was. Hot. Go prepared, lots of water, a hat and sunscreen are non-negotiable.
The warm mineral waters surrounding the islands are rich in iron and manganese, turning the sea a distinctive orange-brown colour near the hot springs, strange-looking but genuinely therapeutic.
Most boat tours include a swimming stop here before returning to Fira, and if you can handle the smell, it’s well worth testing for yourself.
The experience is completely different from anything else on Santorini and worth half a day of your time, particularly if the history and geology of the island interests you beyond the caldera views.
THE DETAILS
Where | Nea Kameni, Santorini
How to get there | Boats depart regularly from the old port of Fira. Most caldera sailing trips include a Nea Kameni stop — see the sailing section above
TOURS | Either take a charter boat from old Fira port, or jump aboard this day tour of Nea Kameni
#12 SPEND A LITTLE TIME BEACH-HOPPING
Santorini's own locals will tell you the beaches aren't the island's strongest suit, and they're right.
The volcanic sand is black, grey or red, the beaches are often small and crowded, and the best ones require either a boat or some effort to reach. If beaches are your priority, Naxos or Paros will serve you considerably better.
That said, a few are worth knowing about:
RED BEACH
The most photographed beach on the island is named for the dramatic crimson volcanic cliffs that rise above it.
Unfortunately, the cliff path has been the site of major rockfalls in 2018, 2023 and December 2025, with parts of the beach remaining officially restricted as of early 2026.
Barricaded safe zones are marked on the beach, so it goes without saying not to sit under the red cliffs.
We saw the beach from the boat on our sailing trip, which is the safest option and gives a genuinely better view of the cliffs from the water. If you do walk down, stay away from the cliff base.
WHITE BEACH
Accessible by boat or water taxi from the Red Beach parking area only, it features soaring white cliffs above unusually clear blue water. It’s more effort to reach and considerably less crowded as a result, it’s worth combining with the Red Beach boat trip.
PERISSA AND PERIVOLOS
The black sand beach option is probably the easiest.
The two beaches essentially join to form one long volcanic sand stretch with beach bars, tavernas and sunbeds. Family and budget-friendly, and a reasonable option if you want a proper beach day, accessible by direct bus from Fira.
Kamari is the more upscale version of the East Coast, also bus-accessible from Fira.
Our honest take: spend your beach time on the sailing trip or at Ammoudi Bay. Save the proper beach days for another island.
#13 HAVE LUNCH AT METAXI MAS | THE BEST RESTAURANT ON SANTORINI
Book this before you book anything else on Santorini.
Tucked behind the enormous yellow Agios Charalambos church in the small village of Exo Gonia, well off any tourist trail, Metaxi Mas was the best meal we had on Santorini. More than that, it was the best meal we had across two months in the Greek islands.
Family-run, soulful home-style cooking, with a terrace at the top of the hill with sweeping views over the island and the Aegean below.
The cooking draws from both Cretan and Santorinian traditions, and everything arrives tasting as if someone made it specifically for you.
The baked asparagus with Cretan cheese was delicious. The white aubergine baked with tomato and feta is equally so. The grilled Pleurotus mushrooms, the fava, the vegetarian options that actually treat vegetables as the point rather than an afterthought, all of it.
We arrived at 3 pm. Within ten minutes, they were turning people away at the door and over the phone, and this was in the off season, so we reiterate - book ahead.
THE DETAILS
Where |Metaxi Mas, Exo Gonia, Santorini
When | Daily from 2:30 pm - 11:30 pm
14. TAKE AN AUTHENTIC GREEK COOKING CLASS
Petra Kouzina is a cooking class run by George and Paula from a traditional cave house in the heart of the village.
Thick stone walls, a terrace overlooking the rooftops of Megalochori, appetisers and local wine waiting when you arrive - a visit here doesn't feel like a tourist activity, but rather it feels like being invited into someone's home, which is exactly what it is.
Over around four hours, a chef guides you through five traditional Greek dishes from scratch, including tzatziki, tomato fritters, Greek salad, moussaka and more, depending on the session.
George and Paula have their own olive oil made specially for the class, and the recipes come from George's grandmother, so you feel the intangible history as you cook.
Once finished in the kitchen, you eat it together at the table on the terrace, and you leave with a recipe booklet to recreate everything at home.
Understandably, it’s booked out months in advance in peak season. Book as early as you can, particularly for July and August.
#15 BOOK THAT GREAT HOTEL
On Santorini, the accommodation is part of the experience in a way that's true of almost nowhere else.
The caldera view from your terrace at sunrise, the private pool hanging over the clifftop, the breakfast served while the Aegean turns pink below - these aren't luxuries, they're almost the whole point. If there's one place in the world to spend more on a hotel than you normally would, this is it.
We stayed at Remezzo Villas in Imerovigli, a former 1800s vineyard and cellar transformed into a family-run boutique hotel. Whitewashed buildings, rustic converted pastel barns, a pool with a view, and a terrace with 180-degree views over the caldera and the wild volcanic coastline below.
It was 100% worth it, and a place we still dream about to this day.
If the budget extends to something more indulgent, Kapari Natural Resort, also in Imerovigli, is one of the finest hotels on the island. Cave suites, infinity pools, the whole thing.
For those who want to be in Oia specifically, Canaves Oia Suites and Spa is exceptional and priced accordingly.
For the full breakdown of every area and budget, our Where to Stay in Santorini guide covers everything in detail.
THE DETAILS
Where | Remezzo Villas, Imerovigli
TRAVEL INSURANCE | STAY SAFE IN THE GREEK ISLANDS
Honest take: if something goes wrong, a medical emergency, a missed ferry, a scooter accident on a coastal road, travel insurance is the difference between a stressful story and a catastrophic one.
After 10+ years of full-time travel, here's what we use and recommend:
FOR TRAVELLERS | World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travellers and intrepid families. Their policies offer coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
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READ | Our ultimate guide to travel insurance
PLANNING A TRIP TO GREECE SOON?
Check out these essential guides, travel tips, and more to help you plan your trip:
EXPLORE SANTORINI
Santorini Travel Guide — everything you need to know before you visit
Where to Stay in Santorini — every area and budget covered
Oia Guide — what to see, when to go and how to do it right
MORE CYCLADES
Things to Do on Naxos — we spent a month here, and it's our favourite Greek island
PLAN YOUR GREEK SUMMER WITH OUR USEFUL GUIDES
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That, and you're officially a legend.
