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The 4 most common mistakes Santorini travellers do!

the-4-most-common-mistakes-santorini-travellers-do

The 4 most common mistakes Santorini travellers do!

It’s summer and you’ve already planned (Santorini Tours) your vacation. Santorini or any Greek island, you will find somewhere to get away from your everyday life and fill your batteries for the upcoming winter. And you may think everything is ready and planned, but you have to know that there are some things that, if you do not consider it, your vacation may be a nightmare.

What should you do before you start your vacation?

In order to protect yourself, we should list the 4 most common mistakes Santorini travellers do!

1. You should always keep copies of your travel documents

You might want to have a photocopy of your ID, your ticket and your passport somewhere in your suitcase. You never know what can happen. So if you lose or fall victim to theft at least you will make your life easier with the specific copies.

2. You’re loading your schedule

It is understandable that when you travel (especially in Santorini) you want to visit all the sites (SANTORINI SIGHTSEEING PRIVATE TOUR) they have suggested to you and have discovered with a few searches on each of the online platforms. However, travel and holidays are consistent with rest, so loading your schedule without ensuring the required time of relaxation is not the most prudent.

3. You should book private tours for all activities

Get ready for your trip and make sure to book a Santorini private tour for theatres, restaurants and museums in advance. This is one of the biggest mistakes a traveller can do because without good organization you lose a lot of the magic of your vacation and the freedom of movement in the new place you visit. Enjoy the local culture and eliminated any compulsions.

the-4-most-common-mistakes-santorini-travellers-do

4. You do not have the right budget

Correctly calculate both your revenue and the expense you will have for the trip you are planning. Take care of the room that you choose to stay so you can afford to go further to the places you visit and SANTORINI SUNSET PRIVATE TOUR. Make a plan and calculate how much money you can spend each day of your stay.

Do not forget:

With the right preparation you can enjoy your vacation without affecting your budget! You can take a tour of Santorini!

See more about Santorini island:

Santorini Mistakes: The Short Answer

Most of what goes wrong on this island is not bad luck. It is a small set of decisions made before arrival, repeated by almost everybody, and all of them are avoidable. We drive guests here every day and we watch the same things happen every week. These are the santorini mistakes that actually cost people money, time and a good holiday.

The biggest of the santorini mistakes. Booking the caldera rim without asking how many steps there are between the road and the room.

The most expensive santorini mistakes. Eating every meal on a terrace with a view, at three to four times village prices.

The most common santorini mistakes. Going to Oia for sunset with no plan for getting out afterwards.

The most dangerous santorini mistakes. Renting a quad without the right licence, which voids the insurance completely.

The most wasteful santorini mistakes. Hiring a car for seven days and parking it for five of them.

The santorini mistakes that ruin flights. Booking a same-day ferry connection to an international departure.

The santorini mistakes nobody expects. Assuming the island has one port. It has three and they are nowhere near each other.

The santorini mistakes about heat. Walking the caldera path at two in the afternoon in August with no water and no hat.

The santorini mistakes about timing. Visiting Fira on a day when four cruise ships are in, without checking the schedule.

The santorini mistakes about packing. Sandals. This island is stone steps and volcanic grit.

The santorini mistakes about money. Accepting the cash machine’s own currency conversion, which costs three to twelve per cent.

The santorini mistakes about booking. Leaving restaurants, boats and transfers to the day itself in July and August.

The santorini mistakes about expectation. Coming for beaches. Santorini has black sand and a volcano, and Naxos has better beaches.

The one-line answer. Almost every one of these santorini mistakes comes from planning the trip around photographs instead of around the geography.

Booking and Planning Mistakes

Booking too few nights, one of the classic santorini mistakes. Two nights is a cruise call, not a holiday. Four to five is the minimum to see the island without rushing.

Booking too many. Ten nights on Santorini is a long time. Pair it with Naxos, Paros or Syros instead.

Not checking the cruise schedule, one of the costliest santorini mistakes. It is published in advance. Three or four ships turn Fira into gridlock from ten until four.

Arriving and touring on the same day. Ferries run late, flights slip, and Athinios is chaos. Leave the first afternoon empty.

Booking the rim without asking about steps. Many caldera hotels are a hundred or two hundred steps below the road, with no vehicle access at all.

Assuming a caldera view means walkable. It usually means the opposite. The view and the level ground are on different sides of the island.

Not booking transfers, one of the arrival-day santorini mistakes. There are about thirty taxis on the island and they vanish within minutes of a ferry landing.

Leaving restaurants to chance. Ammoudi and the rim need a booking days ahead from June to September.

Booking a boat and a land tour on the same cruise call. It does not fit. One or the other.

Ignoring the wind. The meltemi cancels boats June to September, sometimes for days, and no operator can fix that.

Planning around Instagram. The blue domes are three specific viewpoints in Oia, all crowded from nine in the morning.

Not saying what you actually want. A day booked as a list of stops is worse than a day booked as a sentence about what you enjoy.

Believing the island is small enough to wing it. It is seventy-six square kilometres with one main road and two million visitors.

The planning rule. Most santorini mistakes at this stage are fixed by two questions: how many steps, and what time does everybody else go there.

Arrival and Transport Mistakes

Confusing the ports, the first of the arrival santorini mistakes. Athinios takes ferries. The old port below Fira takes cruise tenders. Ammoudi is for local boats. They are twenty-five minutes and a cliff apart.

Booking a transfer to the wrong one. The single commonest arrival-day error on this island.

Expecting a taxi at Athinios. About thirty exist island-wide. When three ferries land together they are gone in minutes.

Assuming the bus will be there. It meets the main arrivals and fills instantly. It is a plan, not a guarantee.

Renting a quad, one of the legal santorini mistakes. Anything over 50cc legally needs a motorcycle licence, it is enforced, and riding without it voids the insurance entirely.

Not carrying an International Driving Permit. Required for non-EU licences, and asked for exactly when it matters.

Hiring for the week, one of the wasteful santorini mistakes. It will sit in a Fira car park for five of seven days. Hire it for the two days it earns its keep.

Hiring a big car. Village lanes do not care about legroom. Small fits where large does not.

Not photographing the car at pickup. Thirty seconds that prevents almost every deposit dispute.

Not asking the excess, one of the expensive santorini mistakes. Four hundred to a thousand euros, and people discover it after the scrape.

Taking a hire car on a gravel track. Usually excluded from cover, and several beaches are reached that way.

Driving into Oia, one of the daily santorini mistakes. The centre is pedestrian and there is nowhere to park from ten in the morning.

Trusting the navigation app in a village. It will route you down a staircase, and reversing out is the hard part.

Booking a same-day ferry to flight connection. Among the worst santorini mistakes available. Go to Athens the night before.

Where You Stay

Booking Oia first, one of the commonest santorini mistakes. Beautiful, expensive, built on stairs, and twenty-five minutes from the airport and the port.

Booking the rim with luggage, one of the painful santorini mistakes. Some properties have two hundred steps between the road and the door, carried by you or by a porter for a fee.

Booking the rim with small children. Pushchairs are useless in Oia, Imerovigli and Pyrgos.

Booking the rim with limited mobility. The caldera villages are not level and most viewpoints are not step-free. This is the honest answer.

Assuming a cave house is spacious. They are one room deep with a single opening, dark at the back and cool all year.

Assuming a pool means swimming. Many rim pools are plunge pools of four or five metres.

Not asking about the walk, the santorini mistakes cure. The question is “how many steps from where a car can stop”, and it is the most useful thing you can ask a hotel.

Staying in Fira for quiet. Fira has bars until four in the morning in season.

Staying in Perissa for a caldera view, one of the geography santorini mistakes. Perissa is the far side of the island. There is no caldera view there at all.

Dismissing the inland villages, one of the santorini mistakes guests regret. Megalochori, Pyrgos and Emporio are cheaper, quieter, level and the part guests remember.

Dismissing Kamari. Flat, walkable, a long beach and a promenade. The easiest base on the island.

Booking a rim hotel and eating there every night. Two expensive decisions compounding each other.

Not checking what is open, one of the winter santorini mistakes. From November the rim largely shuts. The inland villages do not.

The accommodation rule. The santorini mistakes that ruin a week are made at the booking stage, and the cure is one honest question about steps.

The Oia Sunset, and Other Timing Mistakes

Arriving in Oia at sunset, the loudest of the santorini mistakes. Thousands of people, one narrow street, no parking from six in the evening, and forty-five minutes to clear the road afterwards.

Driving there yourself. The bus is genuinely faster, because it does not need to park.

Assuming Oia is the only sunset, one of the santorini mistakes we fix daily. Imerovigli has the same caldera and a fraction of the crowd. The Akrotiri lighthouse has an open horizon and almost nobody.

Not arriving early enough. Ninety minutes before, in high season, if Oia is the plan.

Missing the better hour, one of the quiet santorini mistakes. Oia at eight in the morning is empty, the light is on the cliff, and the blue domes are yours.

Fira at midday on a four-ship day, one of the timing santorini mistakes. Gridlock from ten until four, and the cable car queue past an hour.

Walking the caldera path in the afternoon. Ten kilometres, no shade, and forty degrees in August.

Doing the Fira to Oia hike without water. Three to four hours with nothing for the first hour.

Booking the volcano at midday. Loose black rock, no shade, and the hottest possible surface.

Leaving the cable car late, one of the cruise santorini mistakes. On a cruise day the return queue passes an hour and the ship does not wait.

Eating at seven, one of the cultural santorini mistakes. Greek kitchens fill from nine. Seven is when you get the tourist table.

Missing the shoulder hours. Before nine and after six are the good hours here, in every village, all summer.

Planning the day around distance. Nothing is more than forty minutes away. Plan around crowds and heat instead.

The timing rule. Most santorini mistakes about timing come from arriving where everybody else is at the hour everybody else is there.

Money Mistakes

Accepting the conversion, the priciest of the money santorini mistakes. Dynamic currency conversion costs three to twelve per cent. Always decline and be charged in euros.

Using an independent machine, one of the avoidable santorini mistakes. Three to six euros a withdrawal. A Greek bank machine charges little or nothing.

Making several small withdrawals. The fee is per transaction. Take one large amount.

Using a credit card in a cash machine. Most issuers treat it as a cash advance with interest from day one.

Exchanging currency at the airport. Three to eight per cent worse than simply withdrawing euros.

Eating on the rim nightly, one of the santorini mistakes that add up. Three to four times village prices, often for worse food.

Not asking the weight of the fish, one of the santorini mistakes at dinner. Wild fish is priced by the kilo. A one and a half kilo fish at ninety euros a kilo is a hundred and thirty-five euros.

Buying water at beach kiosks. Forty cents in a supermarket, three euros on a terrace.

Skipping the arrival-day shop, one of the santorini mistakes that costs most. Twenty minutes at a large inland supermarket saves several hundred euros over a week.

Buying souvenirs in Oia. Fava, capers, tomato paste and Assyrtiko from a supermarket are better gifts and a fraction of the price.

Not checking whether breakfast is included. Most rim hotels include it whether you eat it or not. Paying twice is common.

Tipping at American levels. Five to ten per cent in cash is generous in Greece.

Assuming everything takes cards. Buses, beach canteens, bakeries and church boxes want cash.

The money rule. The santorini mistakes that cost the most are made in the first hour and the last: the transfer you did not book and the conversion you accepted.

Eating and Drinking Mistakes

Paying for the view, the central one of the food santorini mistakes. The rim charges three to four times village prices and the cooking is rarely better.

Not asking the driver where they eat. The single most useful question you can ask anybody who works here.

Ordering a main instead of mezedes, one of the santorini mistakes at the table. Four or five small plates is how Greeks eat and it is a better meal for less money.

Skipping the fava. The island’s own dish, a PDO split pea puree, and the best thing on most menus.

Ordering fried calamari, one of the menu santorini mistakes. Almost always frozen. Grilled whole squid is on the same menu and is a different food.

Assuming tomatokeftedes are vegetarian-safe. Usually bound with egg and often with feta.

Expecting seafood to be cheap. A small fleet, a narrow shelf and two million visitors. Fish here is expensive for real reasons.

Treating the cover charge as a scam. Bread and water at one to three euros a head is standard across Greece.

Drinking the tap water, one of the minor santorini mistakes. It is desalinated, safe, and tastes of salt and chlorine. Nobody here drinks it.

Skipping Assyrtiko. One of the great white wines of Europe, grown on ash without irrigation, seven to fifteen euros a bottle in a supermarket.

Drinking red with grilled fish. The island makes good reds and none of them belong there.

A wine tour in a hire car, one of the santorini mistakes with a real cost. Somebody has to stay sober, and on this island that is a real cost.

Eating breakfast at the hotel every day. Fifteen to thirty-five euros a head against four in a village bakery.

The food rule. The santorini mistakes at the table are all the same mistake: buying the view when the food is two villages inland.

Beach and Sea Mistakes

Coming for the beaches, the largest of the expectation santorini mistakes. Santorini has black volcanic sand and a volcano. Naxos, Milos and Lefkada have better beaches.

Expecting a beach below the caldera. There is none. The view and the swimming are twenty-five minutes apart.

Walking black sand barefoot, one of the painful santorini mistakes. It reaches fifty to sixty degrees in August and it burns.

Not booking sunbeds in August. Fifteen to forty euros a pair, and the good rows go early.

Going to the Red Beach without checking. Access has been restricted repeatedly for rockfall. Check before you drive there.

Expecting White Beach to be reachable on foot. It is a boat access beach.

Booking a boat in a meltemi, one of the weather santorini mistakes. The wind cancels sailings June to September, often the evening before.

Expecting hot springs to be hot, one of the small santorini mistakes. They are warm, ochre-coloured and they will stain a pale swimsuit.

Swimming off the rocks without shoes. Sea urchins are common on the rocky shores here.

Underestimating the wind on a boat. The meltemi makes an afternoon crossing genuinely uncomfortable.

Taking a catamaran with a hangover. Six hours, reflected glare and swell. It is a long morning.

Ignoring Vlychada and Baxedes, one of the santorini mistakes of omission. The quiet beaches, the strange pumice cliffs, and almost nobody on them.

Booking a beach day in a cave hotel week. The rim is twenty-five minutes from every beach on the island.

The beach rule. The santorini mistakes at the coast come from expecting a beach island. This is a volcano with beaches attached.

Heat, Health and Safety Mistakes

Underestimating the heat, the most dangerous of the santorini mistakes. Thirty-five to forty degrees from June to September, with almost no shade outdoors anywhere on the island.

Wearing sandals, one of the footwear santorini mistakes. The villages are stone steps and the volcano is loose rock. Closed shoes for both.

Not carrying water, one of the health santorini mistakes. Two to three litres a day in summer, and more on a walking or boat day.

Mistaking the wind for cool. The meltemi makes it feel cooler and dries you out faster. That is how people get caught.

Drinking at lunch and driving after. The limit is 0.5 grams per litre and there are roadside checks in season.

Riding a quad in flip-flops, the injury santorini mistakes leader. The commonest holiday injury on this island, and entirely self-inflicted.

Standing near unfenced cliff edges. The caldera rim has drops with no barrier, including at popular photo spots.

Walking the donkey path. Slippery, soiled stone shared with working animals. Take the cable car.

Riding the donkeys, one of the santorini mistakes we ask guests to avoid. We ask guests not to, and the cable car costs the same and takes three minutes.

Forgetting the sun on a boat. Reflected glare doubles the exposure and people burn badly on catamaran days.

Leaving anything living in a parked car. Interiors reach sixty degrees. Never a child, never an animal.

Assuming there is a hospital, one of the santorini mistakes about health. There is a health centre in Fira. Serious cases go to Athens or Crete.

Travelling without insurance. Evacuation from an island is not cheap.

The safety rule. The santorini mistakes that send people to the health centre are heat, quads and footwear, in that order.

Season and Expectation Mistakes

Coming in August, the season santorini mistakes headline. Peak heat, peak wind, peak crowds and peak prices, all at once.

Assuming shoulder season is quiet everywhere. May and September are excellent and they are not empty.

Coming in winter expecting the postcard. From November the rim largely shuts. The island is still beautiful and mostly closed.

Not knowing about the meltemi, one of the weather santorini mistakes. A north wind that blows for days June to September, cancels boats and ruins terraces.

Expecting the 2025 earthquake swarm to still matter. It ended in the spring of that year. Activity is back to normal background levels.

Expecting an undiscovered island, one of the expectation santorini mistakes. Two million visitors a year. It is one of the most visited places in Europe.

Expecting cheap, one of the budget santorini mistakes. The rim is expensive. The rest of the island is normal Greek prices, and that is the whole trick.

Expecting the photographs. The blue domes are three viewpoints, the infinity pool is somebody’s hotel, and the empty lane was shot at six in the morning.

Dismissing the inland half. Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio and the vineyards are what guests talk about afterwards.

Skipping Akrotiri, one of the santorini mistakes of omission. A Bronze Age town under a roof, cool in the afternoon, and the reason the caldera exists.

Skipping the wineries, another of the santorini mistakes of omission. Ungrafted vines, basket-trained, drinking sea mist. There is nothing like it elsewhere.

Treating it as a beach week. Three or four days here, then a ferry to an island that does beaches properly.

Coming for one night, the shortest of the santorini mistakes. You will spend it in transit and in a queue.

The expectation rule. The largest santorini mistakes are not logistical at all. They are coming for the wrong island, and the fix is knowing what this one actually is.

Santorini Mistakes: Questions People Ask

What are the biggest santorini mistakes? Booking a caldera-rim hotel without asking how many steps lie between the road and the room. Many have a hundred or two hundred and no vehicle access.

Which santorini mistakes should I avoid? Do not ride the donkeys, do not rent a quad without a motorcycle licence, do not eat every meal on the rim, and do not drive to Oia for sunset.

Are beaches one of the santorini mistakes? Largely, yes. It has black volcanic sand and no beach on the caldera side. Naxos, Milos and Lefkada are better for beaches.

How many days should I stay? Four to five. Two is a cruise call. Ten is too long unless you pair it with another island.

Do I need a car? For two or three days, for the villages, the south and the beaches. Not for seven, and not for Oia at sunset.

Can I ride a quad on a car licence? Not legally if it is over 50cc, which most rental quads are. It is enforced and it voids the insurance.

What are the worst santorini mistakes with money? Accepting the cash machine’s currency conversion, and eating on the caldera rim every night.

Which santorini mistakes involve Oia timing? Eight in the morning. Empty lanes, the light on the cliff, and parking.

Is the tap water safe? Yes, it is desalinated and treated. It tastes of salt and chlorine, and nobody who lives here drinks it.

What should I pack that people forget? Closed shoes, a hat, sun cream and a refillable water bottle.

Which month produces the most santorini mistakes? August. Heat, wind, crowds and prices all peak together. May, June, September and October are better in every way.

Do I need to book restaurants? In Ammoudi and on the rim, from June to September, yes, several days ahead.

Is it still risky after the earthquakes? No. The 2025 swarm ended that spring and activity returned to normal background levels.

Which santorini mistakes do people regret most? Not seeing the inland villages, and paying rim prices for food that was worse than a taverna in Megalochori.

How We Help You Avoid Them

Why we wrote this. We drive guests here every day and we watch the same santorini mistakes happen every week, almost all of them decided before anybody lands.

Arrival day santorini mistakes. A pre-booked transfer from the right port, with a supermarket stop on the way up. Twenty minutes that fixes the whole week.

The steps question behind most santorini mistakes. Tell us your hotel and we will tell you honestly what the walk is and where a vehicle can actually stop.

The sunset santorini mistakes. We drop you where you want to be, wait somewhere we can park, and collect you when the crowd is still walking.

Cruise day santorini mistakes. Planned backwards from your all-aboard time with an hour of slack, and we meet you at the top of the cable car.

The wine day. Nobody drives who is drinking. That is the whole argument for a driver on this island.

Where to eat, avoiding the food santorini mistakes. Ask the driver. We eat in these villages and we will not send you to a rim terrace.

The inland half. Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio and the vineyards, which is the part nobody books and everybody remembers.

Heat management against the summer santorini mistakes. Early starts, shaded stops, indoor sites in the middle of the day, and cold water in the vehicle.

Families and older travellers. Level ground, short walks, and honest answers about what is not accessible here.

Dietary needs. Tell us when you book and we route the lunch stop accordingly.

If the weather turns. Boats cancel, land tours do not. We will move the day rather than lose it.

What to send us. Your dates, your hotel, your flight and ferry times, and one sentence about what you actually enjoy.

The last word. Almost every one of the santorini mistakes on this page costs money or a morning, and every one of them is avoidable with a question asked before you arrive rather than after.

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Why You Must Reconsider Before Riding a Donkey in Santorini

Why You Must Reconsider Before Riding a Donkey in Santorini

Residents of the island Santorini, Greece, make their best for visitors to have a great time. However, they are well asking all of us quit doing one point: Riding Santorini’s donkeys up 600-foot cliffs.

The island partnered with the cruise-line industry to release a new campaign entitled, “in their hooves” to enlighten travellers on the physical as well as mental stress put on the donkeys as they climb up the steep hillsides with human beings on their backs.

The campaign was initially introduced after locals observed the increasing number of donkeys suffering back injuries, saddle sores, as well as exhaustion. Instead of hiring donkeys, book a Santorini Private Guided Tour and relax in the comfort of an air-conditioned mini bus.

Useful initiative that have been taken in Santorini

Santorini also took the unprecedented step to make it prohibited for proprietors of the donkeys to allow animals to bring more than 220 pounds of either humans or freight. That weight restriction, is about one-fifth of the donkey’s weight.

You can take a tour of Santorini! Fortunately, the donkeys are not the only means up the steep hillsides of Santorini. There are also two other means of ascension. Travellers can walk the hill up on foot, or by cable auto.

Officials and also project supervisors are really hoping the brand-new “in their hooves” effort will certainly make visitors reconsider before riding donkeys. So, next time you’re in the gorgeous island of Santorini, possibly ensure to pack a comfortable set of footwear and hoof it up the mountainside on your own.

There is always another option to take. If you are not the kind of athletic person you can book a Santorini Impressive Caldera Private Tour.

See more about Santorini Private Tours:

Santorini Donkeys: The Short Answer

The animals on the cliff path below Fira are the most photographed working animals in Greece and the most argued about. They carried everything on this island for centuries, and they now carry cruise passengers up five hundred and eighty steps in forty-degree heat. We run tours here and we ask our guests not to ride them. This page explains why, what has changed in the law, and what to do instead.

Where the santorini donkeys are. The Karavolades stairs between the old port and Fira, and the three hundred steps from Ammoudi up to Oia.

What the santorini donkeys do. Carry visitors up and down, and carry goods to properties the road does not reach.

Are the santorini donkeys donkeys or mules. Both. Most of the animals working the steps are mules, a donkey and horse cross, and the word donkey is used for all of them.

Should you ride the santorini donkeys. We ask you not to. The load, the heat, the stone and the hours are the problem, not the existence of the animals.

Is riding the santorini donkeys illegal. No. It is regulated. Greece introduced a weight limit and welfare rules rather than a ban.

The santorini donkeys weight rule. Animals may not carry loads over one hundred kilos, roughly a fifth of their own body weight.

Is the rule enforced. Inconsistently, and enforcement has tightened since the campaigns.

What changed for the santorini donkeys. Fewer animals on the steps than a decade ago, shade and water at the stands, and far more visitors taking the cable car.

The alternatives to the santorini donkeys. The cable car at six euros, or the steps on foot. Both take you to the same place.

The santorini donkeys most people photograph. Standing at the top of the Karavolades in the morning, saddled and waiting, which is the image that started the debate.

Is photographing them fine. Yes. Nobody objects to a camera. The objection is to the weight on the back.

What the santorini donkeys owners say. That this is a living tradition and a livelihood, and that the animals are their property and their income.

What the welfare groups say. That heat, stone steps and repeated loads cause spinal injury, saddle sores and exhaustion.

The one-line answer. Take the cable car, photograph the santorini donkeys from the path, and give the ride money to a taverna instead.

The History: Why They Are Here At All

This is not a tourist invention. The animals predate every hotel on the island by centuries.

Before roads, the santorini donkeys carried everything. Santorini had no vehicle roads worth the name until the twentieth century. Everything moved on animals.

The cliff problem. The caldera villages sit three hundred metres above the water, and the only link to the sea was a stepped path.

The Karavolades. The zigzag stair from the old port to Fira, five hundred and eighty steps, built for exactly this traffic.

What the santorini donkeys carried. Water from cisterns, wine to the boats, building stone, pumice, flour, and people who could not walk it.

The wine trade. Barrels went down these steps on animals to be loaded onto ships for Russia and France through the nineteenth century.

The pumice mines. The island exported volcanic stone for decades, and the santorini donkeys moved much of it.

Farming. Vines, fava and tomatoes were worked with animal labour on terraces no cart could reach.

After 1956. The earthquake emptied the island and the animals stayed, because the roads still did not exist.

The cable car that replaced the santorini donkeys. Built in 1979, funded by the Nomikos family, and it changed the economics of the steps overnight.

What the ride became. With cargo gone and cruise tourism arriving, carrying passengers became the remaining income.

The number of santorini donkeys. Several hundred animals worked the island at the peak. Far fewer do now.

Why the tradition argument has weight. Because it is a real tradition, not a staged one, and the families involved have done this for generations.

Why it does not settle the question. A tradition of carrying cargo on a cool morning is not the same as carrying a hundred kilos of tourist at two in the afternoon in August.

The honest framing. The santorini donkeys are a genuine part of the island’s history and the modern ride is a modern use of them.

The Welfare Case, Stated Fairly

This is the part that needs to be accurate rather than emotive, because the owners are people with a livelihood and the animals cannot speak.

The load on the santorini donkeys. A mule can carry roughly a fifth of its body weight without harm. Many riders exceed that, and nobody is weighed at the bottom.

The surface under the santorini donkeys. Stone steps, worn smooth, often wet from the animals themselves. Poor footing causes slips and joint strain.

The heat on the santorini donkeys. Forty degrees in August, black stone, and no shade on most of the ascent.

The hours the santorini donkeys work. Cruise days run from early morning to late afternoon with the animals on their feet throughout.

Injuries documented in the santorini donkeys. Spinal problems, saddle sores, lameness and exhaustion, reported by welfare groups and by Greek vets.

The saddles on the santorini donkeys. Ill-fitting tack is the commonest specific cause of sores, and it is also the easiest thing to fix.

Water and shade. Improved at the stands after the campaigns, and still inconsistent along the route.

The santorini donkeys campaigns. “In Their Hooves”, run with the cruise industry, plus sustained pressure from PETA and the Donkey Sanctuary.

What the santorini donkeys campaigns achieved. The weight rule, better tack requirements, shade at the stands, and a large fall in ridership.

What they did not achieve. A ban, which the Greek state has not imposed and local owners oppose.

The santorini donkeys counter-argument. That well-kept animals working reasonable hours are not mistreated, and that removing the income removes the reason to keep them at all.

Where that argument holds. Some owners do keep their animals well, and they resent being grouped with those who do not.

Where it does not. You cannot tell from the queue which owner you are giving money to.

Our position. We ask guests not to ride the santorini donkeys, because the visitor cannot verify the animal’s condition and the cable car exists.

The Law and the Weight Rule

The core santorini donkeys rule. Working equines may not carry more than one hundred kilos, or a fifth of their body weight, whichever is lower.

Where it came from. Greek ministerial regulation following the welfare campaigns and international press coverage.

What else it covers. Shade, water, rest periods, veterinary checks and a ban on working animals that are unfit, pregnant or injured.

Tack requirements. Saddles must fit and must not cause sores, which was the specific abuse most often photographed.

Age and fitness. Animals must be sound. Lame or underweight animals are not permitted to work.

Enforcement of the santorini donkeys rules. By local authority and veterinary inspection, and enforcement has been criticised as inconsistent.

Penalties for santorini donkeys owners. Fines for owners, and removal of the licence to operate in serious cases.

Does anybody weigh riders. Not systematically. In practice operators judge by eye, which is the weakness of the whole scheme.

What visitors can do about that. Decline the ride. The rule depends on the rider’s honesty as much as the owner’s.

The cruise industry and the santorini donkeys. Several lines now discourage the ride in their port information and no longer sell it as an excursion.

The wider Greek picture. Similar rules apply on other islands with working animals, and Santorini has had the most attention because of the cruise volume.

Has the santorini donkeys rule worked. Partly. There are fewer animals, fewer riders and better conditions than a decade ago, and the practice has not stopped.

Reporting a problem. If you see an animal that is visibly injured, lame or overloaded, report it to the local police or the municipality rather than arguing at the stand.

The practical summary. Riding the santorini donkeys is legal, regulated, and declining, and the regulation relies on visitors choosing not to.

The Karavolades Steps in Detail

The stair itself is a piece of engineering worth knowing about, whether you ride, walk or take the cable car over it.

The name. Karavolades, from the Greek for snail, after the way the zigzag coils up the cliff.

The step count the santorini donkeys climb. Five hundred and eighty-eight steps, commonly rounded to five hundred and eighty.

The height. About two hundred and twenty metres of ascent from the quay to the Fira rim.

When it was built. Cut and paved in the nineteenth century, widened and repaired repeatedly since.

The surface the santorini donkeys work on. Rounded stone, polished by two centuries of hooves and feet, and slippery when wet.

Soiling from the santorini donkeys. The animals work it all day and it is cleaned, not continuously. This is the commonest complaint from walkers.

The width the santorini donkeys need. Narrow enough that a walker and a loaded animal cannot always pass comfortably. Stand on the inside and let them go by.

Walking etiquette. Give way to the santorini donkeys. They cannot stop easily on a descent with a load.

Time down. Twenty to twenty-five minutes at a careful pace.

Time up without the santorini donkeys. Forty to fifty minutes for a reasonably fit adult, and considerably more in August heat.

Shade. None. The stair faces west and takes full afternoon sun.

Water. Carry it. There is nothing on the stair itself.

The view. The best sightline in Fira, with the caldera opening up behind you as you climb.

The photograph. Taken from partway up, looking back down at the zigzag with the ships at anchor below.

Ammoudi and the Oia Steps

The stair the santorini donkeys work at Oia. About three hundred steps from Oia down to Ammoudi Bay, the harbour below the village.

The santorini donkeys at Ammoudi. Fewer than at Fira, and they work the same job.

Down. Twenty minutes, easy, with red cliffs on one side and the water below.

Up. Thirty-five minutes, and much harder after a long dinner in July.

The road that avoids the santorini donkeys. A narrow switchback with very little parking at the bottom, which is why so many people take the steps.

What we do. Drive guests down for dinner and collect them afterwards, which removes the climb entirely.

Why the climb matters here. Ammoudi dinners finish late, the stair is unlit in places, and the santorini donkeys have stopped for the day.

The swim. A path round the headland to a rock platform and the chapel islet of Agios Nikolaos.

The tavernas. Four or five on the water, serious about fish, and needing a booking from June to September.

Sunset here. The cliff turns orange and the harbour fills. It is the best hour and the busiest.

Ammoudi against the Fira santorini donkeys. Shorter, prettier, and the same welfare question applies to the animals working it.

The practical answer. Book a car both ways and use the steps once, downhill, in daylight, for the view.

The Animals Themselves

Worth knowing what you are actually looking at, because most visitors call every animal on the steps a donkey and most of them are not.

The donkey among the santorini donkeys. Equus asinus. Smaller, longer-eared, sure-footed, and the original working animal of the Cyclades.

The mule, most of the santorini donkeys. A donkey sire and a horse dam. Larger, stronger, and what most of the santorini donkeys on the steps actually are.

The hinny. The reverse cross, horse sire and donkey dam. Rarer and smaller.

Why mules work as santorini donkeys. More carrying capacity and more stamina than a donkey, with a donkey’s footing on stone.

The size of the santorini donkeys. A working mule here runs roughly four hundred to five hundred kilos, which is where the hundred-kilo load limit comes from.

The lifespan of the santorini donkeys. Thirty to forty years for a well-kept animal, and working life is a fraction of that.

Temperament. Calm, stubborn when they judge something unsafe, and that judgement is usually correct.

Sure-footedness. Genuine. A mule places each hoof deliberately, which is why they were used on stepped paths in the first place.

What they eat. Hay, barley and whatever grows. On a dry island that was always the constraint on how many could be kept.

Where the santorini donkeys live. Stables inland and below the villages, walked to the stands each morning.

Retirement for the santorini donkeys. The hard question. An animal that cannot work is an expense, which is why the sanctuaries exist.

The bells. Ornamental and practical. You hear a string of them coming before you see them on a blind turn.

The decoration on the santorini donkeys. Coloured tack and beads, a genuine Cycladic tradition rather than a tourist addition.

What to look for in the santorini donkeys. A calm animal, a well-fitted saddle, no sores at the girth or spine, sound movement, water and shade at the stand.

Why we still say no. Because you can assess one animal in a queue of many, and the cable car removes the need to assess anything.

How We Handle It on Tours

What we tell guests about the santorini donkeys. Plainly, before the day: take the cable car, and we will explain why if you want the detail.

Cruise days and the santorini donkeys. We meet you at the top of the cable car, so the question of the steps never arises.

Ammoudi evenings. A car down and a car back, which is the whole reason people take the animals there.

If you want to ride anyway. It is your decision and it is legal. We will not arrange it, and we will not lecture you about it either.

Photography. We stop where you can photograph the santorini donkeys safely and legally, which is most of the Fira caldera path.

Families. Children ask about them constantly. The honest answer, in an age-appropriate form, works better than avoiding it.

The santorini donkeys sanctuary. We can point you at the island’s rescue operation if you would like to donate or visit.

What to send us. Your dates and your ship or hotel, and we will build the day so the steps are never the only option.

What to Do Instead

Every reason to take the ride has a better answer, and all of them are cheaper or the same price.

The cable car instead of the santorini donkeys. Six euros each way, three minutes, from the old port to Fira. The direct replacement.

The queue. Twenty minutes on a quiet day, over an hour when several ships tender at once. Worst on the afternoon return.

How to beat the queue. Go up early, come down before three, and never leave it to the last hour before all-aboard.

The steps on foot instead of the santorini donkeys. Five hundred and eighty of them. Twenty-five minutes down, forty to fifty up for a reasonably fit adult.

The catch with walking. You share the path with the animals, and the surface reflects that. Closed shoes, and watch your footing.

Walking instead of riding the santorini donkeys. The sensible compromise. Cable car up, walk down, and you get the view without the climb.

Ammoudi and its santorini donkeys. Three hundred steps from Oia, the same choice, and a taxi or a transfer on the switchback road is the alternative.

The road. Both harbours have vehicle access. A pre-booked car removes the question entirely.

What we do instead of the santorini donkeys. We meet cruise guests at the top of the cable car and drive Ammoudi diners to and from the tavernas.

If you cannot manage steps. The cable car, or the road by car. Neither requires an animal.

If you want the experience of the path. Walk it early in the morning when the animals are not working and the light is on the cliff.

If you want to be near the santorini donkeys. Photograph them, talk to the owners, and give the money to a taverna at the bottom.

Sanctuaries for retired santorini donkeys. Santorini has a rescue operation caring for retired and injured working animals, and visiting or donating is the version of this that helps.

The cost of the santorini donkeys against the cable car. A ride costs roughly what the cable car costs. You are not saving money by taking it.

The honest conclusion. There is no practical reason left to ride the santorini donkeys, which is exactly why the numbers have fallen.

Santorini Donkeys: Questions People Ask

Can you still ride the santorini donkeys? Yes. It is legal and regulated rather than banned, and fewer animals and riders are on the steps than a decade ago.

Should I ride the santorini donkeys? We ask our guests not to. The cable car costs the same, takes three minutes and carries no welfare question.

Is there a santorini donkeys weight limit? Yes, one hundred kilos or a fifth of the animal’s body weight, whichever is lower. Riders are not systematically weighed, which is the rule’s weakness.

Are the santorini donkeys donkeys or mules? Mostly mules, a donkey and horse cross, though the word donkey is used for all of them.

Where are the santorini donkeys? The Karavolades stairs between the old port and Fira, and the steps from Ammoudi up to Oia.

How many steps do the santorini donkeys climb? Five hundred and eighty from the old port to Fira, and about three hundred from Ammoudi to Oia.

How much does a santorini donkeys ride cost? Roughly the price of a cable car ticket, which is why the cost argument does not hold.

Is the cable car better? For speed, price and welfare, yes. Six euros, three minutes, and the only cost is the queue.

Can I walk the steps instead? Yes. Twenty-five minutes down, forty to fifty up. Closed shoes, and the surface is soiled and slippery.

Is riding the santorini donkeys cruel? Welfare groups document spinal injury, saddle sores and exhaustion from heat, loads and hours. Owners argue well-kept animals are not harmed. A visitor cannot tell which animal they are getting.

What is the “In Their Hooves” campaign? A joint initiative with the cruise industry to inform passengers about the physical strain on the animals.

Can I photograph the santorini donkeys? Yes, and nobody objects. The objection is to the weight on the back, not the camera.

What if I see an injured animal? Report it to the local police or the municipality. Do not argue at the stand.

Is there a santorini donkeys sanctuary? Yes, a rescue operation on the island cares for retired and injured working animals, and it takes donations.

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Santorini Wedding – Venues, Paperwork and Costs

Santorini wedding ceremony on a caldera terrace above the sea

Organize the perfect wedding in Santorini

A Santorini wedding needs three things booked before anything else: a venue, a date outside the wind, and a way to move your guests around an island with thirty licensed taxis. Santorini Tours handles the third. The island of Santorini is the most romantic place in Greece, and that is why many couples decide to get married there. Whether you choose a traditional wedding or a romantic one near the sea, you can do it on this island.

The ceremony on the island of Santorini is a wonderful way to celebrate your true love and imagine your future together. The breathtaking view, the colors of the sea, and the romantic atmosphere are some of the elements that create this unique scene for your wedding day.

If you have dreamt of getting married on an island, make the dream come true in Santorini. This island is the best destination for your honeymoon as it combines the sea with the perfect sunset. On this island, you can find many wedding planners to organize your wedding, including the church, the photographer, the decoration, and whatever you want.

All the details will be as you have dreamed. Find your other half, choose the bridal gown, the costume, and the church, and this scenery will be unforgettable. Whether you have been planning this ceremony for a very long time or just for a few days, your wedding will be one of the most beautiful days of your life.

Weddings in Santorini are a truly unforgettable experience for everyone!

Enjoy a tour in Santorini after the wedding!

After the wedding ceremony, you can choose a private tours in Santorini for the couple or even the guests. Trust Santorinitours to enjoy the day after the wedding with your family or friends. 

Visit all the island’s highlights and meet the culture and the history of the best island in Greece. See the traditional villages and churches and take wedding photographs in the narrow streets in front of the sea and the unforgettable sunset. 

If you are looking for a private tour in this island book now and  this experience you will be very memorable!

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Santorini Wedding: What It Actually Takes

A Santorini wedding needs three things booked before anything else: a venue, a date outside the wind, and a way to move your guests around an island with thirty licensed taxis. Everything else – the flowers, the photographer, the dress – can be arranged in the last three months. Those three cannot.

Most couples book the venue nine to twelve months ahead for a summer date. Paperwork for a civil ceremony takes about six weeks to clear. Guest transport is the part almost everybody leaves until last, and it is the part that decides whether the day runs on time.

Where Can You Get Married?

A Santorini wedding happens in one of three kinds of place, and they behave very differently on the day.

The caldera rim

Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia. This is the view everybody comes for, and the reason a Santorini wedding costs what it does. The problem is access: most of these venues sit at the bottom of stepped lanes with no vehicle access, so guests walk the last stretch. Tell your driver which lane, and tell your guests which shoes.

Inland and clifftop estates

Pyrgos, Megalochori, Vothonas and the wineries. Wide-open views over the whole island rather than straight down the caldera, level ground, room to park, and roughly half the venue cost. Under-used, and our honest recommendation for a Santorini wedding of more than forty people. Pyrgos · Megalochori.

Beach and seaside

Vlychada, Perivolos and the south coast. Flat, easy to reach, and the cheapest of the three. Wind is the variable: the meltemi is at its worst on this coast in July and August. Vlychada · Perivolos.

Churches

A church Santorini wedding is slower. Orthodox ceremonies need the parish’s agreement and, for non-Orthodox partners, documentation from your own church. Catholic weddings are possible at the cathedral in Fira. Start this early: it is the slowest paperwork on the island.

What Paperwork Do You Need?

For a civil Santorini wedding at the town hall in Fira, foreign couples generally need birth certificates, certificates of no impediment, passports, and official translations with an apostille. Divorced or widowed applicants need the decree or death certificate as well.

Allow six weeks from filing to the ceremony, longer in August. Almost every couple uses a local wedding planner for this, and it is money well spent – the documents are submitted in Greek and the office does not chase you.

A symbolic Santorini wedding has no paperwork at all. Many couples marry legally at home and hold the real celebration here, which removes the entire problem.

What Does a Santorini Wedding Cost?

Santorini wedding budgets vary more than almost anything else on this page. Ranges, not quotes, and they move with the season.

Elopement, two people. A symbolic ceremony, a photographer and a table for two. The cheapest real version of a Santorini wedding, and often the best one.

Small wedding, up to thirty. Venue, catering, flowers, music, photography and transport. The bracket most couples land in.

Full caldera wedding, sixty or more. Several times that, driven almost entirely by the venue and the catering.

Venue hire. The largest single line, and a caldera-rim terrace is roughly double an inland estate.

Photography. The second largest, and the one couples regret economising on.

Planner. Typically a percentage or a flat fee, and it buys you the paperwork and the local suppliers.

Guest transport. Priced per vehicle. A minibus moving twenty guests costs less than the taxis they will not be able to find.

When Is the Best Time of Year?

May and early June. The best window for a Santorini wedding. Warm, green, the light is soft, and the island is not yet full. Venue availability is better and so are the prices.

Late June to August. The most booked and the most difficult time for a Santorini wedding. Thirty-five degrees in an outdoor ceremony, the meltemi at its strongest, and every hotel on the island at capacity. If you marry in August, do it at seven in the evening.

September and early October. The other good Santorini wedding window, and many planners’ first choice. Warm sea, softer light, thinner crowds.

Late October to April. A winter Santorini wedding is quiet, cheap and genuinely beautiful, but weather is a real risk and a good share of venues close. Have an indoor plan.

The wind. The single most underestimated factor in a Santorini wedding. The meltemi can make a caldera terrace unusable and it does not care what the forecast said yesterday. Ask every venue what their wind plan is before you sign.

How Do Your Guests Get Around?

Guest transport is the part of a Santorini wedding we actually handle, so here is the honest version.

Santorini has around thirty licensed taxis for the whole island. On a July evening, with four cruise ships gone and every restaurant full, your guests will not find one. Buses stop early and every route changes in Fira. Hire cars mean guests driving unlit switchback roads after a wedding dinner, which is exactly what you do not want.

What works at a Santorini wedding is booked vehicles: minibuses from the hotels to the venue and back, timed to the ceremony, with a driver who knows which lane the venue is on and where a vehicle can actually stop. Priced per vehicle, so twenty guests in one minibus costs far less than twenty taxi fares that do not exist.

Airport and port arrivals. Guests land across two or three days. We meet each arrival by name and track the flight or the ferry. Transfers.

The ceremony run. Hotels to venue, then venue to dinner, then back at the end of the night.

The day after. Most Santorini wedding parties want one relaxed day on the island. A private tour of the villages, the wineries or the beaches, with everybody in one vehicle. Personalised tour · Wine tour.

The photo shoot. Couples shooting in Oia at sunrise need a car at five in the morning. That is not a taxi job.

What Do People Get Wrong?

Leaving guest transport until last. The most common mistake in a Santorini wedding, and the one that puts thirty people on a terrace waiting.

Booking a caldera Santorini wedding venue without checking access. Some are 80 steps down from the nearest road.

An outdoor ceremony at four in the afternoon in August. Move it to seven.

No wind plan. Ask the venue directly.

Guests connecting a ferry to a same-day flight. Sailings are cancelled at short notice. Tell them to fly, or to leave a day’s margin.

Assuming Oia is bookable at sunset. It is the most crowded place in Greece at that hour.

Starting the paperwork too late. Six weeks minimum, and August is slower.

Santorini Wedding: Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead should we book a Santorini wedding? Nine to twelve months for a summer date, and the venue first. Everything else follows it.

Can foreigners legally hold a Santorini wedding? Yes. A civil ceremony at the town hall in Fira needs birth certificates, certificates of no impediment, passports and apostilled translations, filed about six weeks ahead.

What is the cheapest way to do it? A symbolic ceremony with a legal marriage at home, an inland venue and a photographer. No paperwork and a fraction of the cost.

What is the best month for a Santorini wedding? May, early June, September or early October. August is hot, windy and full.

Do we need a Santorini wedding planner? For a legal ceremony, effectively yes – the paperwork is in Greek. For a symbolic one, not necessarily.

How do guests get from the airport? Pre-booked transfers. There are around thirty taxis on the island and no reliable rank at the airport in season.

Is Oia good for a Santorini wedding? Beautiful, expensive, and access is on foot down stepped lanes. Imerovigli gives a similar view with fewer people.

What happens if it is too windy? A good venue has an indoor or sheltered alternative. Confirm it in writing before you book.

Can you move a whole wedding party? Yes – minibuses, priced per vehicle, timed around the ceremony.

What should guests do the day before or after? One private tour with everybody in one vehicle. The villages, the wineries or a beach.

Transport for Your Santorini Wedding

We do not plan weddings. We move the people at them, which on this island is a harder problem than it sounds and the one thing couples consistently underestimate.

Tell us the Santorini wedding venue, the date, the ceremony time and how many guests are staying where, and we will build the vehicle plan around it: arrivals tracked by flight and ferry, hotels to venue and back, and a tour for whoever wants one the next day. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, and an 80 EUR deposit holds a date.

See the full list of tours, our vehicles, or the FAQ.

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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How many days do you actually need to see Santorini?

How-many-days-do-you-actually-need-to-see-Santorini

Santorini may be famous for its cinematic sunset, but that’s not all about Santorini. It has an abundance of things to see and do that will impress you and prove to you that Santorini is not such a famous destination by chance.

A classic issue that arises with this particular island is how many days it takes to see Santorini. There is no specific answer, as it depends on the mood and of course the budget of each person – speaking of which, it is not famous as a financial destination.

For those of you who either don’t have a lot of time or can’t afford a longer trip or don’t really want to spend a lot of time on the volcanic island,  you can see the most important things in Santorini in just 3 days.

So if you are dying to take a short vacation in Santorini, read carefully the guide for 3 days in Santorini. What to see, what to do and of course where to stay.

Where to stay in Santorini?

Let’s start with the most basic, your place of residence. If you want to be in the center of things in Santorini, since you will only be on the island for a few days, we would suggest you to stay in Fira, i.e. the capital. In Fira you will be next to all the restaurants, bars and shops, while at the same time you will have a view of the entire caldera. However, Oia and Imerovigli are equally beautiful areas to stay for 3 days.

Day 1

Visit to Fira

You can start your tour from Fira, the capital of Santorini. It is a Cycladic town with white houses and narrow streets overlooking the caldera. There you will have the opportunity to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thira and the Archaeological Museum of Santorini.

Beaches: Red Beach and White Beach

The Red Beach is the most famous beach in Santorini and is really worth seeing up close. It got its name from the red rocks that surround it and the red sand that exists on the coast, along with the black pebbles.

Right next to the map, because the road network makes a loop to reach it, there is White Beach, which is surrounded by white cliffs. The coast consists of a combination of white pebbles with black sand. Generally the black color on the beaches of Santorini is due to the volcano and you will see it on most beaches.

Archaeological Site of Akrotiri

Nearby is the Archaeological Site of Akrotiri. Akrotiri was a prehistoric settlement discovered in 1967. It is believed to be a Minoan settlement that was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano. It is very impressive and really worth choosing a visit there. Afterwards, you can visit the Akrotiri Lighthouse which dates back to the 19th century and overlooks the Aegean.

Wine tasting

Santorini is famous for its wines and wineries. So you can’t miss a tour with wine tasting at one or more wineries. If you can book a wine tasting at sunset with Santorini Tours it will be even better.

Day 2

Caldera Cruise (Old Kameni, Nea Kameni, Thirasia)

After you have acclimatized a bit on the island of Santorini, it is time to enjoy one of the top experiences on the island. A cruise to the caldera and its volcanic islands (Old Kameni, Nea Kameni, Thirasia). You can take the path that leads to the active crater of the volcano located in Nea Kameni, swim in the thermal springs of Palaia Kameni and explore and swim in Thirasia.

Visit to Oia

Oia is one of the most beautiful settlements in Santorini, located in the northwestern part of the island, at a distance of 11 km from Fira. The reason it is famous is none other than the enchanting sunsets that one can enjoy from there. The traditional settlement of Oia has the classic Cycladic architecture and is rightfully included in the most picturesque places in Greece.

Tour the settlement to admire the cave houses, windmills and blue-domed churches. For sunset time I should inform you that as you can imagine Oia attracts a lot of people. If you prefer quiet, choose another place for sunset time. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Visit Imerovigli

Imerovigli is a village of Santorini, built at an altitude of 300 meters. It is a declared traditional settlement and is often called the “Balcony of the Aegean”. It is one of the best places in Santorini and offers the most beautiful view of the caldera. Oia may be famous for its sunset, but the sight is also magical in Imerovigli.

For the more active I would suggest visiting Skaros Rock, the place where the Castle used to be. There is a small church, Panagia Theoskepasti, and it is definitely a good route to with sneakers and when the sun starts to go down.

Food and entertainment in the capital of Santorini

The options for entertainment in Fira are countless. You will find dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars. Browse first and choose what piques your interest.

Day 3

Vlychada beach

You can spend your last day in Santorini exploring more beaches, beach-hopping and exploring the rest of the island’s settlements. So, start early in the morning, wear comfortable clothes, grab a hat and sunscreen and let’s go!

The first morning swim can be done at Vlyhada, it is one of the most famous and most beautiful beaches in Santorini. It is located at the southern end of the island and consists of fine sand and dark pebbles. Behind it stretch vertically imposing rocks and there is a beach bar that offers sunbeds to bathers.

Perivolos & Perissa beaches

Perivolos is a beach with black sand and many bars, cafes and restaurants around. It is one of the beaches that gather a lot of people. Next to it is Perissa, also a busy beach with black sand and crystal clear waters. You will also find many beach bars and restaurants there and it goes without saying that it is organized.

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