Agia Paraskevi Santorini – Quiet East Coast Guide

Agia Paraskevi Santorini: The Quiet Stretch Between Kamari and Monolithos

Agia Paraskevi Santorini lies on the east coast, on the shore between Kamari to the south and Monolithos to the north, a few minutes from the airport and about ten minutes from Fira. It is a small settlement rather than a village in the old sense: houses, a chapel, a handful of hotels and rooms, and a long open beach that almost nobody writes about. Book with Santorini Tours, a licensed local operator.

That anonymity is the whole proposition of Agia Paraskevi Santorini. Kamari, ten minutes down the coast, has the promenade, the cinema, the diving school and several thousand visitors. Agia Paraskevi Santorini has the same sea, the same dark sand, the same view east over the Aegean, and none of the crowd.

It is named for the chapel of Saint Paraskevi, and on 26 July the island keeps her feast here with a proper village festival – the one day of the year the place is full, and the best day to see it.

Where it is

On the east coast between Kamari and Monolithos, five minutes from the airport, ten from Fira, ten from Mesaria and Karterados, twenty from Pyrgos, twenty-five from Oia.

Why go

For a quiet beach with no organisation on it, cheap rooms ten minutes from the capital, the July festival, and a base that puts the whole island inside half an hour.

The Beach at Agia Paraskevi Santorini

The sand at Agia Paraskevi Santorini. Dark grey to black volcanic sand and shingle, the same material that runs the length of this coast into Kamari. It holds heat and burns bare feet from mid-morning in summer.

The water. Clear and deepening fairly quickly, over a bottom of dark sand and stone. Good swimming for confident swimmers; for a shallow entry, Monolithos is five minutes north.

The organisation. Minimal. Some sunbeds and umbrellas in front of the hotels in season, and long stretches with nothing on them at all.

The shade. Little, and what there is belongs to the hotels. Bring an umbrella.

The wind. The east coast takes the meltemi at an angle rather than head-on, so Agia Paraskevi Santorini is usually swimmable, though breezier than the south coast.

The space. The point of the place. Walk a hundred metres in either direction and you will have the beach to yourself, in July, ten minutes from Fira.

Facilities. A few tavernas and hotel bars, and no shops to speak of. Buy what you need in Kamari or Mesaria.

The Festival of Agia Paraskevi

Saint Paraskevi is celebrated on 26 July, and the panigiri here is one of the genuine village festivals left on Santorini.

What happens. A liturgy at the chapel in the evening, then food, wine and music outside it, running late. Tables are set out, the whole neighbourhood comes, and so does half the eastern side of the island.

Who it is for. Everyone. Nothing about it is arranged for visitors and nobody minds visitors being there. Turn up, stand quietly at the back of the service if you go in, and accept the food when it is offered.

What to expect. Long tables, local wine, whatever the volunteers have cooked, and music that is not for a tour group.

What not to do. Photograph the liturgy, or treat it as a spectacle. It is a working religious feast in a small community.

Timing. Evening into the night. If you are staying at Agia Paraskevi Santorini in late July, do not book anything else for the 26th.

Elsewhere on the island. Most villages keep their own saint’s day in the same way – Finikia on 20 October, Mesa Gonia in mid-August at Panagia Episkopi. Finikia · Mesa Gonia.

Staying at Agia Paraskevi Santorini

What you get. A beach at the door, ten minutes from Fira, five from the airport, at prices well below both Kamari and the caldera. Small hotels, studios and apartments rather than resorts.

What you give up. The caldera view, entirely, and any sort of resort life. Agia Paraskevi Santorini faces east over the open Aegean and has almost nothing on its seafront.

The price. Below Kamari for a comparable room, and a fraction of Imerovigli or Oia.

Who it suits. Travellers hiring a car who want a quiet base in the middle of everything; couples who would rather swim than queue; anyone arriving late or leaving early; and people who have done the caldera once already.

Who it does not suit. Anyone wanting nightlife, shops or a promenade – that is Kamari, ten minutes south. Anyone without transport, since bus services on this stretch are thin. And anyone whose trip is built around a caldera view.

Aircraft. The airport is close and the approach passes over this coast. Daytime and seasonal, but ask the hotel which way the room faces before booking.

Alternatives nearby. Kamari for everything, Monolithos for shallow family water, Mesaria and Karterados inland for the cheapest central beds. Kamari · Monolithos · Mesaria.

Getting to Agia Paraskevi Santorini

By car. Five minutes from the airport, ten from Fira, ten from Kamari, ten from Mesaria, twenty-five from Oia. There is parking, free, behind the beach.

By bus. Services on this stretch of the east coast are thinner than the Fira–Kamari and Fira–Perissa routes. Check the timetable, or plan around a car.

On foot from Kamari. Along the coast, around forty minutes, flat the whole way.

On foot from Monolithos. Twenty minutes north along the shore.

By taxi. Possible, though the island’s licensed fleet is very small and effectively fully booked in August.

On a tour. Agia Paraskevi Santorini sits between the airport, Kamari and the inland villages, so it fits into any eastern itinerary. The full day tour and the personalised tour both work this coast.

By transfer. Our private transfers run from the airport and both ports from 40€ per vehicle, with flights and ferries monitored. From the airport this is a five-minute drive.

Eating and Drinking at Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Agia Paraskevi Santorini has a handful of tavernas and hotel kitchens rather than a strip, which keeps the prices honest.

What it costs. Roughly 15€ to 25€ a head with wine, against 45€ and up for the equivalent with a caldera view. Kamari, ten minutes south, sits somewhere in between.

What to order. Fava, the yellow split pea purée with its own protected designation, warm with raw onion and capers. Tomatokeftedes, fritters of the small dense Santorini tomato grown on the plain behind this coast. White aubergine, sweeter than the purple kind. Caper leaves, pickled. Chloro, the fresh goat cheese that never leaves the island.

What to drink. Assyrtiko from the estates ten minutes inland – dry, mineral and high in acid.

When. From nine in the evening.

Where else. Kamari’s promenade for choice, Vothonas and Mesaria inland for village prices, and the fish tavernas at Vlychada on the south coast if you want a drive. Vothonas · Vlychada.

Supplies. There is no supermarket at Agia Paraskevi Santorini. Buy in Kamari or Mesaria.

Agia Paraskevi Compared With the Other East Coast Beaches

Against Kamari. Ten minutes south and a completely different scale – a Blue Flag beach, a traffic-free promenade, an open-air cinema, diving, restaurants at every price and several thousand people. Agia Paraskevi Santorini has the same sea and none of that. More on Kamari.

Against Monolithos. Five minutes north, and the best family beach on the island – shallow water, free shade under tamarisks and a playground. Better with small children; this stretch is quieter. More on Monolithos.

Against Perissa and Perivolos. The big organised black sand beaches on the south coast, twenty minutes away, with beach clubs and seven kilometres of loungers. Perissa · Perivolos.

Against Vourvoulos and Baxedes. The equivalent quiet beaches further north, below Fira and below Oia. Same idea, different ends of the island. Vourvoulos · Baxedes.

Against the caldera villages. No comparison and no competition. Those are the view; this is the sea. Fira · Oia.

When to Visit Agia Paraskevi Santorini

April and May at Agia Paraskevi Santorini. Quiet, pleasant to walk the shore, and the sea cold until the end of May.

June. The best month. Warm water, everything open, and the beach effectively empty.

July. Hot and still quiet, with the festival on the 26th, which is the one day to plan around.

August. Peak everywhere else on the island; here it means a few dozen people rather than a few hundred. Bring shade.

September. The warmest sea of the year with nobody on the sand. The best month at Agia Paraskevi Santorini.

October. Swimmable early in the month, and the light along the east coast at its finest.

November to March. Largely shut, though the chapel and the shore are always there and the walk between Kamari and Monolithos is a good one in winter.

Time of day

Sunrise, if you can manage it – this coast faces east and the sun comes up out of the sea in front of you, which almost nobody on Santorini ever sees. Otherwise early morning for calm water and the last hour of light for the walk.

What Agia Paraskevi Santorini Costs

The beach. Free, and mostly unorganised.

Parking. Free, behind the shore.

Two sunbeds and an umbrella. 12–20€ a day where they are set out in front of the hotels.

Coffee. 2.50–4€.

Taverna dinner. 15–25€ a head with wine, against 45€+ on the caldera.

Hotel, shoulder season. From around 55€ for a studio to 160€ for a small hotel with a pool.

Hotel, August. Higher, but below Kamari and a long way below the rim.

Transfer from the airport. 40€ per vehicle for one or two people, a five-minute drive.

A private tour. From 220€ for the whole vehicle, pickup from Agia Paraskevi Santorini included.

The festival on 26 July. Free, and you will probably be fed.

Day Trips From Agia Paraskevi Santorini

The position is the argument for staying here: the middle of the eastern side, with everything inside half an hour.

Kamari – 10 minutes. The promenade, the shops, the cinema and the diving school. More on Kamari.

Fira – 10 minutes. Museums, the cable car and the caldera path. More on Fira.

Mesaria and Karterados – 10 minutes. The Argyros mansion, the canavas and the gorge houses. Mesaria · Karterados.

Exo Gonia and Mesa Gonia – 15 minutes. Art Space, the Byzantine church and the earthquake ruins. Exo Gonia · Mesa Gonia.

Ancient Thera – 20 minutes. The Hellenistic city on the ridge above Kamari. More on Ancient Thera.

Pyrgos and Megalochori – 20 minutes. The two best inland villages. Pyrgos · Megalochori.

Oia – 25 minutes. The northern tip and the sunset. More on Oia.

From Agia Paraskevi Santorini nothing on the island is a long drive.

Practical Notes for Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Shoes on the sand. Dark volcanic sand burns from mid-morning in summer.

Shade. Bring an umbrella. What exists belongs to the hotels.

Supplies. No supermarket. Buy in Kamari or Mesaria.

Money. Carry cash; the nearest reliable ATMs are in Kamari.

A car. Effectively necessary. Bus services on this stretch are thin.

Aircraft. Daytime and seasonal, and worth one question to the hotel before booking.

Swimming. Deepens fairly quickly, and there is no lifeguard.

Winter. Most of Agia Paraskevi Santorini closes. Check before booking out of season.

Respect. Small settlement, real residents, and a working chapel. Behave accordingly at the festival.

Frequently Asked Questions About Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Where is it? On the east coast between Kamari and Monolithos, five minutes from the airport and ten from Fira.

Is it a village or a beach? Both, loosely – a small modern settlement with hotels and rooms, on a long open beach.

Is there a caldera view? No. Agia Paraskevi Santorini faces east over the open Aegean and gets the sunrise.

Is the beach organised? Barely. Some sunbeds in front of the hotels, and long empty stretches otherwise.

Is the sand black? Dark grey to black volcanic sand and shingle, as along the whole of this coast.

Is the water shallow? It deepens fairly quickly. For a shallow entry go to Monolithos, five minutes north.

Is there shade? Very little. Bring an umbrella.

Is there aircraft noise? Yes, by day in season. The airport is a few minutes away.

What is the festival? The feast of Saint Paraskevi on 26 July, celebrated at the chapel with food, wine and music. It is a genuine village panigiri.

Is it a good base? Yes, if you have a car. It is central, cheap and quiet, with everything on the island inside half an hour.

Are there shops? No supermarket. Kamari and Mesaria are ten minutes away.

Is it crowded? No, even in August.

Can I walk to Kamari? Yes, about forty minutes along the coast, flat the whole way.

Is it open in winter? Mostly not. Check before booking.

Tours That Include Agia Paraskevi Santorini

We are a licensed local operator with guides who live on the island year round. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, pickup is included from anywhere including both ports, and an 80€ deposit confirms the date.

Full day tour – eight hours from 460€, the whole island with a traditional village stop.

Historical tour – Ancient Thera and Akrotiri, the island’s two great archaeological sites.

Wine tour – four and a half hours from 650€, three estates with all tastings included, ten minutes inland.

Food tour – five hours from 556€, producers on the plain behind this coast and a sit-down meal.

Sunset tour – this coast faces east, so we take you across the island for the evening.

Personalised tour – from 220€, built around whatever you actually want to see.

Every itinerary and all prices are on the santorini tours page, and our private transfers cover the airport and both ports from 40€.

Is Agia Paraskevi Santorini Worth It?

As a sight, there is nothing here – a chapel, some houses and a long dark beach. Nobody should drive across the island to look at it.

As a place to stay, it is one of the better-kept secrets on Santorini. Ten minutes from Fira, five from the airport, with a beach you will frequently have to yourself, at prices below Kamari and a long way below the caldera. If you are hiring a car and intend to spend your days driving to things, this is a sensible and very cheap base.

Come in late July for the festival, or in September for the warmest sea of the year and an empty shore.

Send us your dates and party size and we will build the days around wherever you are staying at Agia Paraskevi Santorini.

Walking the East Coast From Agia Paraskevi Santorini

The best free thing to do here is walk the shore, because this coast runs flat and open for several kilometres in both directions.

South to Kamari. About forty minutes along the sand and the coastal edge, ending on the promenade with the cliff of Mesa Vouno rising in front of you. Coffee at the far end and the bus or a taxi back if you cannot face the return.

North to Monolithos. Twenty minutes, ending under the tamarisk trees at the standing rock. This is the better direction with children.

The whole stretch. Monolithos to Kamari through Agia Paraskevi Santorini is a little over an hour on foot, entirely flat, and there is nothing on the island quite like having several kilometres of coastline to yourself in July.

The surface. Dark sand and shingle, firm near the water and heavy going higher up. Shoes in summer, always.

When. Early morning, before the sand heats and while the sea is flattest, or the last hour of light.

Sunrise. The reason to do it early. This coast faces due east and the sun comes up out of the water in front of you, and there is no one else awake to see it.

Who Agia Paraskevi Santorini Is For

Anyone hiring a car. The strongest case. Central position, free parking, cheap rooms and everything on the island within half an hour.

Repeat visitors. People who paid for the caldera view once and would rather spend the money elsewhere.

Swimmers. Open water, clear, and nobody in it.

Early flights and late arrivals. Five minutes from the terminal.

Anyone who wants a village festival. The 26th of July, and it is the real thing.

Walkers. Several flat kilometres of shore in both directions.

Less suited to travellers without transport, since the buses on this stretch are thin; anyone wanting shops, nightlife or a promenade, which is Kamari ten minutes south; families with small children, who are better served by the shallow water at Monolithos; and anyone whose trip is built around the caldera.

Common Mistakes at Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Booking here without a car. The single most common one. The position is the whole value and it needs wheels.

Expecting a resort. There is no strip, no supermarket and no nightlife. That is the trade.

Arriving without shade. There is almost none, and what exists belongs to the hotels.

Walking barefoot at midday. Dark volcanic sand burns from mid-morning.

Not asking about the airport. One question before booking removes the only real drawback.

Missing the 26th of July. If you are staying at Agia Paraskevi Santorini in late July and skip the festival, you have missed the best evening of your trip.

Never walking the coast. Kamari is forty minutes south on the sand and Monolithos twenty minutes north.

Booking out of season without checking. Most of it closes from November to March.

A Final Word on Agia Paraskevi Santorini

There is nothing here, and that is an accurate description rather than a criticism. A chapel, a scatter of houses and small hotels, a few tavernas, and several kilometres of dark open beach that most of the island drives past on the way to somewhere with a promenade.

Ten minutes away is the capital. Five minutes away is the runway. Twenty minutes away are the vineyards, the kastelli at Emporio, the castle at Pyrgos and a Hellenistic city on a ridge. And on the 26th of July there are long tables outside a chapel and somebody will put food in front of you.

If you are hiring a car and you want the island rather than the photograph, Agia Paraskevi Santorini is one of the quietest and cheapest places on it to sleep.

Send us your dates and party size and we will build the days around it. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, pickup is included from your door, and an 80€ deposit holds any date.

Agia Paraskevi Santorini Month by Month

January and February. Closed. A few residents, the chapel, and an empty shore worth walking on a clear day.

March. The first hotels begin to reopen. Cold sea, good light.

April. Open but quiet, and pleasant for the coastal walk between Kamari and Monolithos.

May. The sea becomes swimmable at the end of the month, and the whole coast is yours.

June. The best all-round month at Agia Paraskevi Santorini. Warm water, everything open, nobody on the sand.

July. Hot, still quiet, and the festival on the 26th.

August. Peak on the rest of the island; here it means a handful of people rather than a crowd. Bring shade and expect aircraft by day.

September. The warmest sea of the year and an empty shore. For most people the best month.

October. Swimmable in the first half, and the businesses close through it.

November and December. Shutting down. Check before booking anything.

Photographing Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Sunrise over the sea. The reason to be here with a camera. This coast faces due east and the sun comes up out of the water in front of the beach, with nobody in the frame.

The empty shore. Several kilometres of dark sand with no umbrellas on it, which is a picture you cannot take at Kamari or Perissa at any hour.

The chapel. White against a plain sky, and the centre of the settlement.

Mesa Vouno to the south. The mountain closes the view down the coast towards Kamari and takes the late light well.

The festival. Long tables, lamps and people, on the evening of 26 July. Photograph the meal, not the liturgy.

Technical. Dark sand fools automatic metering into overexposing. Dial down a stop, and use the first hour of light rather than the middle of the day.

Booking a Tour From Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Pickup is included from any hotel or apartment on this coast at no extra charge and at whatever hour the day needs. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, so a family of four pays what a couple pays, and an 80€ deposit holds the date.

Staying here you are ten minutes from Fira, twenty from the wine villages and twenty-five from Oia, which means a private day out of Agia Paraskevi Santorini wastes almost no time in transit – unlike the same day starting from the far end of the caldera.

Send us your dates, your party size and where you are staying, and you will get a straight answer the same day about what fits, including when the honest answer is that you should take the car and go on your own.

Everywhere We Can Reach From Agia Paraskevi Santorini

Any of these can be built into a private itinerary. Each has its own page with what to see and how long to allow.

Caldera villages: Fira · Firostefani · Imerovigli · Oia · Finikia · Baxedes

Inland villages: Pyrgos · Megalochori · Emporio · Mesaria · Karterados · Vothonas · Vourvoulos · Exo Gonia · Mesa Gonia · Pigadia

Beaches: Perissa · Perivolos · Kamari · Vlychada · Monolithos · Red Beach · White Beach · Agios Georgios

Sites and landmarks: Akrotiri · Ancient Thira · Akrotiri Lighthouse · Nea Kameni · Palia Kameni · Thirasia · Athinios Port

All our tours: All Santorini tours · Full day tour · Sightseeing tour · Personalised tour · North part tour · Horse riding · South part tour · Sunset tour · Shore excursion · Caldera tour · Food experience · Wine tour · Historical tour · Small group tour

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