santorini in three days

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.

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

To visit Santorini for three days is not enough, but it is all that is needed for the visitor to get a very good idea of this unique island and plan their return. Read below in detail which parts of Santorini you absolutely must visit during your stay, even if only for three days on the island, so that you can be sure that you have seen the most important part of it – although you should not doubt that Santorini still has a lot to offer you show!

Fira

Fira is the capital of Santorini, located in the middle, on the eyebrow of the caldera and gathers not only most of the services, but also the visitors. Throughout the year the small town is buzzing with life: Supermarkets, grocery stores, shops, banks and public services are located around the central town square, Theotokopoulos Square, while travel agencies, hotels and rooms for rent, restaurants and bars you can find it in almost every alley, especially in the caldera.

Museums, churches, monuments, galleries, the traditional neighborhoods where the island’s architecture stands out, all are found in. abundance. The same abundance prevails in the entertainment options, as apart from the restaurants and cafes, many of which seem to “hanging” from the caldera, Fira also claims the top spot in Santorini’s nightlife, as there are many bars and clubs operating in the alleys.

In Fira, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy yet another unique experience. From Gialos, the old port where the cruise ships dock when they visit the island, a cable car starts that takes its enchanted passengers to the top of the caldera. An alternative option for those who want to go down to the small port, walk among the small shops and taste fresh fish in the taverns, is the 600 stone steps.

If someone does not want to walk the distance themselves, they can use the donkeys, the lovable animals that have been used for this purpose for many, many years. From Gialos one can also board a boat for a tour of the Volcano, Palaia and Nea Kameni and Thirasia, while many admit that no one can understand the greatness of Santorini without seeing the caldera and from the sea.

Oia

Oia of Santorini is the most famous settlement of the island, known all over the world for its unique sunset, when the sun sinks into the blue sea behind the volcano. It is built in the northernmost part of the caldera and is a traditional settlement, with all-white houses , captains’ houses and caves, bright colors, and the blue domes of the churches to decorate the image.

It has all the tourist infrastructure of a modern destination, a rich market with shops and public transportation that connects it daily with many routes, especially in the summer months, with Fira, the capital of the island, which is about 11 kilometers away. The main street, parallel to the caldera, is paved with marble and, together with the alleys perpendicular to it, constitutes the heart of Oia. The village has become synonymous with the sunset of Santorini, as everyone gathers on the roofs and terraces around the castle of Agios Nikolaos to face the soeveryday, but at the same time uniquely impressive spectacle.

The most famous church in the village is Panagia Platsani, almost in the center. The Entrances of Panagia, Agios Nikolaos, the Resurrection, Christ the Hero are some of the churches worth seeing. Going down to the sea, on the small island of Amoudi is Agios Nikolaos Peramataris, while near Armeni one can see the white chapel dedicated to the Holy Seven Children.

The volcano

There is no other island in the world like Santorini and its uniqueness is mainly due to the volcano – so it makes no sense to visit the island and not see this natural phenomenon up close. It is active, while the Minoan Eruption is considered the largest in world history. Since then the Santorini volcano has erupted many times over the centuries, constantly changing the image of the island, creating and destroying various small islands around its perimeter. You can take a tour of Santorini!

When the locals say volcano, they mean the small island of Nea Kameni, almost in the center of the circular perimeter formed by Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi. In Nea Kameni, after all, one can see vapors coming out of the bowels of the earth, while only about 60 years ago its most recent lands were formed, during the eruption of 1950. Right next to it, Palaia Kameni is the island that was formed before from about 2,000 years ago, during the eruption of 57 AD.

Today, visitors to Santorini have the opportunity not only to gaze at the volcano from the cliff of the caldera orsee it by sea from closer, but also to walk it. Boats to the volcano start both from Gialos, the old port of Santorini below Fira, Athinios, the modern port of the island, but also from Ammoudi, the port of Oia.

The first stop is in Nea Kameni, followed by Palaia Kameni, where visitors can dive into the warm waters with a yellowish color due to the sulphur. These excursions usually end with a stop in Thirasia, before returning to Santorini. See all the private tours we offer.

Prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri

The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri in Santorini is one of the most important archaeological sites in the entire Mediterranean and is located in the south-eastern part of the island, at a distance of 15 kilometers from Fira. The part of the city that has come to light dates from the Late Bronze Age, i.e. at the end of the 17th century BC. The findings lead to the conclusion that it was an important center of the time, a cosmopolitan port with commercial relations with mainland Greece, the rest of the Aegean islands, but also Egypt and Syria.

The definitive end came from the so-called Minoan Eruption of the volcano, estimated around 1615 BC, while the findings show that the inhabitants had been “warned”: No human skeletons were found, few jewels and valuable objects were found, while on the contrary jars and other useful tools and utensils placed under thresholds to protect them.

Today, the visitor to the archaeological site can see a very representative sample: Multi-storied buildings, some public and some private, with their courtyards fully exposed. Public roads pass between them, while, based on the research, free spaces that functioned as squares emerge. Part of the drainage system is also distinct, while the way of construction of all the buildings is typical, based on the building materials of Santorini and complex techniques, which ensured both insulation from the weather conditions and anti-seismic protection, in such a sensitive area.

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