Where to stay in Santorini

Guide to Santorini

Where to stay: caldera, inland or beach

The caldera rim is a string of villages linked by a path. Fira is the capital and the bus hub, with the most restaurants and the nightlife; it suits those who won't hire a car. A little further north, Firostefani and Imerovigli are quieter and higher up, with the widest views, but almost no nightlife. At the end of the arc Oia has the most photographed lanes and the most people. All along this front the rooms are usually below the road, so the view almost always comes with steps.

Inland, Pyrgos was built around a Venetian kasteli on one of the highest points of the island and sees both seas; Megalochori and Karterados, just south of Fira, are calmer and usually more affordable, with access to the caldera in a few minutes. On the east coast Kamari has a flat seafront promenade and suits families; Perissa and Perivolos continue south with a long black beach. Akrotiri, at the south-western tip, offers a view of the caldera with fewer people, but there you will struggle to get around without a car.

When to go

July and August are the hottest and busiest months: the lanes of Fira fill at midday, when cruise-ship passengers come up from the old port, and in Oia people gather hours before sunset. June and September give warm sea with less pressure; late May and early October are good for walking and sightseeing, although the water is still or already cool. If your accommodation has a pool, ask in these months whether it is heated, because the wind cools it quickly.

From November to March many shops, tavernas and excursions close; Fira remains the village with the most services all year. In winter the island is for walking, views and photography, not for the beach. A special moment is Easter: on Good Friday Pyrgos is lit with thousands of flames along its walls and rooftops, a custom that also draws locals from all over the island. In winter the wind on the caldera rim is often strong and cold, so a windproof jacket is essential.

What to see and do

The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri was buried by the volcanic eruption in the 17th century BC, which is why two-storey buildings, furniture and wall paintings survived; today you walk through it under a modern roof. Finds and wall paintings from there are displayed in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira. Ancient Thera, a city founded by the Dorians in the 9th century BC, spreads over the top of Mesa Vouno, at an altitude of 396 m, between Kamari and Perissa, with an agora, a theatre and sanctuaries.

The caldera path links Fira with Oia in about 10 km, with a detour to the rock of Skaros, where the island's medieval castle once stood. From Pyrgos another path climbs to Profitis Ilias, the island's highest peak (567 m), with an 18th-century monastery and views as far as the neighbouring islands. By boat from the old port you can walk on the crater of Nea Kameni and swim in the warm waters near it; Thirasia, opposite, is for quiet walking.

Santorini's vines were never attacked by phylloxera thanks to the volcanic soil, and the vines are woven low into a basket shape, the "kouloura", to protect them from the wind. At the wineries around Megalochori, Pyrgos and Exo Gonia you can taste assyrtiko and vinsanto, the sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes. For swimming, the black beaches of Kamari and Perissa are the easiest, while at Vlychada the wind has carved the pumice rocks. Access to Red Beach is often restricted because of landslides: respect the signs.

Getting here and getting around

The airport is on the east side, a few minutes from Kamari, with flights from Athens all year round and in summer from abroad too. Ferries dock at Athinios, a port at the foot of the cliff, where traffic becomes chaotic when several sailings arrive together; if you have luggage or children, arrange your transfer in advance. The old port below Fira has no road: you go up by cable car or on the steps. Naxos and the other Cyclades islands are frequently linked by ferry in summer.

All bus routes pass through Fira, so to go from one village to another you usually change there. If you stay on the caldera and buses and walking are enough for you, you can manage without a car; for the wineries, Akrotiri and the beaches of the south, a small car for one or two days gives you freedom. The roads are narrow, busy and often windy, so quad bikes and scooters are not a good idea for those without experience.