Santorini

The blue-and-white Aegean island, with Oia sunsets, blue-domed churches and cliffside hotels, the world's most photogenic honeymoon island.

Santorini (officially Thira) lies at the southernmost tip of the Cyclades in the southern Aegean, about 230 km from Athens. It is the crescent-shaped rim of a caldera left by the Minoan eruption around 1600 BC. On the west side, caldera cliffs rise as high as 300 m, with white houses and blue-domed churches set into the clifftop, while the east side slopes gently down to black-sand beaches. Main areas of the island: Oia in the northwest is the postcard town for sunsets and blue-domed churches; Fira in the middle is the capital and transport hub, and Fira – Firostefani – Imerovigli form a continuous strip of cliffside hotels along the rim, connected by a clifftop path you can walk all the way to Oia; in the south, Akrotiri has prehistoric ruins and the Red Beach, Pyrgos is a traditional hilltop village, and wineries such as Santo Wines cluster in the center and south; Perissa and Kamari on the southeast coast are black-sand resort areas; and the volcanic island of Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera can be reached by boat. The climate is Mediterranean: May–June and September–October are warm, with swimmable seas, slightly smaller crowds and lower prices, making them the best period; July–August is peak season, scorching (above 33°C), with Oia sunsets overrun, hotel prices doubled, and strong northerly Meltemi winds often disrupting ferries; from November to March most hotels and restaurants close, though April and late October are still pleasant. Getting there: fly 45 minutes from Athens (JTR airport), or take a high-speed ferry 5–8 hours from Piraeus. Public buses on the island radiate from Fira (about 30 minutes to Oia); renting an ATV or small car is the most flexible (mountain roads are narrow and parking is hard, and in peak season outside vehicles are banned from the core of Oia and Fira), and you can also take a taxi (very few, so book ahead). Plan on 2–3 days: Day 1, the Fira – Imerovigli – Oia clifftop hike and sunset; Day 2, Akrotiri ruins, Red Beach, a winery tasting and Perissa black-sand beach; Day 3, a boat trip to the volcano and hot springs. Tips: the cliff towns are all steps, which is awkward with a suitcase, so confirm the location when choosing a hotel; claim a sunset spot in Oia at least 1.5 hours ahead, or watch from Imerovigli or a winery terrace instead; do not step on private rooftops or church domes for photos (fences and fines are now in place locally); don't ride donkeys up and down from the old port (animal welfare controversy); black-sand beaches burn your feet at midday, so wear sandals; prices are the highest in Greece, and tap water is not drinkable.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries