Santorini in february is the last of the closed months and the first with something happening. The weather is the coldest of the year, the island is at its emptiest, rooms cost a quarter of August, and then Apokries arrives and the villages come briefly alive. We are here all winter at Santorini tours, so this is what actually trades and where the carnival falls.
Santorini is undoubtedly one of the most touristic and favorite islands of Greece. Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world flock there, including Greek travelers. Of course, this increased tourist traffic, as is reasonable, raises the prices and often staying in Fira or other parts of the island is prohibitive. Unless you choose to go at a less touristy time of year, such as spring. You will enjoy good weather, fewer people, and much better prices in Santorini Tours in spring 2024.
Santorini in spring 2024
When an island is beautiful, then it is in all seasons of the year and Santorini is not an exception. Spring is an ideal time for those who want to get to know the island in its slightly quieter version, enjoy the caldera without the hundreds of tourists next to them, and enjoy good food in the restaurants that are open all year round. Also, the temperature is ideal for walking around the island and climbing towards the Santorini volcano. With such temperatures, the climb will be much easier.
Santorini is an island with fanatical fans from every corner of the world. The sunset against the background of the caldera, the volcano, the island’s unique energy, and the delicious local products make Santorini special. Who said you can’t fully enjoy all of the above without the heat and crowds of summer? Spring is the perfect time to enjoy Santorini as it is, beautiful in its simplicity.
At this time, the Cycladic white and the deep blue of the caldera blend harmoniously with the wildflowers blooming on the high points of the rocks. If you like hiking, there are many routes on the island to combine walking with the view of the caldera and feel the spring. And if you happen to be on the island at Easter, it is worth seeing the epitaph inland, specifically in the medieval village of Pyrgos. Hundreds of small tin lamps are placed on roofs and streets, but also on the walls of the medieval castle, creating a particularly overwhelming scene.
The famous Fira in spring 2024
On the rocks of the caldera directly opposite the volcano is the famous Fira, the capital of Santorini. Spring is the right time to get to know Fira without having to include other tourists in your photos. It is an area with many attractions that are not always easy to see in the summer.
The picturesque winding streets during the summer season are bustling with visitors but at other times they are ideal for carefree strolls and relaxation. The fact that you don’t go in summer doesn’t mean that you don’t have options for food and entertainment there. Throughout the year Fira is alive, as the vast majority of shops remain open. Supermarkets, grocery stores, shops, banks and public services are located around the central square of the city, Theotokopoulos Square. The options in Fira are truly endless: Museums, churches, monuments, galleries, the traditional neighborhoods where the island’s architecture stands out, all are found in abundance.
Below the village, at sea level, is Gialos, the old port of Santorini. At the same time, Firostefani and Kontochori, which used to be separate settlements, today have been integrated into the capital and are its suburbs.
Wine tour in spring 2024 in Santorini
Without the crowds and the huge traffic on the streets, the visitor has the opportunity to make the ultimate wine tourism trip, carrying out the guided tour and at the same time the wine tasting in the best 3 wineries, tasting and discovering the wines of Santorini that are featured in all over the world and have been the ambassador of Greek wines, in many cases. In the period before the large flow of people begins, the visitor can book the wine tour much more easily, without waiting and delays. You can take a Santorini wine tour and enjoy the local wines in the sunset in spring 2024.
Cultural Aspects in Santorini in spring 2024
The visitor has the opportunity, without the crowds that prevail during the summer season, to take a guided tour of two of the cultural “jewels” of the island which are none other than the Prehistoric & Archaeological Museum.
Also, lovers of archeology definitely in the off-season period it is necessary to visit the archaeological site of Akrotiri which is a journey back in time as it makes a tour between buildings and objects trapped under a thick layer of volcanic material that were preserved intact or left their imprint there.
Akrotiri is the most important archaeological discovery of the Eastern Mediterranean and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Santorini, at a distance of about 10 km from Fira.
Stay at Santorini in spring 2024
The off-season holidays in Santorini are consistent with a luxurious stay but unlike the high season, at extremely economical and good prices.
Having a view of the entire caldera from your room at a fairly affordable price, I think is a strong element for organizing one’s trip during such a period.
One of the top destinations in Greece has a charm in spring that if you discover it you will reconsider the way you travel in Greece. A place that you may want to get to know but doesn’t seem easy to do because of the cost, may offer you equally powerful experiences at other times of the year and relatively lower prices than usual.
Read more about Santorini Tours:
- Santorini Sightseeing Private Tour
- Exclusive Shore Santorini Private Tour
- Impressive Caldera Santorini Private Tour
- South Part Santorini Private Tour
- North Part Santorini Private Tour
- Santorini Historical Private Tour
- Santorini Sunset Private Tour
Santorini in February: The Short Answer
February is the last of the closed months and the first with something happening. The weather is the coldest and wettest of the year by a small margin, the island is at its emptiest, prices are at their floor, and then carnival arrives and the villages come briefly alive.
Santorini in february temperature. 11 to 15 degrees by day and 8 to 11 at night, effectively the same as January.
Santorini in february rain. Eight to twelve wet days and 60 to 90 millimetres, in short heavy bursts.
Santorini in february sea temperature. Around 16 degrees, the coldest of the year.
Santorini in february daylight. Sunrise around 7:15 and sunset around 18:00 by the end of the month, noticeably longer than January.
Santorini in february crowds. None. This is the quietest four weeks on the island after January.
What is open. Fira almost entirely, the inland villages properly, Akrotiri and the museums on winter hours, two or three wineries.
What is shut. Almost all of Oia and Imerovigli, every beach business, all the boats and most caldera hotels.
Santorini in february room prices. 40 to 120 euros a night, at the bottom of the annual range.
Flights. One or two a day from Athens and nothing international.
Apokries. Carnival, which usually falls in February or early March and is the only real event of the winter after Epiphany.
The almond blossom. Out by the middle of the month in most years, which is the first visible sign that the island is turning.
Who santorini in february suits. Photographers, walkers, wine travellers, long-stay visitors and repeat guests who want the island at rest.
Who santorini in february does not suit. First-timers, families, honeymooners and anybody expecting a beach.
The one-line answer. Santorini in february is the cheapest month with anything on, and the right choice only if the carnival and the emptiness are what you came for.
The Weather Through the Month
Santorini in february average high. 13 degrees, level with January and the joint coldest month.
Santorini in february average low. 9 to 10 degrees, rarely dropping below 6.
Record cold. Around 2 degrees. Frost is rare and snow is effectively unknown on the island.
Santorini in february sunshine. Five hours a day on average, marginally more than January as the days lengthen.
Rain pattern. Heavy and brief, twenty minutes at a time, and then the light returns low and hard across the caldera.
Santorini in february wind. Winter northerlies and occasional southerlies, strong enough to stop ferries for a day or two. No meltemi at this time of year.
Humidity. Around seventy-five per cent, which makes 12 degrees feel colder on an exposed rim terrace.
Storms. Two or three in the month, usually overnight, and genuinely spectacular seen from a warm room above the caldera.
The light. As good as December and January, and with an extra forty minutes at each end of the day by the 28th.
Cloud. Frequent and dramatic, which does more for photographs of the caldera than a clear sky ever does.
Early February against late February. The same temperatures with an hour more daylight by the end, and the first almond blossom and wild greens on the terraces.
What a week typically looks like. Three bright days, two grey, one or two wet, and one when the wind grounds the boats.
Compared with January. Identical on paper. In practice santorini in february feels like the turn of the season rather than the depth of it.
Compared with March. March is two to three degrees warmer, greener still, and the point where businesses begin reopening.
Apokries: Carnival on the Island
This is the single reason to choose February over January, and it is a good one. Apokries is the Greek carnival, three weeks of it, ending on Clean Monday at the start of Lent. The dates move with Orthodox Easter and usually fall across February and the first days of March.
What carnival in santorini in february actually is. Three successive weekends of eating, costume and village parties, building to a final weekend of parades.
Tsiknopempti. Smoky Thursday, eleven days before Clean Monday, when the whole country grills meat outdoors. Every taverna on the island has a barbecue going and the smell of it fills Fira.
The final weekend. Parades in Fira and in several villages, with floats, costumes and a great many children in fancy dress.
Village celebrations in santorini in february. Emporio, Megalochori, Pyrgos and Karterados each do their own, and these are better than the town parade because they are for residents rather than visitors.
Clean Monday. Kathara Deftera, the start of Lent. Families go out for a picnic of lenten food, fly kites from the hillsides and eat lagana bread, taramasalata and octopus.
Kite flying. The image of the day. Hundreds of kites over the eastern slopes and the beaches, with families out for the afternoon.
What is served. Grilled meat in the run-up, and on Clean Monday the opposite: lagana, halva, olives, pickles, seafood and no meat or dairy at all.
Is it a tourist event. Not remotely. Nobody is putting it on for visitors, which is exactly why it is worth seeing.
Do you need to plan around it. Only to check the dates, which move every year. If the carnival weekend falls in your window, santorini in february becomes a considerably more interesting trip.
Prices during carnival. Barely moved, because it is a domestic celebration rather than a tourist draw.
What Is Open and What Is Shut
Fira, open through santorini in february. Trading normally, with supermarkets, bakeries, butchers, pharmacies, banks, a dozen restaurants and several bars serving the several thousand people who live there.
Oia, mostly shut in santorini in february. Four or five restaurants and a handful of shops. Silent, beautiful, and you will drive out to eat.
Imerovigli and Firostefani. Effectively closed, being almost entirely accommodation.
Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio, Exo Gonia and Vothonas. Properly open. These are the villages to eat in during santorini in february, and the carnival happens in them.
Kamari. Two or three tavernas and a hotel or two, with an empty promenade and an empty beach.
Perissa and Perivolos. Shut until April.
Akrotiri excavation. Open on winter hours, indoors under a roof, and the best wet-day option on the island.
Ancient Thera. Winter hours and often closed when the ridge road is exposed to wind.
The museums in Fira. Open on reduced winter days. Check before driving in.
Wineries in santorini in february. Two or three take walk-ins, and February is pruning season, which is a genuinely interesting time to visit a vineyard.
The cable car. Reduced timetable and suspended in high wind.
Boats in santorini in february. Nothing commercial runs to the volcano or round the caldera until spring.
Car hire in santorini in february. Open, cheap and completely unbooked.
The rim path in santorini in february. Open, free and at its best.
The first reopenings. A handful of Oia and Firostefani properties start trading in the last week of February in some years, aiming at the Easter and spring trade.
What It Costs
Caldera-view room, where open. 70 to 180 euros a night against 300 to 700 in August.
Hotel in Fira without a view. 45 to 100 euros.
Studio or apartment inland. 30 to 70 euros.
Village house with a fireplace. 90 to 220 euros a night, and the fireplace earns its keep.
Monthly rate inland. 500 to 900 euros for a studio, which is why a few remote workers winter here.
Flight from Athens for santorini in february. 40 to 100 euros return, among the cheapest of the year.
Ferry from Piraeus. 38 to 55 euros one way on the conventional boat, which is all that runs.
Car hire. 18 to 32 euros a day, roughly half the summer rate.
Santorini in february taverna dinner for two. 32 to 52 euros, eaten alongside residents.
Coffee. 2.50 to 4 euros, with no caldera-terrace premium because the terraces are closed.
Akrotiri entry. 6 euros on the winter rate rather than 12.
Wine tasting. 20 to 40 euros a head, usually poured by whoever is in the building.
A week of santorini in february for two, everything in. 800 to 1,300 euros excluding flights, level with January and the lowest of the year.
Where the saving is. The room, which falls by seventy to eighty per cent while food falls by about thirty.
What does not get cheaper. Getting here, which costs much the same all year. That is why santorini in february rewards a week rather than a long weekend.
What to Do
Walk the rim from Fira to Oia. Ten kilometres, three to four hours, and you may pass nobody. Twelve degrees and cloud is the ideal temperature for it.
Akrotiri, the best wet day in santorini in february. Warm, dry, indoors and almost empty. A Bronze Age town preserved under volcanic ash with streets, drainage and three-storey houses.
Carnival. Whichever weekend falls in your window, and Tsiknopempti if you can time it.
The wineries at pruning time. The basket vines are cut back to almost nothing in February, which is strange to see and well explained by anybody pouring.
Pyrgos and the kastro. Climb to the top for the whole island below and cloud sitting on Profitis Ilias.
Skaros rock. Half an hour out from Imerovigli onto the old Venetian castle headland. Spectacular in winter light and slippery in the wet.
Profitis Ilias monastery. The island’s highest point at 567 metres, frequently above the cloud.
Vlychada. Wind-carved white pumice cliffs above an empty beach, and better in winter because midday is walkable.
The Prehistoric Thera museum. The Akrotiri frescoes, indoors, in Fira.
Almond blossom in santorini in february. Out by mid-month on the eastern slopes and around Vothonas and Exo Gonia.
Wild greens. Horta on the terraces, which is what half the island is picking in February and what half the tavernas are serving.
Storm watching. A southerly hitting the caldera from behind glass is one of the genuine pleasures of santorini in february.
What you cannot do in santorini in february. Volcano and caldera boats, the hot springs, catamarans, sea kayaking, beach days and most of Oia.
A February Week, Day by Day
Day one. Arrive, collect the hire car, settle in Fira. Walk the rim to Firostefani before dark and eat in town.
Day two. The rim path to Oia in the morning, three to four hours, with the bus back. The best day of the trip and free.
Day three. Akrotiri in the morning under its roof, then the Prehistoric Thera museum in Fira in the afternoon. The wet-weather day, whenever the wet weather arrives.
Day four. The inland villages by car: Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio and Exo Gonia, with lunch in a village square.
Day five. A winery at pruning time, then Vlychada and the pumice cliffs, then the south coast.
Day six. Profitis Ilias for the height, Ancient Thera if the road is open, and Kamari for an empty beach walk.
Day seven. Oia in the morning when it is silent, Ammoudi, and back for a last evening in Fira.
If carnival falls in the week. Drop a day and follow the parade instead, because that is the better use of an afternoon in santorini in february.
What the week costs. Roughly 800 to 1,300 euros for two excluding flights, with the car and the food included.
Practicalities That Differ in Winter
Opening hours. Published winter hours are optimistic. Call before driving anywhere specific.
Sunday. Quieter again. Many village tavernas close and the supermarkets keep short hours.
Cash. More useful than in summer, because some village tavernas take nothing else out of season.
Fuel. Stations near Fira and Kamari only, and shorter hours. Do not drive to Akrotiri on an empty tank.
Pharmacies and the health centre. Open normally and far quieter than in August.
Laundry. One or two places in Fira, and useful on a long stay.
Heating in restaurants. Patio heaters and gas burners rather than indoor heating. A jumper at dinner is normal.
Wi-fi and power. Reliable. Storms occasionally drop the power for an hour.
Walking after dark. The rim path is unlit in places and wet stone is slippery. Take a torch or use your phone.
The one habit worth adopting. Ask at your hotel each morning what is open that day. In santorini in february the answer changes week to week and only the people living here know it.
Who February Suits
Photographers in santorini in february. The strongest case. Low light, heavy cloud, empty villages, longer days than January and nobody in any frame.
Walkers in santorini in february. Twelve to fifteen degrees with cloud is ideal, and the rim path in August is not.
Wine travellers. Pruning season, empty tasting rooms and the people who made the wine with time to talk.
Anybody who wants a Greek festival. Apokries and Clean Monday are the real thing, put on by residents for residents.
Repeat visitors. People who have seen the island working and want it at rest.
Budget travellers in santorini in february. A quarter to a third of the August cost for the same caldera.
Long stays and remote workers. Monthly rates are genuinely cheap and Fira has full-time life.
Writers and artists. As quiet as January with more daylight to work in.
First-time visitors in santorini in february. No. You will miss the boats, the beaches and most of the restaurants.
Families with children. Only for carnival, which children genuinely enjoy. Otherwise no.
Honeymooners in santorini in february. Only if quiet is the point. Most cave suites with plunge pools are closed and unheated water at 12 degrees is decorative.
Groups wanting nightlife. No, except on carnival weekends.
The summary. Santorini in february suits people who want the island rather than the itinerary, with a festival attached if the dates fall right.
Getting There, Staying and Packing
Flights from Athens in santorini in february. One or two a day, forty-five minutes, 40 to 100 euros return. The only air route.
International flights. None. Charters and low-cost routes restart in late March or April.
Ferries from Piraeus. Conventional boats near-daily year-round, seven to eight hours, 38 to 55 euros. High-speed services are withdrawn until spring.
Weather disruption. Northerlies stop the ferries two or three times a month and occasionally ground the Athens flights. Leave a buffer night before an onward flight.
Transfers. Airport or Athinios to any village, 25 to 45 euros, with a calm port because only one boat lands at a time.
Buses. Running all winter on a thin timetable from Fira, with early last services.
Car hire. The right answer. 18 to 32 euros a day, empty roads and free parking everywhere.
Where to stay in santorini in february. Fira for everything being open, Pyrgos or Megalochori for a village with a fireplace, Firostefani for the view if something is trading.
What to check. Heating, hot water, whether the hotel restaurant is open and how many steps there are, because a wet caldera staircase is a serious proposition.
Heating specifically. A heat pump or a fireplace, not a single wall unit. These buildings are designed to stay cool and February exposes it.
What to pack for santorini in february. A real waterproof, layers, shoes with grip, a hat and a jumper for indoors.
What to leave behind. Beach gear, sandals and the outfit meant for the Oia photograph.
Booking window. Two weeks is plenty. Nothing sells out in santorini in february except a handful of rooms on the carnival weekend.
February Against the Other Winter Months
Santorini in february against December. December is a degree warmer, has the Christmas lights and the festive week, and more places stay open into the first half of it. February is quieter and has the carnival instead.
Against January. Effectively the same weather and the same prices. February has an hour more daylight by the end, the almond blossom and Apokries. On that basis santorini in february is the better of the two.
Santorini in february against March. March is two to three degrees warmer, distinctly green, and businesses begin reopening in the second half. March is the better month for a first winter visit.
Against April. April is a different island: wildflowers, most things open, 18 to 21 degrees and the season starting. It is also two to three times the price.
Against November. November is warmer and has more open, because some businesses run to the middle of the month. It has no festival.
The ranking for a winter trip. March first, then February for the carnival, then December for the lights, then January, then November.
What February has that none of the others do. Apokries, Tsiknopempti and kites over the hillsides on Clean Monday.
What it lacks. Everything that involves a boat, a beach or a caldera terrace with a drink on it.
The value case. Ten nights in February costs what three nights in August costs, and the caldera is the same caldera.
Santorini in February: Questions People Ask
Is Santorini worth visiting in February? For a second or third visit, for photographers and walkers and for anyone who wants the carnival, yes. For a first visit or a beach holiday, no.
What is the weather like in santorini in february? 11 to 15 degrees by day, 8 to 11 at night, eight to twelve wet days and about five hours of sun a day.
Is February colder than January? They are effectively level. February has more daylight and the first blossom.
Does it snow? Effectively never. Frost is rare and the record low is around 2 degrees.
Is anything open in santorini in february? Fira almost entirely, the inland villages properly, Akrotiri and the museums on winter hours, and two or three wineries.
What is closed? Almost all of Oia and Imerovigli, every beach business, all boat trips and most caldera hotels.
Can you swim? The sea is around 16 degrees, the coldest of the year. Almost nobody does.
How much does a week cost? Roughly 800 to 1,300 euros for two excluding flights, level with January.
Are there direct international flights? No. One or two a day from Athens plus the year-round ferry from Piraeus.
When is carnival? Apokries runs for three weeks ending on Clean Monday, and the dates move each year with Orthodox Easter. It usually falls in February or early March.
Do I need a car in santorini in february? It is one of the best months to have one, at 18 to 32 euros a day with empty roads.
Is santorini in february better than March? March is warmer, greener and has more open. February is cheaper, emptier and has the carnival.
Planning a February Trip With Us
We are on the island through the winter, which means we know which taverna is trading this week and which village is doing its carnival on which day. That is the whole value of local help in a month like this.
Santorini in february transfers. Airport and Athinios port at a fixed price, re-timed free of charge when a winter ferry moves.
Private island tours. Four, five or eight hours with a driver, which is how to cover the south and the wineries when the buses are thin.
Carnival. We will tell you which village parade is worth the drive and get you there and back.
The rim walk. We drop you at Fira and collect you at Oia, which removes the only awkward part of the best walk on the island.
Winery visits. We call ahead and confirm who is open, because published winter hours are optimistic.
Ask us directly. Send your dates and we will tell you exactly what is trading that week and where the carnival falls, so santorini in february is a plan rather than a gamble.
Every Village and Site on the Island
Any of these can be built into a private day. 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 · 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
Planning and services: Famous sights tour · Private transfers · Transfers to Oia and Finikia · Transfers to other villages · Villages of Santorini · History of Santorini · Tours near you · Languages we guide in · Food and fun tours · Gay friendly tours · Our tour buses · Daily tours · Day tours · FAQ · Gallery · Tour photo gallery · About us · Contact · Blog
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