Palia Kameni Santorini – The Hot Springs Guide

Palia Kameni Santorini: The Old Burnt Island

Palia Kameni Santorini is the smaller and older of the two volcanic islets in the middle of the caldera, lying just west of Nea Kameni. It covers about half a square kilometre and rises to roughly a hundred metres, and almost everybody who visits it does so for one reason: the hot springs in the bay of Agios Nikolaos.

Palia Kameni means the old burnt one, against Nea Kameni, the new. That is precisely the relationship – this islet was built by eruptions in antiquity and in the early Roman period, centuries before its neighbour began to grow, and its lava has had long enough to weather into browns and ochres rather than staying black.

Palia Kameni Santorini has no village, no shop and no road. There is a chapel, a shoreline of iron-stained rock, and warm sulphurous water welling up where the boats anchor. Both islets are protected under the Natura 2000 network.

Where it is

In the centre of the caldera, immediately west of Nea Kameni, reached by boat from the old port below Fira, from Athinios or from Ammoudi.

Why go

For the hot springs, the colour of the rock, the chapel of Agios Nikolaos, and the strangeness of swimming inside a volcano.

The Hot Springs at Palia Kameni Santorini

The springs are what the boats come to Palia Kameni Santorini for, and it is worth knowing exactly how it works before you are standing on a deck in a swimsuit.

Where. The bay of Agios Nikolaos, a shallow inlet on the eastern side of the islet, where volcanically heated groundwater seeps out under the shore.

The swim. Boats cannot enter the shallow inlet. They anchor outside it and you swim in – typically thirty to fifty metres of open, cold caldera water before you reach the warm patch. Nobody tells people this in advance and it surprises a lot of them.

The temperature. Warm rather than hot: comfortably above sea temperature near the seeps, cooling quickly as you move away. Do not expect a spa bath.

The colour. Rust orange and ochre, from dissolved iron oxidising as the water reaches the surface. The rock and the seabed are stained the same colour.

The staining. The iron stains fabric. Light-coloured swimwear will come out marked and often stays marked. Wear something dark.

The smell. Sulphur, faint but unmistakable.

Confidence. You need to be a competent swimmer in open water. There is no shallow entry and no standing depth between boat and shore at Palia Kameni Santorini.

What Else Is on Palia Kameni Santorini

The chapel of Agios Nikolaos

A small whitewashed chapel above the bay that gives the inlet its name, dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, which on an islet in the middle of a flooded volcano is entirely logical.

The rock

Older lava than Nea Kameni and visibly weathered: browns, ochres, dull reds and grey, with vegetation clinging on in places, which the newer islet has almost none of.

The solitary life

The islet has had a resident or two over the years – keepers of goats and of the chapel – living without electricity or running water in the middle of the caldera. It is a story every boat captain will tell you and it is genuinely true.

What there is not

No harbour, no path network, no shop, no water and no shade. Landing is limited and most visits to Palia Kameni Santorini are made from the water rather than on foot.

The view

The caldera wall from below: three hundred metres of layered ash and lava with Fira, Firostefani and Imerovigli balanced along the top of it. More on Imerovigli.

The Geology of Palia Kameni Santorini

The setting of Palia Kameni Santorini. The caldera is the flooded hole left when the volcano emptied itself around 1600 BC and the centre of the island collapsed into the sea. Everything since has been the system rebuilding from the floor of that hole.

The first islets. Activity resumed in antiquity, and eruptions in the last centuries BC and the first century AD built the mass that is now Palia Kameni Santorini. Ancient writers recorded islands appearing out of the sea in the caldera, which is exactly what was happening.

Nea Kameni. The second, larger islet began to grow considerably later, from the sixteenth century onward, and was still adding lava in the twentieth. That is why it is black and bare and this one is brown and weathered. More on Nea Kameni.

The springs. Groundwater heated at depth, rising through fractured lava and carrying dissolved iron and sulphur compounds with it. When it meets seawater and air, the iron oxidises and drops out as the ochre stain on the rock.

Still live. The springs are the surface sign of a magma system that is dormant, not extinct, and is monitored continuously.

Protection. Both islets are inside the Natura 2000 network, which is why there is no development on either.

Getting to Palia Kameni Santorini

Palia Kameni Santorini is reached by boat only. There is no other access. Trips run from the old port below Fira, from Athinios and from Ammoudi below Oia.

The standard trip. Almost every excursion pairs the two islets: climb the crater at Nea Kameni first, then anchor at the springs here. Half a day in total.

The longer trip. Volcano, hot springs, Thirasia for lunch and Oia for the sunset – a full day, and the classic caldera cruise. More on Thirasia.

The boats. Large group excursions on a fixed schedule, smaller sailing and catamaran trips, and private charters. The smaller boats reach the springs when the big ones are not there, which matters more than anything else about the experience.

The old port. Reached from Fira by cable car, on foot down the steps, or by donkey. The cable car queue in season is long in both directions.

By private transfer. We will get you to whichever port your boat leaves from, at the hour it leaves. Our private transfers run from anywhere on the island from 40€ per vehicle.

Tell us what you want from the day and we will match the boat to it – a big excursion is cheap and crowded, a small sailing trip costs more and gets to Palia Kameni Santorini when nobody else is in the water.

Practical Notes for Palia Kameni Santorini

Dark swimwear for Palia Kameni Santorini. The single most useful line on this page. The iron in the water stains light fabric permanently.

You must swim. Thirty to fifty metres of open water from the boat, in cold sea, before you reach the warm patch. This is not optional and there is no shallow entry.

Confidence in the water. If you are not comfortable swimming that far off a boat, stay aboard and enjoy the view. Plenty of people do.

It is warm, not hot. Manage expectations. The contrast with the cold caldera water is what makes it feel good.

The smell. Sulphur. Harmless, and it lingers on skin until you shower.

No facilities. No shop, no toilet, no shade on the islet. Everything happens off the boat.

Timing. The middle of the day is when every large excursion is anchored in the bay at once. Early or late is a different experience.

Take. A towel, dark swimwear, water and sun cream. Palia Kameni Santorini has none of it.

When to Visit Palia Kameni Santorini

April and May at Palia Kameni Santorini. Boats start running. The sea is cold, which makes the springs feel better, and the caldera is empty of crowds.

June. The best all-round month – warm air, manageable sea, and the summer fleet not yet at full volume.

July and August. Every excursion in the caldera is here between eleven and three. Take an early or a late boat.

September. The warmest sea of the year and thinning crowds. The best month for the whole volcano and springs trip.

October. Fewer sailings through the month, clear air, and very few people in the water.

November to March. Almost nothing runs, and weather cancellations are common. Palia Kameni Santorini is a summer excursion.

Time of day

The first boat of the day or the last. In between, the bay holds several hundred people at once.

Frequently Asked Questions About Palia Kameni Santorini

What is it? The older and smaller of the two volcanic islets in the Santorini caldera, built by eruptions in antiquity and the early Roman period.

What does the name mean? The old burnt one, as against Nea Kameni, the new burnt one.

Where are the hot springs? In the bay of Agios Nikolaos on the eastern side of the islet.

How hot is the water? Warm rather than hot, and it cools quickly away from the seeps.

Do I have to swim to reach them? Yes. Boats anchor outside the shallow bay and you swim in, typically thirty to fifty metres through cold water.

Will the water stain my swimsuit? Yes, if it is light coloured. The iron stains fabric and often permanently. Wear dark swimwear.

Is it safe? For competent swimmers in open water, yes. If you are not one, stay on the boat.

Can I land on the island? Landing is limited and most visits happen from the water. There is a chapel above the bay.

How do I get there? Only by boat, from the old port below Fira, from Athinios or from Ammoudi.

Is it the same as the volcano? No. The crater walk is on Nea Kameni next door. Most trips do both.

How long does the trip take? Half a day for the volcano and the springs, a full day with Thirasia and Oia.

Is there anything on the island? A chapel, and no shop, water or shade.

Is it worth it? As an experience rather than a spa, yes. Swimming in warm, ochre, sulphurous water inside a volcanic caldera is not something you will do elsewhere.

Is it protected? Yes, under the Natura 2000 network, which is why Palia Kameni Santorini has no development on it at all.

Tours That Include Palia Kameni 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.

Port transfers – to whichever harbour your boat sails from, at the hour it sails, from 40€ per vehicle.

Personalised tour – from 220€, built around a volcano and springs morning with the island by road afterwards.

Full day tour – eight hours from 460€, the whole island.

Historical tour – Akrotiri and Ancient Thera, which explain what this volcano did and what came after. Akrotiri · Ancient Thira.

Every itinerary and all prices are on the santorini tours page.

Is Palia Kameni Santorini Worth It?

If you are expecting thermal baths, no. It is warm water in an open bay, you have to swim to reach it, and it will ruin a white bikini.

If you are willing to take that as it is, then swimming through cold caldera water into a rust-orange warm patch under a chapel on an islet built by Roman-era eruptions, with three hundred metres of volcanic cliff and a row of white villages above you, is one of the few genuinely unusual things you can do on this island.

Take a dark swimsuit, take the first or last boat, and pair it with the crater walk next door.

Send us your dates and we will put you on the right boat from the right port.

Choosing the Right Boat for Palia Kameni Santorini

The single thing that decides whether this is a good morning or a queue is which vessel you are on, and it is worth ten minutes of thought.

The large excursion boats. Cheapest, running to a fixed schedule from the old port. Several hundred people, an hour on the crater at Nea Kameni and half an hour at the springs, usually between eleven and two when every other big boat is doing the same. Good value, no privacy.

Sailing and catamaran trips. Twenty to forty people, a longer day, food and drink included, and they reach the bay at Palia Kameni Santorini at hours the big boats do not. Considerably more expensive and considerably better.

Private charter. Your own schedule, your own stops, and the springs to yourself if you go early. The right answer for a family or a group who want a day rather than an excursion.

The sunset cruises. Volcano, springs, Thirasia and then Oia from the water. A long day and the classic way to see the caldera, though the springs come mid-afternoon when they are busiest.

What to ask before booking. How long at the springs, what time you get there, how many people on board, and whether the crater walk is included or extra.

Tell us what you want and we will point you at the right operator and have you at the right port on time.

The Caldera From the Water

Half the value of a trip to Palia Kameni Santorini is the crossing, because the caldera reads completely differently from sea level.

The wall. Three hundred metres of layered rock, banded in black, red and white, with the villages of Fira, Firostefani and Imerovigli strung along the very top of it. From a terrace you see the view; from the water you see the cliff, and what it means.

Skaros. The rock below Imerovigli that once carried the island’s medieval capital, jutting into the caldera. It makes far more sense from a boat.

The old port. The zig-zag path, the cable car and the donkeys, all visible at once on the cliff face below Fira. More on Fira.

Oia and Ammoudi. The northern tip, with the red cliff dropping to the little harbour below it. More on Oia.

Thirasia. The far wall of the caldera, still inhabited, with Manolas on the cliff edge. More on Thirasia.

Aspronisi. The small white islet at the southwestern gap, the third surviving fragment of the pre-eruption island.

Together they make the shape of the volcano obvious in a way no photograph from a terrace ever does.

Palia Kameni Compared With Nea Kameni

Nea Kameni and Palia Kameni Santorini are five minutes apart and every boat does both, but they are not the same experience.

Nea Kameni. The active volcano. A thirty-minute climb up loose black cinder to a crater rim with fumaroles venting steam and sulphur. Dramatic, hot, and hard work in August. More on Nea Kameni.

Palia Kameni Santorini. The older islet, with the hot springs. Almost nobody walks on it; you swim off the boat into an ochre bay and get out again.

Which is better. The crater is the more impressive thing to have done. The springs are the more enjoyable half hour.

Doing both. Standard on every excursion, and the right order is crater first while you are dry, springs second so you can get on the boat wet.

If you only do one. Take the crater if you are fit and interested in the volcano; take the springs if you would rather swim than climb.

Neither. A legitimate choice. If a hot climb on black rock and a cold swim in stained water both sound unappealing, the caldera cruise is still worth doing for the view of the wall from the water.

A Half Day at Palia Kameni Santorini

How the standard caldera morning actually runs, so you know what you are buying.

Nine o’clock. Down to the old port below Fira – cable car, steps or donkey – and onto the boat. Allow more time than you think for the cable car queue.

Half past nine. The crossing, twenty minutes or so, with the caldera wall on your right the whole way.

Ten. Landing at Nea Kameni. Half an hour uphill to the crater rim, twenty minutes on the top among the fumaroles, half an hour back down.

Half past eleven. Five minutes across to Palia Kameni Santorini. The boat anchors outside the bay of Agios Nikolaos and the swimming starts.

Noon. Thirty to forty minutes in the water – the swim in, the warm patch, the swim back.

One o’clock. Back to the port, or on to Thirasia for lunch if you have taken the longer trip.

What to bring. Dark swimwear, a towel, closed shoes for the crater, water, a hat, sun cream and cash for the landing fee.

Half a day, two islets, one climb and one swim, and it is the only way to see the volcano from anywhere other than a terrace.

A Final Word on Palia Kameni Santorini

Half a square kilometre of weathered lava with a chapel on it, in the middle of a flooded volcano, and the only reason anyone stops is a patch of warm ochre water at the edge of it.

Go on the first boat, wear something dark, and swim in slowly. Palia Kameni Santorini is not a spa and it was never meant to be one.

Send us your dates and we will match you to the right boat from the right port, and get you there on time.

Everywhere We Can Reach From Palia Kameni 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 · Agia Paraskevi

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

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