Are there supermarkets on Santorini?

Yes. Full-size stores sit inland on the Fira to Kamari road and in Karterados, Messaria and Emporio, with car parks and wide ranges. The caldera rim has only minimarkets.

Can I drink the tap water on Santorini?

It is desalinated and fine for cooking and washing, and nobody drinks it. Buy bottled water in bulk from a large store, where a one and a half litre bottle costs forty to sixty cents.

Do I need a car to reach the big stores?

Effectively yes, or a bus to Fira and a walk to Karterados. The large stores are not walkable from the rim villages.

How much does a week of groceries cost?

A hundred and twenty to two hundred euros for two people cooking most meals, against seven hundred and up eating out every night.

The Greek name for the carnival season. It means away from meat, and refers to the three weeks of feasting before the Lenten fast.

Where are the best carnival parades in Santorini?

Fira for the main parade with floats, and Emporio, Pyrgos, Megalochori and Karterados for the smaller village versions.

Should you dress up for the Santorini carnival?

Yes, for the final weekend before Clean Monday. Adults and children both wear costume, and ordinary clothes stand out more than any outfit.

What is open in Santorini in carnival season?

Fira all month, plus Akrotiri, Ancient Thera, both museums and the cable car on winter hours, and a handful of wineries. Oia and the beach resorts are largely closed.

How cold is Santorini during carnival?

Twelve to sixteen degrees by day and eight to eleven at night, with six to nine wet days across the month and a sea at 15 to 16 degrees.

Santorini Private Tour

Q: Where is the biggest supermarket on Santorini?

The largest stores are on the Fira to Kamari commercial strip rather than in any of the rim villages.

Q: How expensive is food in Santorini supermarkets?

Normal Greek supermarket prices in the large inland stores, and thirty to sixty per cent more in the village and caldera minimarkets.

Q: What are the opening hours?

Roughly eight or nine in the morning to nine at night in summer, seven days a week. Shorter in winter, with Sunday closures and an afternoon break in the villages.

Q: Is there gluten-free food?

The large stores carry a free-from shelf with bread, pasta and biscuits. The village shops carry none.

September 14, 2026 By Stelios Karamolegkos Leave a Comment

Santorini Supermarkets – Where to Shop and What It Costs

Santorini supermarkets are all in the wrong place for visitors, which is the whole point of this page. The large stores sit inland on the Fira to Kamari road and around Karterados and Messaria, feeding fifteen thousand residents at normal Greek prices, while the caldera rim has minimarkets charging three times as much for a bottle of water. We drive guests past these stores every day, and this page covers where they are, what things cost, when they open and what to buy.

Santorini is a citizen of the world and a dream destination for many people and you can explore the island with Santorini Tours. It is no coincidence that for many people on the planet it is a lifelong dream to travel to Santorini. Many even spend a lot of money to be able to see the Caldera up close and enjoy the famous sunset from there. So surely something makes this place unique for the visitor.

However, not a little has been written about this unique place which is the creation of one of the most dangerous volcanoes on our planet. Consider that around 1600 BC, when it exploded, an entire civilization disappeared at once. There are many who believe that the lost Atlantis may have been buried under the lava of this volcano once and for all.

Its ideal location, its special morphology, the uniqueness of gastronomy, the strong character of its hotels but also the correct and highly professional utilization of all the above by businessmen have turned Santorini into a trendsetter of luxury tourism worldwide. Loud hotel openings, gastronomic concepts by award-winning chefs, gourmet street food are things that happen in Santorini in the summer.

Do not miss the famous sunset of Oia

The route from Imerovigli to Oia is about nine kilometers and as it runs through the beautiful landscapes of Santorini with the cliffs, the volcanic rocks, the white chapels, the restored windmills, it literally wins the impressions.

Oia is world famous for its unique sunset. Oia is divided into two neighborhoods. One is on the side of the caldera with the restored caves that are hidden in the volcanic land and is the area where the farmers and sailors of the island lived. The other is the neighborhood where most of the shipowners ‘neoclassical residences and captains’ houses are located.

Even today, Oia, despite its tourist development, maintains a nostalgic atmosphere. It is worth visiting the Maritime Museum where objects from the maritime history of the island are exhibited, as well as an important collection of books. Remarkable are the nearby traditional villages Tholos and Finikia. Descending from Oia the 214 steps, you will find the coves Ammoudi and Armeni.

Taste the special local cuisine of Santorini

Santorini is famous for its fava beans, , its excellent tomato, white eggplant, its tomato meatballs and of course for the fishes. It will impress you that what is produced on the island is smaller than normal due to lack of water but this means that they are all much more rich in elements and taste. Of course, all the food you will try, make sure to accompany them with one of the wines of the island to take off the delicious experience.

Some special local recipes of the island to try are the koufeto, the melitinia, the Santorini pudding, the sponge, the psarolia, the atherinopita, the and the rabbit. Also, do not forget to try the local salad of the island, which combines plenty of capers with all the local products of the island. You can have a Santorini Private Tour and Food Experience with us!

Ideal island for extreme sports

After last year’s summer, Santorini welcomes the new season with more and more intriguing activities than ever. Only a diving enthusiast can understand the uniqueness of the experience of becoming part of this wonderful aquatic world. In Santorini you will feel this many times over, since at the same time there is the peculiarity of the seabed, the volcanic rocks and the awe from the bottom of the caldera. In Santorini you will find many activities to do such as hiking, kayaking, sailing, water sports and more. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Admire the beautiful villages of the island

The capital of the island is Fira, which are built on the Caldera, 260 meters above sea level and have a wonderful view of the clear blue waters of the Aegean. Also, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia stretch along the caldera and will enchant you, each in its own unique way. The settlement of Oia is the first in Greece that was considered preserved, as it looks like a work of art, which is natural and has no human intervention, since its rocks were sculpted and carved in a unique way from the lava of the volcano.

In the village of Akrotiri, which is about 10 km from Fira, there is the most important discovery of the Eastern Mediterranean that concerns the prehistoric settlement that was first inhabited in 4500 BC. Pyrgos is a jewel village and a pole of attraction for many tourists who seek tranquility and natural beauty. It is 5-10 minutes from Fira and is the most beloved village of the island, as in 1800 it was the capital of Santorini and to this day it retains the glamor of the past. The highest peak of the island is located in this village, in the church of Profitis Ilias, from where you can see the most beautiful view of the island and the sunset.

Still, Megalochori seems like a painting with its sculpted rocky houses and incredible tranquility. There are also many wineries that you can visit. Also, you can visit the windmills on the hill of Gavriilos that especially at night with shaving look extremely romantic. Book a Santorini Full Day Private Tour now.

See rare finds in the museums of the island

A visit to the museum of Prehistoric Thira but also to the archeological site is like a dive into the long history of the island. The first houses finds from excavations in Akrotiri, such as furniture molds, bronze utensils and the only golden chamois figurine.

The Archaeological Museum has collections of sculptures and inscriptions from the Archaic to the Roman period. Excavations have revealed parts of an advanced settlement of the 3rd millennium BC buried in the ashes of the great eruption of the volcano (15th century BC). It is considered one of the most important prehistoric centers of the Aegean and the Mediterranean.

Santorini Supermarkets: The Short Answer

Santorini has proper supermarkets, and almost none of them is where visitors stay. The large stores sit inland, on the Fira to Kamari road and around Karterados and Messaria, feeding fifteen thousand residents. The caldera rim has minimarkets charging tourist prices for the same goods. Knowing which santorini supermarkets to use is the single biggest saving available to anybody with a kitchen, and it also matters to people who just want water and sun cream without paying four euros for it.

The large santorini supermarkets. Full-size supermarkets on the Fira to Kamari road, in Karterados and around Messaria, with car parks.

The santorini supermarkets chains. The Greek chains operate here alongside local independents, and one large discounter has a presence on the island.

The minimarkets against the santorini supermarkets. In every village including Oia, Imerovigli and Firostefani, small, convenient and thirty to sixty per cent dearer.

Santorini supermarkets opening hours. Roughly eight or nine in the morning to nine at night in season, shorter in winter, and most open on Sunday in summer.

Cards in the santorini supermarkets. Accepted everywhere, including the village shops.

What to buy in the santorini supermarkets. Water, fruit, bread, cheese, olives, wine, sun cream and anything for a self-catering kitchen.

What is dear. Imported branded goods, fresh meat, and anything bought within two hundred metres of the caldera.

What is cheap. Greek produce, pulses, olive oil, tinned tomatoes, bread, bottled water and Greek wine.

The wine. Santorini Assyrtiko from seven to fifteen euros a bottle in the santorini supermarkets, against thirty to sixty in a restaurant.

Water. Tap water is desalinated and nobody drinks it. A six-pack of one and a half litre bottles costs two to three euros.

The arrival-day santorini supermarkets shop. The most useful twenty minutes of any Santorini trip, done on the way from the airport or the port.

Getting there. A car, a scooter or a bus to Fira, because the big stores are not walkable from the rim villages.

The one-line answer. Shop once at a large inland store on arrival day and use the village minimarket only for the things you forgot, and a week here costs several hundred euros less.

Where the Big Stores Are

Santorini supermarkets on the Fira to Kamari road. The island’s commercial strip, with the largest santorini supermarkets, car parks and the widest ranges.

Santorini supermarkets in Karterados. Residential, ten minutes’ walk from Fira, with two good-sized stores used by islanders.

Santorini supermarkets in Messaria. The island’s crossroads, on every bus route, with a supermarket and a petrol station.

Santorini supermarkets in Fira. Several mid-size stores away from the caldera path, plus small shops on it at rim prices.

Santorini supermarkets in Emporio. The largest village, with a proper supermarket serving residents rather than visitors.

Santorini supermarkets in Kamari. Stores on the main road behind the beach, decent sized, open late in season.

Santorini supermarkets in Perissa and Perivolos. Mid-size supermarkets on the beach road, busier and slightly dearer than the inland ones.

Megalochori and Pyrgos. Village shops rather than supermarkets, fine for basics.

Santorini supermarkets in Oia. Minimarkets only, expensive, and the nearest large store is fifteen minutes’ drive away.

Santorini supermarkets in Imerovigli and Firostefani. Small shops, the highest prices on the island, and Fira is a short walk downhill.

Santorini supermarkets in Akrotiri. A village shop, and the big stores are twenty minutes away.

Vothonas and Exo Gonia. Local shops on the inland roads.

Parking at the santorini supermarkets. Free at the large stores, which is worth knowing on an island where parking is otherwise a problem.

The practical rule. Every worthwhile store on this island is inland, and every convenient one is on the rim, and the price difference between them is the entire subject of this page.

What Things Cost

Real prices, so the saving is visible rather than theoretical.

Bottled water in the santorini supermarkets. Forty to sixty cents in a large store, one to one fifty in a village minimarket, two to three on the caldera.

Bread. One to two euros for a village loaf, and the bakeries are better than the supermarkets.

Feta. Five to eight euros a kilo, loose from the deli counter, and far better than pre-packed.

Greek yoghurt. Two to three euros for a large pot.

Olives. Four to seven euros a kilo loose.

Olive oil in the santorini supermarkets. Eight to fourteen euros a litre for good Greek oil, which is the best value item in any of the santorini supermarkets.

Tomatoes. Two to four euros a kilo in season, and the small Santorini ones cost more.

Santorini fava. Six to twelve euros for a PDO-sealed bag, and the best souvenir on the island.

Capers. Three to six euros a jar, local, excellent.

Assyrtiko in the santorini supermarkets. Seven to fifteen euros a bottle, from the cooperative and the named estates.

Beer. One to two euros for a Greek lager, three to four for a local Donkey beer.

Coffee. Three to six euros for a bag of Greek ground coffee.

Sun cream in the santorini supermarkets. Eight to eighteen euros, and much more from a beach kiosk. Bring it from home.

A week of groceries for two. A hundred and twenty to two hundred euros cooking most meals, against seven hundred and up eating out.

The santorini supermarkets saving. One large shop on arrival day saves roughly the price of two caldera dinners, for twenty minutes of effort.

What to Buy and What to Skip

Buy the Greek produce in the santorini supermarkets. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines, greens and fruit, all seasonal and all cheap.

Buy the pulses. Gigantes, lentils, chickpeas and the island’s own fava, at a fraction of northern European prices.

Buy the dairy. Feta, graviera, mizithra and the island’s chloro cheese where you find it.

Buy the oil and the honey. Greek olive oil and thyme honey are both better and cheaper than anything you will find at home.

Buy the wine. Assyrtiko from the santorini supermarkets is the same wine you will pay four times as much for on a terrace.

Buy the water. In bulk, from a large store, on the first day.

Skip the imported brands in the santorini supermarkets. Northern European cereals, sauces and snacks carry a heavy import markup here.

Skip the fresh meat unless you are cooking. The butchers are better and not much dearer.

Skip the ready meals. Limited range and poor value against a five euro taverna plate of ladera.

Skip the beach toys and inflatables. Sold at a markup and left behind at the end of the week.

The santorini supermarkets deli counter. Point and hold up fingers. Loose cheese, olives and cured meat are cheaper and better than the packets.

The santorini supermarkets bakery counter. Most large stores have one, with bread, pies and pastries baked through the day.

Free-from shelves in the santorini supermarkets. A gluten-free shelf and some plant milks in the large stores, and none in the village shops.

Bags. Charged for, so carry one. Greek supermarkets do not give them away.

Opening Hours, Sundays and the Winter Version

Summer hours at the santorini supermarkets. Roughly eight or nine in the morning to nine at night, seven days a week, in the large stores.

Village minimarkets. Often later in season, and many stay open until ten or eleven in the beach villages.

Sundays at the santorini supermarkets. Most santorini supermarkets open on Sunday from May to October, and hours are shorter.

Winter hours at the santorini supermarkets. Eight or nine to eight, with many closing for a couple of hours in the afternoon and most closed on Sunday.

The siesta. Less strict on Santorini in season than on the mainland, and real in the villages in winter.

Public holidays and the santorini supermarkets. The 15th of August, Easter Sunday and the 25th of March close almost everything. Shop the day before.

Easter. Good Friday and Easter Sunday are the two quietest days of the Greek year.

Which santorini supermarkets stay open in winter. The Fira, Karterados, Messaria and Emporio stores trade all year. The beach villages largely shut.

Winter ranges. Narrower, with less imported produce and fewer prepared foods.

Bakeries. Open from before seven in every village, all year, and a better breakfast than any supermarket.

Butchers and fishmongers. Mornings, in Fira and Karterados, and worth the detour.

Pharmacies. Separate from the supermarkets in Greece, with their own rota for evenings and Sundays.

Alcohol. Sold in supermarkets at all hours, with no licensing restrictions worth knowing about.

The planning rule. In August and around public holidays, do the shop a day earlier than you think you need to.

Santorini Supermarkets: Questions People Ask

Where are the santorini supermarkets? Yes, full-size ones on the Fira to Kamari road, in Karterados, Messaria and Emporio, with car parks and wide ranges.

Which of the santorini supermarkets is biggest? The largest stores are inland on the Fira to Kamari commercial strip rather than in any of the rim villages.

Are there santorini supermarkets in Oia? Minimarkets only, at high prices. The nearest large store is about fifteen minutes away by car.

How expensive is food on Santorini? Greek supermarket prices in the large inland stores, and thirty to sixty per cent more in the village and caldera minimarkets.

Can I pay by card? Yes, everywhere, including the small village shops.

What hours do the santorini supermarkets keep? Roughly eight or nine to nine in summer, seven days a week. Shorter in winter, with Sunday closures.

Do the santorini supermarkets open on Sundays? Most large santorini supermarkets do from May to October, with reduced hours.

Can I drink the tap water? It is desalinated and safe for washing and cooking, and nobody drinks it. Buy bottled water in bulk.

Is there gluten-free food? A free-from shelf in the large stores with bread, pasta and biscuits. Nothing in the village shops.

Can I get oat and soy milk? Yes in the large stores, patchily in the villages.

What should I buy to take home? Santorini fava, capers, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme honey, olive oil and a bottle of Assyrtiko.

Do I need a car? For the large stores, effectively yes, or a bus to Fira and a walk to Karterados.

Is there home delivery? Some stores deliver locally, and food delivery apps cover Fira and Karterados.

When should I do the big shop? On arrival day, on the way from the airport or the port, which is the single most useful stop of the trip.

Self-Catering, and How Much It Saves

Who this is for. Anybody in an apartment, a villa or a cave house with a kitchen, which on Santorini is a large proportion of visitors.

The santorini supermarkets saving. Cooking four dinners out of seven saves roughly three hundred euros for two people over a week.

The easiest meals. Greek salad and bread, grilled fish, gigantes, pasta with Santorini tomato paste, and fava.

Fava at home. A bag from the santorini supermarkets, half an hour in a pot with onion and oil, and it is the island’s signature dish for two euros.

Breakfast from the santorini supermarkets. Bread, tahini, honey, yoghurt, fruit and Greek coffee, for a fraction of a hotel buffet.

Picnics from the santorini supermarkets. Bread, feta, tomatoes, olives, capers and a bottle of Assyrtiko, eaten on a terrace, beats most restaurant meals.

Beach days and the santorini supermarkets. A cool bag, water, fruit and pastries bought in the morning, against beach-bar prices all afternoon.

What kitchens here have. A hob, a fridge, a kettle and basic pans. Ovens are less common than you would expect.

What they lack. Sharp knives, a colander and any real quantity of pans. Ask before you plan anything ambitious.

The barbecue. Many terraces have one, and grilled fish or vegetables with a view is the best dinner on the island.

Water for cooking. Tap water is desalinated and fine for boiling pasta. Use bottled for drinking and coffee.

Rubbish. Communal bins in every village, emptied daily in season.

The balance most people land on. Breakfast and two or three dinners at home, lunches out in villages, and two proper restaurant nights.

Why that works. It keeps the week affordable without turning a holiday into a domestic chore.

The Shopping Run, and How We Help

The arrival-day santorini supermarkets stop. We will stop at one of the large santorini supermarkets on the way from the airport or Athinios port if you ask when you book.

Why it matters. Twenty minutes with a car solves the whole week. Doing it later without one means a bus, a walk and carrying bags uphill.

Santorini supermarkets from the airport. The Fira to Kamari road stores are directly on the route to almost anywhere on the island.

Santorini supermarkets from Athinios port. Karterados and Messaria are on the way up, and both have parking.

What to buy on that stop. Water in bulk, breakfast, wine, fruit and anything heavy, because you will not want to carry it later.

Staying in Oia. Particularly worth doing, because Oia has no large store and the lanes are stepped.

Staying in Imerovigli. The same, and several properties are a two hundred step descent from the road.

Mid-week top-ups. The village minimarkets are fine for bread, milk and fruit at a small premium.

Villas, groups and the santorini supermarkets. A large shop makes obvious sense for six or eight people, and we can run a second car if needed.

Dietary requirements. Tell us and we will take you to the store with the right shelf, because not all of them carry free-from ranges.

Departure day at the santorini supermarkets. A stop for fava, capers, paste and honey on the way to the airport, which is cheaper than the duty-free shop and better.

Long stays. Anybody here for a month or more should know which of the santorini supermarkets open in winter, and we can tell you.

What to send us. Your arrival time, where you are staying and whether you have a kitchen, and we will build the shopping stop into the transfer.

The Greek Supermarket, Explained

Greek stores work slightly differently from northern European ones, and knowing how saves time and money.

The deli counter. The best part. Loose feta, graviera, olives, cured meat and salads, cut to order and cheaper than the packets.

How to order there. Point, and say a number of grams or hold up fingers. Nobody expects Greek.

The bakery counter. In most large santorini supermarkets, with bread, tiropita, spanakopita and pastries baked through the day.

Loose produce in the santorini supermarkets. Weighed at the checkout rather than by you, so no sticker machine to find.

Bags in the santorini supermarkets. Charged by law. Bring one or buy a reusable at the till.

Packing. You pack your own, quickly, because the queue behind you is patient but not infinitely so.

Trolley coins. Some stores use a coin deposit. Keep a fifty cent piece in the car.

Receipts. Always issued and legally required. Keep it until you leave the shop.

Alcohol. On the shelves at all hours, with no licensing hours in Greece.

Local shelves in the santorini supermarkets. Most large stores keep a Santorini section with fava, capers, tomato paste and island wine.

Pharmacy items. Painkillers and medicines are sold in pharmacies, not supermarkets. Only basic first aid is on the shelves.

Baby goods. Formula, nappies and jars are stocked in the larger stores and not in the village shops.

Pet food. A full range in the large stores.

The one habit worth copying. Greeks shop the deli counter first and the aisles second, and the food is better for it.

Markets, Bakeries and the Alternatives

Bakeries against the santorini supermarkets. In every village, open from before seven, and better than any supermarket bread on the island.

What bakeries sell. Village loaves, koulouri, tiropita, spanakopita, bougatsa, pastries and biscuits.

Butchers against the santorini supermarkets. In Fira, Karterados and Emporio, with better meat than the supermarket counters at similar prices.

Fishmongers against the santorini supermarkets. Fira and Karterados, mornings, at a third of restaurant prices for the same fish.

Greengrocers. A handful, seasonal, with better produce than the santorini supermarkets in July and August.

Farm shops. A few inland, selling tomatoes, fava, capers and eggs directly.

Wineries. Buy Assyrtiko at the estate for a similar price to the supermarket and a much better selection.

Kiosks against the santorini supermarkets. The periptero, selling water, snacks, cigarettes and bus tickets, open very late.

Beach kiosks. Convenient and expensive. A bottle of water costs three times the supermarket price.

Delivery from the santorini supermarkets. Operating in Fira and Karterados, covering groceries and restaurants.

Sunday and holidays. Bakeries open, large stores variable, and the 15th of August closes almost everything.

Winter. The inland stores and bakeries carry on. The beach village shops shut from November.

The best combination. A weekly shop at one of the large santorini supermarkets, daily bread from the village bakery, and fish or meat from a counter rather than a shelf.

Prices Against the Rest of Greece

Against Athens. Roughly ten to fifteen per cent more in the santorini supermarkets, which is the cost of shipping everything to a rock.

Against Crete. Similar, with Crete cheaper on produce because it grows its own at scale.

Against Naxos. Naxos is cheaper on vegetables, potatoes and cheese, all of which it farms properly.

Against Mykonos. About the same, and Mykonos is dearer in the village shops.

Against the smaller Cyclades. Santorini is cheaper, because it has real competition and they have one shop each.

Against northern Europe. Cheaper on produce, oil, wine, pulses and dairy, and dearer on imported branded goods.

What is genuinely cheap here. Olive oil, wine, feta, tomatoes, greens, pulses, bread and coffee.

What is genuinely dear. Imported cereals, sauces, toiletries, sun cream and anything with a northern European brand on it.

Bottled water. Cheap in bulk from a large store and one of the biggest markups on the island anywhere else.

The overall picture. Santorini has a reputation for being expensive that comes from its restaurants and hotels rather than from its shops.

What that means in practice. A visitor who eats out every night finds this island expensive, and one who uses the santorini supermarkets for half their meals does not.

The single number worth remembering. A full week of groceries for two costs about what one caldera-view dinner does.

What to Bring Home

The supermarket is a better souvenir shop than the souvenir shops, and everything here travels in checked luggage.

Santorini fava from the santorini supermarkets. PDO-sealed, six to twelve euros a bag, and it cooks into the island’s signature dish in half an hour.

Capers from the santorini supermarkets. Jarred, local, three to six euros, and far better than anything sold at home.

Tomato paste. Santorini’s own, thick and dark, and unlike the mainland version.

Sun-dried tomatoes. In oil, intensely sweet, and the best thing in most of the santorini supermarkets.

Thyme honey from the santorini supermarkets. Greek, and the island’s own where you can find it. Counts as a liquid in hand luggage.

Olive oil from the santorini supermarkets. Cheaper and better than at home, and the single best-value purchase on the shelves.

Assyrtiko. Seven to fifteen euros a bottle, and wrapped in clothing it travels fine in a case.

Vinsanto. The sweet sun-dried wine, small bottles, and a genuinely local gift.

Sesame halva and pasteli. Light, unbreakable and cheap.

Greek coffee. A bag of ground coffee and a briki from a hardware shop.

Oregano and herbs. Sold in large bunches, weightless, and much stronger than supermarket jars at home.

Mastic products. From Chios rather than Santorini, and stocked here.

What not to bring. Fresh cheese and anything chilled, which will not survive a ferry and a flight.

Customs. Within the EU, nothing to declare. Outside it, check the rules on dairy and honey before you pack them.

The departure stop. Ten minutes at one of the santorini supermarkets on the way to the airport beats the duty-free shop on both price and range.

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

September 12, 2026 By Stelios Karamolegkos Leave a Comment

5 places you should see in Santorini

Summer of 2022 the ideal summer to experience Santorini and all that it offers. From the wonderful wines, fava beans and sun-dried tomatoes to swimming in the pool at sunset between Oia and Thirasia.

Once is never enough to enjoy Santorini. To feel that you are conversing with God in the Caldera, to dive into the seas born by the volcano, to taste the deliciousness of the products of the volcanic land, to find you in the morning without even realizing it in Fira, to feel the means high quality of services provided.

If you are going to Santorini for the first time, it is almost certain that you will be captivated by the magic of the Caldera. The scenery is unique in the world, and so is the electrifying atmosphere it exudes.

Confronting for the first time the traditional settlements spread out on the rim of the caldera, you are ecstatic, while the sea breeze accompanies you to Athinios, the small but busy port of the island, which welcomes travelers. Ascending the serpentine bends of the steep slope above Athinios, those unfamiliar with the island get just a taste of what is to come.

Arriving after a while in Fira, the capital of Santorini, you now have the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent view of the caldera, Nea and Palaia Kameni, Thirasia. Only then do you realize that nature has created and man has built where the view is breathtaking.

However, it is not only the unique view of the impressive caldera and the magnificent sunset that attracts the attention of visitors to Santorini.

1. Oia

On the northern tip of Santorini, 12 kilometers from Fira, Oia is a picturesque village of whitewashed houses, some of which have been converted into elegant boutique hotels with infinity pools overlooking the caldera. Like Fira, it lives off tourism, but caters to a successful clientele. Steep paths zigzag into town from Ammoúdi Bay, where you’ll find a range of seafood restaurants.

Oia is known for its stunning sunsets, which attract visitors from all over the island every night until summer. It is possible to walk all the way from Oia to Fira following a path along the cliffs high above the caldera.

2. Fira

Santorini’s capital, Fira (Thira), consists of whitewashed cubic houses and terraces, flower lanes, small squares and blue-domed churches that climb the cliffs 300 meters above the caldera. Below the city, from the small port of Skala, you can reach Fira either on foot or on horseback (mules are rented) up the steep path (587 steps) or by cable car.

Ships dock at the port of Athens and connect to Fira Street (17km), while cruise ships drop anchor at Caldera and passengers are transported to Skala by tender. Fira lives mainly from tourism and many of its buildings now offer small hotels, apartments, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and jewelry shops. You can take a tour of Santorini!

3. Caldera

Created by the massive volcanic eruption that blasted the center out of the island some 3,600 years ago, the Caldera is the remaining sea-filled volcanic crater. Measuring 12 kilometers by seven kilometers, there is still volcanic activity – in its center rise the two islets of Kaiméni with hot springs and gas emissions.

Various services offer day trips to the caldera by boat, including time to bathe in the hot springs and then lunch on Thirassia, a small island on the west side of the caldera that offers amazing views of Santorini.

4. Pyrgos

The road to the top of the mountain passes from Pyrgos. Profítis Ilías (584 meters), the highest point in Santorini, offers stunning views of the island and out to sea. Here is the Prophet Elias Monastery, which is open to the public.

Inside, you can see the church with a carved iconostasis and the museum that displays the miter and crozier of Patriarch Gregory II, who was hanged in Constantinople by the Turks in 1821. Also of interest are the library, the monastic archives and the kitchen. The monastery ran one of the many “secret schools” that operated during the Turkish period.

5. Perissa

The most famous and popular beach of Santorini is located on the southeast coast, between the villages of Perissa and Perivolos. A kilometer-long stretch of black volcanic sand, backed by woody trees and overlooked by a row of seafood tavernas and cafes. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, as well as water sports facilities. It is about 12 kilometers from Fira.

Take a Santorini tour

The other attractions of the island are also countless: the architectural ornaments, examples of genuine Theraic architecture (Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia), the important archaeological sites (Akrotiri, Ancient Thera), the traditional settlements (Emporio, Megalochori, Pyrgos), the islets Nea and Palaia Kameni, monuments of special natural beauty and great scientific interest, the excellent Museum of Prehistoric Thira in Fira, the traditional wineries, which reveal to visitors the secrets of making the famous Santorini wine.

A great way to learn about the history of Santorini, explore picturesque villages and see stunning sunset views is to take a Santorini private tour. If you prefer to customize your tour to your interests, take a private sightseeing Santorini tour. To see Santorini’s sights in a day is a great option.

More Places You Should See in Santorini

Oia, Fira, the caldera, Pyrgos and Perissa, described above, are the five essentials. As the article says, the island’s other attractions are countless. This section adds the other places you should see in Santorini, from ancient cities to hidden bays, with practical advice for each.

Places you should see in Santorini on the caldera. Imerovigli, Firostefani, Skaros Rock and Ammoudi, all along the rim or just below it.

Places you should see in Santorini for history. Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and the Museum of Prehistoric Thira in Fira.

Places you should see in Santorini inland and in the south. Megalochori, Emporio, the Red Beach, Vlychada and the Akrotiri Lighthouse.

Places you should see in Santorini by boat. Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni and Thirasia in the middle and across the caldera.

Each entry explains what makes the place special, how long to allow and when to go.

21. The Castle and Maritime Museum of Oia

Oia, the first of the five essentials above, has two sights that many visitors miss while waiting for the sunset. Both are places you should see in Santorini in their own right.

The castle of Agios Nikolaos. The ruins at the western tip of the village were once part of one of the island’s five fortified settlements. At sunset they are packed; in the morning you can have them almost to yourself.

The Maritime Museum. Oia grew rich from shipping in the 19th century. Housed in a restored mansion, the museum tells the story of the village’s sea captains through ship models, figureheads, instruments and documents.

The captains’ houses. Along the main lane, grand neoclassical mansions contrast with the simple cave houses of the sailors below.

The windmills. The white windmills at the edge of the village are a favourite subject at golden hour.

Places you should see in Santorini before the crowds. Visit Oia before 9:00, rest in the afternoon and return only for the sunset.

22. Finikia

Just outside Oia, the small village of Finikia is one of the quieter places you should see in Santorini.

The village. Colourful cave houses, cobbled lanes and small churches, much calmer than its famous neighbour even in high season.

The walk. A short path links Oia and Finikia, making it easy to combine the two in a morning.

The sunset. The same sunset as Oia, with a fraction of the people.

Nearby. Wineries lie on the roads around Finikia, and the quiet north-coast beaches of Baxedes and Kouloumpos are a short drive away.

Places you should see in Santorini to stay. Finikia also offers traditional houses to rent at lower prices than Oia, with the caldera a short walk away.

Tips. Respect residents’ privacy in the narrow lanes, and visit in the morning or late afternoon for the best light.

6. Imerovigli and Skaros Rock

Between Fira and Oia, at the highest point of the caldera rim, Imerovigli is one of the places you should see in Santorini for the view alone.

The village. Around 300 metres above the sea, Imerovigli looks across the volcano to Thirasia. Its paths pass small whitewashed churches and some of the island’s most beautiful hotels.

Skaros Rock. Below the village rises the great rock that held the island’s medieval capital, a fortified settlement protected by the cliffs. Earthquakes destroyed it over the centuries, but the walk out to the rock remains spectacular.

The walk. A stepped path leads down from Imerovigli to the neck of the rock in around 20 to 30 minutes. A narrow ledge path continues to the white chapel of Theoskepasti above the sea; avoid it in strong wind.

Places you should see in Santorini at sunset: Imerovigli. The sunset here is as beautiful as in Oia, with Skaros in the foreground and far fewer people.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. Allow two to three hours, including the walk to Skaros and a drink with a view.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Early morning for an empty path, or late afternoon for golden light and the sunset.

7. Firostefani and the Three Bells

A short walk north of Fira, Firostefani is one of the places you should see in Santorini if you want the caldera view without the crowds of the capital.

The village. Its name refers to the way it crowns Fira. Small squares, relaxed tavernas and wide views over the volcano and Nea Kameni.

The Three Bells of Fira. Just below the path between Fira and Firostefani stands the blue-domed Catholic church often called the Three Bells of Fira, one of the island’s best-known views. Photograph it from the path above in the morning light.

Places you should see in Santorini on foot. Firostefani is the first stop on the caldera path from Fira to Oia, which the article above describes as possible all the way along the cliffs.

The sunset. Firostefani faces the volcano and gives superb sunsets from its terraces.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. An hour or two, combined with Fira or Imerovigli.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Morning for photographs, evening for the sunset and dinner.

24. The Old Port and the 587 Steps

As the article above describes, Fira can be reached from the small port of Skala on foot, by mule or by cable car. The Old Port and the climb above it are places you should see in Santorini at least once.

The steps. The zigzag path of around 587 steps links the port and the town. Walking down is easy and scenic; walking up in summer is hot and tiring.

The cable car. The quickest way between Fira and the port, a ride of three to five minutes with views across the caldera.

The mules. Mules still carry visitors on the steps, but their welfare has been widely criticised. We recommend walking or taking the cable car instead.

The port. A few cafés and tavernas, and boats leaving for the volcano, the hot springs and Thirasia.

Places you should see in Santorini on cruise days. When several ships are in, the cable car queue can be long. Go down early and come back up before the afternoon rush. See our page on the Santorini cable car.

13. Ammoudi Bay

As the article above says, steep paths zigzag from Oia down to Ammoudi Bay. The small harbour is one of the most charming places you should see in Santorini.

The harbour. Fish tavernas line the water, colourful boats bob in the bay and red volcanic rock rises behind.

Swimming. A path along the rocks leads to the islet of Agios Nikolaos, where strong swimmers jump into deep, clear water. Check the depth and never jump alone.

Places you should see in Santorini at sunset: Ammoudi. A table by the water is a lovely place to watch the sun go down, away from the crowds on the castle above.

Boats. Small boats leave from Ammoudi for Thirasia across the caldera.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. A long lunch or an evening meal.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Walk down in the late afternoon; the climb back up is steep, so take a taxi to the top if needed.

8. Akrotiri

The article above names Akrotiri among the island’s important archaeological sites. For many visitors it is the most fascinating of all the places you should see in Santorini.

The Bronze Age town. A prosperous settlement buried under volcanic ash during the great eruption around 3,600 years ago. Multi-storey houses, streets, squares, storerooms still holding their jars and a drainage system have been preserved.

The shelter. A large modern roof protects the site, so it is comfortable to visit on hot or rainy days. Walkways lead through the streets.

The mystery. Few valuables and no human remains have been found, suggesting the inhabitants left before the eruption.

Places you should see in Santorini together: Akrotiri and the museum. The wall paintings and finds from the site are displayed at the Museum of Prehistoric Thira in Fira. Visit both for the full story.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. One to two hours; longer with a guide.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. At opening time, before the tour groups arrive.

16. The Museum of Prehistoric Thira

The article above calls it excellent, and it is. The museum in Fira is one of the places you should see in Santorini to understand its Bronze Age past.

The collection. Wall paintings, pottery, tools and figurines from Akrotiri and earlier prehistoric sites on the island.

The wall paintings. The colourful frescoes from Akrotiri show plants, animals, ships and people from daily life before the eruption.

Places you should see in Santorini in Fira’s museums. The Archaeological Museum, near the upper cable car station, holds finds from Ancient Thera and later periods.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. One to two hours.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. In the hottest part of the day, or on a windy day when boats do not sail.

9. Ancient Thera

High on the ridge of Mesa Vouno, above Kamari and Perissa, Ancient Thera is one of the places you should see in Santorini for both history and views.

The city. Founded by Dorian settlers around the 9th century BC and inhabited into Byzantine times, it has houses, temples, a theatre and an agora spread along the ridge.

The views. From the top you look down on Kamari on one side and the long beach of Perissa on the other, with the open Aegean beyond.

Places you should see in Santorini with a climb. A winding road climbs from Kamari to a car park below the site, followed by a short steep walk. Fit walkers can also hike up from Perissa.

Opening hours. Shorter than at Akrotiri and variable by season; check before you go.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. Allow two hours, including the drive or walk up.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Early in the day. The site is exposed and has no shade.

10. The Red Beach

Near Akrotiri, the Red Beach is one of the most photographed places you should see in Santorini.

The colours. A dramatic red volcanic cliff rises behind a small beach of dark sand and pebbles, with clear blue water in front.

Access. A short path leads from the parking area to a viewpoint above the beach. Access to the beach itself is sometimes restricted because of the risk of rockfalls; always respect the signs.

Places you should see in Santorini from the sea. Many boat trips pass the Red Beach and the neighbouring White Beach, giving a safe view of the cliffs.

Nearby. Akrotiri, the White Beach by boat and fish tavernas on the south coast.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. Half an hour for the viewpoint; longer if the beach is open and you want to swim.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Morning or late afternoon, when the light brings out the colour of the cliff.

14. Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni

The article above describes the two Kaimeni islets rising in the centre of the caldera. Walking on the volcano and swimming in its hot springs make them unmissable places you should see in Santorini.

Nea Kameni. The youngest island in the caldera, built by eruptions from the 18th century onwards, with the most recent in 1950. A marked path crosses black lava and gravel to the crater area, around an hour up and down.

What you see. Craters, lava fields, steam vents and yellow sulphur deposits, with views back to the white villages on the cliffs.

Palea Kameni. The older island, formed around 2,000 years ago. In one of its bays, warm iron-rich water rises into the sea. Swim to it from the boat, wearing an old swimsuit.

Places you should see in Santorini by boat. Day trips from the Old Port, Athinios and Ammoudi usually combine the crater walk, the hot springs and lunch on Thirasia.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Choose a morning departure in summer; the lava absorbs the heat and there is no shade.

15. Thirasia

As the article above says, Thirasia on the west side of the caldera offers amazing views of Santorini. The quiet island is one of the most peaceful places you should see in Santorini.

Korfos. The small harbour where boats land, with fish tavernas along the water.

Manolas. The main village, reached by steps from Korfos, sits on the caldera rim and looks straight across at Oia and Fira.

The pace. Few cars, few shops and almost no crowds. Life follows the rhythm of the boats.

Places you should see in Santorini from the other side. From Manolas, the line of white villages on the Santorini cliffs is one of the finest views in the Cyclades.

Getting there. Small boats from Ammoudi, or a stop on many volcano excursions.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. A few hours for lunch and a walk, or a full day at a slow pace.

11. Megalochori

Named above among the traditional settlements, Megalochori is one of the quietest places you should see in Santorini.

The village. Megalochori grew rich on wine in the 18th and 19th centuries. Old mansions and canavas, the traditional wine cellars, line its lanes.

The square. A small, shaded square with tavernas and cafés, peaceful even in high season.

The bell tower. At the edge of the village, a much-photographed church bell tower stands against the caldera.

Places you should see in Santorini for wine. Several wineries lie on the roads around Megalochori, making it easy to combine the village with a tasting.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. An hour or two, or a long lunch.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Late afternoon, before driving to the Akrotiri Lighthouse for the sunset.

12. Emporio

The island’s largest village, also named above among the traditional settlements, is one of the most atmospheric places you should see in Santorini.

The kasteli. A medieval fortified core of narrow passages, arches and tall houses built wall to wall so that their outer walls formed a defence against pirates.

The windmills. Old windmills stand on the hill above the village, overlooking the south of the island.

Places you should see in Santorini near Perissa. Emporio is only a few minutes from the beach at Perissa, described above, making it easy to combine a village walk with a swim.

Local life. A working village with bakeries, shops and tavernas used by residents.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. An hour to wander the kasteli.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Morning or late afternoon, when the lanes are cool and quiet.

20. Profitis Ilias Monastery

The article above describes the monastery at the top of the island, with its carved iconostasis, museum, library and history as one of the “secret schools” of the Ottoman period. The summit is one of the places you should see in Santorini for both history and the view.

The view. From the island’s highest point, the whole of Santorini is spread out below you: the caldera to the west, the vineyards and beaches to the east and, on a clear day, the neighbouring Cyclades on the horizon.

The geology. The mountain is made of limestone older than the volcano, part of the original island around which the volcano grew.

Getting there. A road climbs from Pyrgos, and a walking path offers a steady ascent of around an hour. Fit walkers can continue along the ridge towards Ancient Thera.

Places you should see in Santorini with a visit to Pyrgos. Combine the summit with a walk through the lanes of Pyrgos and lunch in the village.

Tips. Dress modestly for the monastery, check opening times before you go and bring a light layer, as the summit is often breezy.

23. Vothonas and the Cave Villages

Inland, between Fira and the east coast, a group of villages is built into the soft volcanic rock. They are among the most unusual places you should see in Santorini.

Vothonas. Built along a ravine, with houses and churches carved into its walls. From above you see only doorways, domes and chimneys.

Karterados. A traditional village of cave houses and cobbled lanes, a short drive from Fira.

Messaria. Known for its 19th-century mansions built by wealthy wine merchants, in contrast with the cave houses around them.

The architecture. The cave houses, called yposkafa, were dug into the rock so that the thick walls would keep them cool in summer and warm in winter, as the article above notes for the island’s genuine traditional architecture.

Places you should see in Santorini off the tourist trail. These villages are rarely crowded. Walk slowly, respect residents’ privacy and finish with lunch in a village taverna.

25. Panagia Episkopi

In the village of Episkopi Gonia, near Kamari, stands one of the oldest churches in the Cyclades. It is one of the places you should see in Santorini for anyone interested in Byzantine history.

The church. Panagia Episkopi dates from the Byzantine period, around the 11th century, and was for centuries the seat of the island’s Orthodox bishop.

The interior. Inside are important Byzantine icons and wall paintings, among the finest on the island.

The feast. On 15 August, the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin, the church holds one of the island’s most important religious celebrations.

Visiting. The church is not always open; visit in the morning and dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.

Nearby. The village of Exo Gonia, just uphill, looks out over vineyards and the sea, and several wineries lie close by. Combine the church, the village and a tasting for a quiet half day away from the caldera crowds, ideally in the cooler hours of the morning.

17. The Akrotiri Lighthouse

At the south-western tip of the island, the lighthouse is one of the places you should see in Santorini for a sunset away from Oia.

The lighthouse. Built in the late 19th century, it is one of the oldest in the Cyclades. The building is usually closed, but the headland is open.

The view. The sun sinks into the open sea beyond the cliffs, with the whole caldera stretching away to the north.

Places you should see in Santorini at sunset without the crowds. The lighthouse is increasingly popular but still far calmer than Oia.

Safety. The cliffs have no railings. Stay well back from the edge.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. An hour around sunset.

Places you should see in Santorini: when to go. Arrive early, as parking is limited, and combine it with Akrotiri and the Red Beach.

18. Kamari and Vlychada

Beyond Perissa, two more beaches are among the places you should see in Santorini.

Kamari. A long black-sand beach on the east coast with a promenade of restaurants and cafés, a summer open-air cinema and the road up to Ancient Thera.

Vlychada. On the south coast, pale volcanic cliffs sculpted by wind and water rise above a long, quieter beach, next to a small marina with fish tavernas.

Places you should see in Santorini at Vlychada: the Tomato Industrial Museum. An old tomato-canning factory by the sea tells the story of the industry that once sustained the island.

Beach tips. The dark sand gets very hot, so bring beach shoes. Vlychada is often calmer than Kamari when the north wind blows.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. Half a day each, or combine with nearby villages.

19. The Wineries

As the article above says, the traditional wineries reveal the secrets of the famous Santorini wine. A winery is one of the places you should see in Santorini, even if you rarely drink wine.

Assyrtiko. The island’s signature white grape, making crisp, mineral wines.

Vinsanto. The traditional sweet wine, made from sun-dried grapes and aged for years in barrels.

The vines. Trained low into circular baskets, called kouloura, to protect the grapes from wind and sun.

Places you should see in Santorini for wine: where. Wineries around Megalochori, Pyrgos, Episkopi Gonia and Akrotiri, some with caldera terraces, some in old cellars dug into the rock.

Places you should see in Santorini: how long to allow. An hour or two per tasting.

Safety. Book a tour with transport rather than driving after tasting.

How to See Them All: Planning by Area

Grouping the places you should see in Santorini by area saves hours of driving.

The north. Oia, Ammoudi and Finikia, best in the morning or late afternoon.

The caldera centre. Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Skaros, linked by the path along the rim, plus the museums of Fira.

The south. Akrotiri, the Red Beach, Megalochori, Vlychada and the lighthouse.

The south-east. Pyrgos, Profitis Ilias, Emporio, Perissa and Ancient Thera.

The sea. Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni and Thirasia, by boat.

Places you should see in Santorini in one day. As the article above suggests, a private tour is a great way to see the island’s sights in a single day.

More time. See our page on 5 days in Santorini for a full itinerary.

When to Visit and How to Avoid the Crowds

Timing makes a big difference to the places you should see in Santorini.

Season. Late May, June, September and early October give the best balance of weather, sea and crowds. July and August are hot and busy.

Time of day. Oia and Fira are calm before 9:00 and busiest from late morning to late afternoon, especially on cruise days.

Places you should see in Santorini on cruise days. Head to the south, the inland villages or the beaches when several ships are in, and visit Fira and Oia early or late.

Sunset. Oia is the most crowded spot of the day. Imerovigli, Pyrgos and the lighthouse are calmer.

Winter. Quiet and local, but many hotels, restaurants and boats close from November to March.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the places you should see in Santorini?

Oia, Fira, the caldera, Pyrgos and Perissa, plus Imerovigli and Skaros, Akrotiri, Ancient Thera, the Red Beach, Megalochori, Emporio, Ammoudi, the volcano and Thirasia.

How many days do I need to see them?

Three days for the essentials, five for a relaxed pace.

Can I see Santorini in one day?

Yes, with a private tour covering Oia, Fira, Pyrgos, Akrotiri and a sunset spot.

Do I need a car?

A car or private tour helps for the south and the villages; the caldera villages are best on foot.

What is the best time to visit?

Late May, June, September and early October.

With Santorini Tours. Our private tours take you to the places you should see in Santorini, timed to avoid the crowds. Contact us to plan your visit.

Visit Santorini after Easter 2020

Government shielded Santorini before Easter 2020 – The ban on the movement of islanders by ships follows! Visit Santorini after Easter 2020.

The government is trying to shield the most touristic island of the Cyclades from the coronavirus before Easter. They will take additional measures to ban and restrict Santorini. That is why you should visit Santorini after Easter 2020. Book now Santorini private tours and take advantage of their special offers for early booking.

The choice of this island was not just a coincidence. It is the most popular in the Cyclades in terms of tourism. Under normal circumstances, Easter season would have already begun.

The political leadership wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance of developing the tourist activity in Santorini. They took the decision to tighten the measures by the end of April. These measures are satisfying the demands of the Municipality of Thira. They urgently called for strengthening the framework of restrictions during the local Easter days in Santorini.

Stricter traffic restriction measures Easter 2020

Although the pandemic is progressing satisfactorily in Greece so far, compared to the rest of the world, the government wants to send the message… “We must not relax and vigilance must continue.”

So in April, as experts and the prime minister himself point out, is the most critical month for the development of the pandemic coronavirus. New restrictions are on the way to paving the way for different Easter holidays this year.

Additional measures in Santorini

Among the extraordinary measures that will be in force for 14 days is the ban on traffic from 8 pm to 8 am every day. As well as the suspension of exceptions.

The measures, which will be implemented from today at 08.00 in the morning and for 14 days. There might be a possible extension, including, among other things, a traffic ban daily from 20.00 in the evening until 08.00 in the morning.

Even the exceptions to the general rule of thumb for exceptions for assistance to people in need, for ceremonies and for physical exercise are suspended under certain conditions, while the pet walk is only for 15 minutes and around the house. Stricter restrictions will also apply to public markets and supermarkets.

The police have already mobilized to enforce the measures. The Region and the Fire Brigade have been instructed to assist the municipality of Santorini with personnel and other means where necessary to meet the needs of the citizens. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Measures for Easter in Santorini

1. Exit home

The first step is likely to be done by numerically limiting the citizen’s daily travel, by sending up to two SMS. Competent sources explain that the majority of citizens combine their needs in one or two outings. However, the Cyprus model does not qualify with just one move per day.

2. Traffic at certain return time

In the same direction, the thought moves for a time limit (not more than three hours) for the movements. They report that there may be a margin per type of travel (another for the bank, another for the sport). The technical details for the first two measures to be implemented on their own or in combination are evolving into a “puzzle” and a big part is in the hands of the Ministry of Digital Government.

3. Exclusion of public spaces

The expansion of the closing model of Nea Paralia Thessaloniki should be taken for granted. The Prime Minister is increasingly calling for the immediate mobilization of mayors and regional governors in their “red zones” (parks, beaches, etc.).

4. Special written certificate of circulation for the elderly

In recent days, there have reportedly been speculations about the abolition of the hand written travel certificate. They seem to abandon the scenario, however, the possibility of mandatory completion of the document is only for a certain age group.

5. Police checks

In the operational part, the security forces drows special planning – especially in view of Easter 2020 – on national roads, ports, railway stations, bus stops. They already carry out checks, but the police presence will be strengthened on Holy Week.

6. Closing tolls

In Maximos’ fear of any attempted escape of citizens from urban centres in smaller towns, villages and islands, like Santorini, no one rules out “sealing” the national roads. Remember that the government does not allow walks in the villages and if there will be a violation of the rule, they will take any measure of deterrence.

7. Closed door services in selected metropolitan churches

Officially, Maximou treats as a “responsible and measured” the attitude of the Holy Synod for closed door church services on Holy Week. The government’s final response will come next week on the basis of scientific suggestions. According to information, they will process the possibility of “closed” church services in specific temples that will cover the whole country geographically.

8. Larger fine for unnecessary traffic

Government officials have left open the possibility of toughening fines and penalties, especially for persistent offenders. So far, the intention is not to immediately “upgrade” the fine, but warnings of austerity are growing as reckless behaviour intensifies.

9. Stricter ban on gatherings

In the same vein, the effectiveness of the ban on public gatherings. The need for reinforcement in view of Easter 2020 is something tat needs more discussion. There is a possibility of lowering the current limit of 10 people.

10. Once you move out of the municipality of permanent residence

The expansion of the circulation model of the permanent residents of the islands with the Certificate of Residential Special Use and E1. This process is for those who try to move outside their municipalities. In this case, however, they state that travel you are not allowed to go to holiday residence.

What you can do to visit Santorini after Easter 2020?

These measures will last only for 14 days for the island of Santorini. Therefore, you can relax at your home and make a more deep search about your accommodation in Santorini. Also, read our articles in our blog and learn more about the places you would like to visit when you arrive on the island.

Moreover, you can organise you Santorini daily tours in advance! On our website, Santorini Private Guided Tours you have the opportunity to see what we include in our tours. Choose the ones that meet your criteria!

Keep also in mind, that this period is a great opportunity to book in lower price because of coronavirus. Everything in Santorini is waiting you to explore it! Do not miss the chance.

For now, stay home and stay safe… visit our website and start scheduling your next Santorini vacations.

Why Visit Santorini After Easter: The Case Today

The article above was written in the spring of 2020, when the island was closed and visitors were asked to wait. The advice it gave, to visit Santorini after Easter, turns out to be good advice in any year. The weeks that follow the Greek Orthodox Easter are among the most pleasant of the whole year on the island.

Visit Santorini after Easter for the season’s start. Easter traditionally marks the opening of the tourist season. Hotels, tavernas and boat operators reopen in the weeks around it, freshly painted and ready for the summer.

Visit Santorini after Easter for the weather. Late April and May bring mild, sunny days, comfortable for walking and sightseeing, with the heat of summer still weeks away.

Visit Santorini after Easter for the landscape. After the winter rains, the island is at its greenest, with wild flowers along the paths and in the vineyards.

Fewer crowds. The Easter holiday itself can be busy with Greek visitors, but the weeks afterwards are calm until the peak season begins in June.

Visit Santorini after Easter for value. Prices for accommodation and flights are usually lower than in summer, and early-season offers are common.

The sections below explain when Easter falls, what the island is like in the weeks after it and how to plan your trip.

When Is Greek Orthodox Easter?

To visit Santorini after Easter, you first need to know when Easter falls, because the Greek Orthodox date often differs from the Western one.

A moving feast. Orthodox Easter is calculated using the Julian calendar, so it usually falls one or more weeks after Western Easter, and occasionally on the same Sunday.

Recent and upcoming dates. Orthodox Easter Sunday fell on 20 April in 2025 and on 12 April in 2026. It falls on 2 May in 2027 and on 16 April in 2028.

Visit Santorini after Easter: Easter Monday. The Monday after Easter is a public holiday in Greece, and many Greek visitors return home that day or the next.

Bright Week. The week after Easter, known as Bright Week, is festive, with church celebrations and a relaxed holiday atmosphere.

Visit Santorini after Easter: Pentecost. Fifty days after Easter comes Pentecost, followed by the Monday of the Holy Spirit, another public holiday that brings a long weekend of Greek visitors.

Planning tip. Check the Orthodox Easter date for your year first, then plan your dates from the week after it.

Easter on the Island: What Comes Before

Many travellers who visit Santorini after Easter wish they had arrived a few days earlier. Greek Easter is the most important celebration of the Orthodox year, and Santorini marks it with unforgettable traditions.

Good Friday in Pyrgos. On the night of Good Friday, the village of Pyrgos is lit with thousands of small fires and lanterns along its lanes and walls, as the Epitaph procession passes through. It is one of the most moving sights in Greece.

The Resurrection. At midnight on Holy Saturday, churches across the island announce the Resurrection with bells and candles, and people greet each other with “Christos Anesti”.

Easter Sunday. Families gather for lamb on the spit, red-dyed eggs and a long lunch that lasts into the evening.

Visit Santorini after Easter or during it? Arriving before Easter lets you see these traditions, but accommodation is busier and some businesses close for the holy days themselves.

More detail. See our page on Orthodox Easter in Santorini for the full week of celebrations.

Visit Santorini after Easter and still share the mood. The festive atmosphere continues through Bright Week, with services and celebrations in village churches.

Spring Celebrations After Easter

Easter is not the only celebration of the season. If you visit Santorini after Easter, you may find yourself on the island for other traditional feasts.

Visit Santorini after Easter for Saint George. The feast of Agios Georgios falls on 23 April. When that date comes before Easter, the celebration moves to Easter Monday. Churches dedicated to the saint hold services and village festivities.

May Day. On 1 May, Greeks traditionally gather wild flowers and hang flower wreaths on their doors to welcome the spring. It is also a public holiday.

Name days. In Greece, name days are often celebrated more than birthdays. Throughout spring, you may see families celebrating a Georgios, a Konstantinos or an Eleni.

Visit Santorini after Easter for village festivals. Some chapels celebrate their saint’s day with a panigyri, a festival with music, dancing, food and wine, open to everyone.

Pentecost. The Monday of the Holy Spirit, fifty days after Easter, is a public holiday and brings a festive long weekend.

Visit Santorini after Easter and ask locally. Dates for village festivals are rarely published far ahead. Ask your hotel or guide what is happening during your stay.

Weather After Easter

Because Easter moves between late March and early May, the weather you find when you visit Santorini after Easter depends on the year. This is the general picture for the spring weeks.

Visit Santorini after Easter in April. Days are mild, often around 20 degrees Celsius, with cool evenings. Rain is possible but usually brief.

Visit Santorini after Easter in May. Warmer and more settled, often in the low to mid twenties, with long sunny days and very little rain.

The sea. The water is still cool after the winter, usually around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius in April and May. Hardy swimmers enjoy it; most visitors find it bracing.

Wind. Spring winds can be fresh, especially on the caldera. Bring a windproof layer for evenings and boat trips.

Visit Santorini after Easter for daylight. Days lengthen quickly in spring, and by May the sun sets after 20:00, leaving long evenings for dinner with a view.

What to pack. Layers, a light jacket, walking shoes, sunglasses and sunscreen. The spring sun is stronger than it feels.

What Is Open in the Weeks After Easter

The season starts gradually. When you visit Santorini after Easter, most of the island is waking up, but not everything is running at full speed.

Hotels. Most hotels in Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia reopen around Easter or shortly after. Some beach hotels wait until May.

Visit Santorini after Easter and eat well. Tavernas and restaurants reopen through April, and by May almost all are serving.

Boat trips. Volcano excursions and catamaran cruises start in April and increase through May, weather permitting.

Visit Santorini after Easter for the sites. Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and the museums switch to their longer summer hours from April.

Beaches. Beach bars and sunbed rentals open gradually. Early in the season, the long beaches of Kamari and Perissa are quiet and uncrowded.

Transport. The bus timetable expands through spring, and seasonal direct flights from Europe resume from around April.

Visit Santorini after Easter: check dates. Confirm that your hotel and any tours are operating on your dates, especially in April.

Things to Do When You Visit Santorini After Easter

Spring is the season for being outdoors. These are the activities that suit the weeks after Easter best.

Visit Santorini after Easter to walk the caldera. The path from Fira to Oia, around ten kilometres along the rim, is at its most pleasant in the mild spring air.

Skaros Rock. The short walk from Imerovigli to the old castle rock, with wild flowers along the path.

Visit Santorini after Easter for Akrotiri. The Bronze Age city is quiet before the summer crowds, and a guide can take time over the details.

The volcano. The crater walk on Nea Kameni is comfortable in spring, without the summer heat on the black lava.

Wineries. The vines are putting out new leaves, and wineries reopen their terraces for tastings.

Visit Santorini after Easter for the villages. Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio are peaceful and full of flowers.

The sunset. Oia is far calmer than in summer, and you can find a spot without arriving hours ahead.

Photography. Green hillsides, clear air and flowers against white walls make spring a favourite season for photographers.

Sunsets After Easter

The famous sunset is one of the main reasons people travel to the island, and spring is one of the best times to see it. These are our sunset tips if you visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter for a calmer Oia. The viewpoints near the castle in Oia are busy in summer. In spring you can arrive half an hour before sunset and still find a place.

Sunset times. Sunset moves from around 19:45 in April to after 20:15 by late May, as the days lengthen.

Alternative viewpoints. Imerovigli, Firostefani, the top of Pyrgos and the Akrotiri Lighthouse all give superb spring sunsets.

Visit Santorini after Easter and watch from the sea. Sunset cruises begin in spring, weather permitting, and offer a view of the caldera away from the crowds.

Dress warmly. The temperature drops quickly after sunset in spring, especially on the exposed caldera rim.

Dinner with a view. Book a west-facing table for at least one evening. In spring it is easier to secure than in summer.

Walking Routes for Spring

Spring is the best walking season of the year. If you visit Santorini after Easter, these routes should be on your list.

Visit Santorini after Easter and walk from Fira to Oia. The classic caldera walk, around ten kilometres, takes three to five hours with stops. Start in the morning and finish in Oia for lunch or the sunset.

Fira to Imerovigli. The easy first section, paved and under an hour, with the most famous views of the caldera.

Skaros Rock. A short, stepped walk from Imerovigli to the site of the medieval castle.

Visit Santorini after Easter to climb Profitis Ilias. The walk from Pyrgos to the island’s highest point takes around an hour, with wild flowers along the way in spring.

Profitis Ilias to Ancient Thera. A longer ridge walk to the ruined city above Kamari, best for experienced walkers.

Village walks. Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio are ideal for gentle wandering.

Visit Santorini after Easter prepared. Wear shoes with grip, carry water and a light layer, and turn back if the wind is strong on exposed sections.

Beaches in the Spring Season

The beaches are quieter and less organised early in the season. This is what to expect at the coast if you visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter and walk the beaches. The long black-sand beaches of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos are almost empty, ideal for walks along the water.

Swimming. The sea is cool, around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius. Sunny, calm afternoons in May are the best time for a first swim.

Sunbeds and beach bars. These open gradually through April and May. Early in the season you may need your own towel and umbrella.

Visit Santorini after Easter to see the Red Beach. The red cliff near Akrotiri is striking in the spring light. Access to the beach itself is sometimes restricted because of rockfalls, so respect the signs.

Vlychada. The pale, sculpted cliffs of the south coast are quiet and dramatic in spring.

Beach tavernas. Many reopen for the season around Easter, offering fresh fish by the sea.

Visit Santorini after Easter and stay safe. Lifeguards and beach services are limited early in the season, so swim close to shore and in calm water.

Crowds and Prices After Easter

One of the main reasons to visit Santorini after Easter is the balance between an open island and a calm one.

Visit Santorini after Easter to avoid the peak. From June to August, the island is at its busiest. The spring weeks after Easter are far quieter.

Cruise ships. The cruise season begins in spring, and some days can still be busy in Fira and Oia. Check the cruise calendar and plan around the busiest hours.

Visit Santorini after Easter for better rates. Hotels usually charge less in April and May than in summer, including for caldera-view rooms.

Flights. Early-season flights, especially midweek, are often cheaper than those in July and August.

Holiday weekends. Easter itself, 1 May and the Pentecost long weekend bring more Greek visitors and higher demand.

Visit Santorini after Easter and book early. The best-located rooms still go quickly, and early booking often secures the best rate.

Where to Stay After Easter

Your choice of base matters in the early season, when not everything is open yet. These are our suggestions if you visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter and stay in Fira. The most practical base early in the season, with the widest choice of open restaurants and the best transport links.

Firostefani and Imerovigli. Caldera views at spring prices, a short walk from Fira.

Oia. Beautiful and calm in spring, though with fewer evening options early in April.

Visit Santorini after Easter for a beach base. Kamari and Perissa are relaxing and good value, though the sea is still cool.

Inland villages. Pyrgos and Megalochori are ideal for a quiet, traditional stay.

Check opening dates. Some hotels open later in spring. Confirm that yours is operating for your whole stay.

Visit Santorini after Easter in comfort. Evenings can be cool, so check that your room has heating or air conditioning with a heating mode.

Food and Wine in Spring

Spring brings fresh produce and a new season of cooking. Eating well is one of the pleasures when you visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter for spring flavours. Wild greens, fresh herbs and the first vegetables of the season appear on taverna menus.

Fava. The island’s yellow split-pea purée, served with olive oil, onion and capers, is on every menu all year.

Tomatokeftedes. Fritters made from the small Santorini tomato, the island’s signature starter.

Visit Santorini after Easter and taste the wine. Assyrtiko, the crisp mineral white, and Vinsanto, the traditional sweet wine, are best tasted at a winery with a view.

Easter leftovers. In the days after Easter, you may still find red-dyed eggs and tsoureki, the sweet Easter bread, in bakeries.

Fresh fish. Seafood tavernas in Ammoudi, the Old Port and Vlychada reopen for the season.

Visit Santorini after Easter and book a table. Early in the season fewer restaurants are open, so reserve the popular ones.

Getting There and Around in Spring

Connections improve quickly after Easter. This is what to expect when you visit Santorini after Easter.

Flights. Seasonal direct flights from many European cities resume from around April, alongside year-round domestic flights from Athens.

Visit Santorini after Easter by ferry. Ferries from Piraeus and Rafina run year-round, and fast boats increase in frequency through spring.

The port. Ferries dock at Athinios, below the cliffs in the south-west. Pre-book your transfer.

Buses. The public bus network expands its timetable as the season begins.

Visit Santorini after Easter by car. Spring is a good time to hire a car: roads are quieter and parking in Fira and Oia is easier than in summer.

Taxis. Still limited, so book transfers for arrivals, departures and evenings out.

Visit Santorini after Easter with a private tour. A driver-guide shows you the island’s highlights efficiently, with no worries about roads or parking.

A Five-Day Plan After Easter

Spring days are made for exploring. This is how we would spend five days if you visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter, day one. Fira and its museums in the morning, then the walk along the caldera to Firostefani and Imerovigli, with the sunset from the rim.

Day two. Oia in the morning, before the crowds, with lunch in Ammoudi and an afternoon in the village’s lanes.

Day three. A boat to the volcano, the hot springs and Thirassia, if the spring winds allow.

Visit Santorini after Easter, day four. Akrotiri, the Red Beach viewpoint, Megalochori and a winery, ending at the Akrotiri Lighthouse.

Day five. Pyrgos, Profitis Ilias and Emporio, with a walk along the quiet beach at Perissa.

Flexibility. Keep the boat day movable, as spring winds can cancel trips.

Visit Santorini after Easter for longer walks. Fit walkers can add the ridge walk from Profitis Ilias to Ancient Thera, ideal in the cool spring air.

Who Should Visit Santorini After Easter

Spring suits many kinds of traveller. This is who benefits most when they visit Santorini after Easter.

Walkers. Comfortable temperatures and green landscapes make it the best time for the caldera path and the ridge walks.

Couples. Calm sunsets and lower prices for caldera-view rooms.

Visit Santorini after Easter as a family. Families with older children enjoy the volcano, Akrotiri and the villages without the summer heat.

Photographers. Clear air, flowers and soft light.

Wine lovers. Winery terraces reopen, and spring is a quiet time for tastings.

Visit Santorini after Easter as a budget traveller. Lower accommodation prices and early-season offers.

Who should wait. Beach lovers who want warm water and full beach services will be happier from June.

After Easter Compared with April and Summer

If your dates are flexible, it helps to see how the weeks after Easter compare with the rest of the year.

Visit Santorini after Easter or before it? Before Easter, the island is quieter still, but more businesses are closed. After Easter, most of the island is open and the atmosphere is livelier.

Against April in general. In years when Easter is early, late April and May are very pleasant. When Easter is late, early spring can still be cool and quiet. See our page on Santorini in April.

Against summer. Summer brings warm sea and full services, but also the heat, crowds and highest prices of the year.

Visit Santorini after Easter or in autumn? Autumn has warmer sea for swimming; spring has greener landscapes and flowers. Both are quieter than summer.

Our advice. For walking, sightseeing and value, the weeks after Easter are hard to beat.

How Santorini Reopened After 2020

When this article was first published, nobody knew when travellers would return. Looking back helps explain why the advice to visit Santorini after Easter was sound.

The spring of 2020. As described above, Greece introduced strict movement restrictions in March and April 2020, including extra measures for the islands over Easter. Santorini’s season, which normally opens around Easter, was put on hold.

Reopening. Greece began reopening to international visitors in the early summer of 2020, and the island’s hotels, tavernas and tour operators gradually resumed work.

Visit Santorini after Easter: the lesson. The pandemic years showed many travellers how much quieter and more enjoyable the island can be outside the peak months. Interest in spring and autumn travel has grown since.

Today. The restrictions described above are long gone. Travel to Santorini is open, and the usual entry rules for Greece apply.

Visit Santorini after Easter with confidence. Check the current entry requirements for your nationality before you travel, and choose flexible bookings where you can.

Practical Tips for the Spring Season

A little preparation makes the early season easy. These are our practical tips for anyone planning to visit Santorini after Easter.

Visit Santorini after Easter and check opening dates. Confirm your hotel, restaurants and tours are operating on your dates.

Keep a flexible day. Spring winds can cancel boats.

Pack layers. Warm days and cool evenings call for a light jacket.

Visit Santorini after Easter with sun protection. The spring sun is strong even when the air feels cool.

Book popular experiences. Sunset dinners, boat trips and private tours still fill up on holiday weekends.

Travel insurance. Choose cover with medical protection and cancellation cover.

Visit Santorini after Easter and respect local customs. If you enter a church during a service, dress modestly and stay quietly at the back.

Boat Trips and the Volcano in Spring

Sea excursions restart around Easter. If you visit Santorini after Easter, this is what to expect on the water.

Visit Santorini after Easter and sail to the volcano. Classic boats to Nea Kameni, the hot springs off Palea Kameni and Thirassia resume in April, with more departures as May approaches.

The crater walk. Spring is ideal for the walk across the black lava of Nea Kameni, without the summer heat.

The hot springs. The warm, iron-rich water feels especially welcome when the surrounding sea is still cool.

Visit Santorini after Easter on a catamaran. Shared and private catamaran cruises begin their season, with stops at the Red and White beaches and a meal on board.

The wind. Spring winds can make the sea rough and cancel trips. Keep one day of your stay flexible.

Visit Santorini after Easter and dress for the sea. Bring a windproof layer; it is always cooler on the water than on land.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a good idea to visit Santorini after Easter?

Yes. The weeks after Easter bring mild weather, green landscapes, an island that is opening for the season and fewer crowds than summer.

Is everything open after Easter?

Most hotels, restaurants and sites are open, with more businesses reopening through April and May.

Can I swim after Easter?

The sea is cool in spring, usually around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius. Hardy swimmers enjoy it; most visitors prefer to wait until June.

Is it busy after Easter?

Easter weekend and holiday weekends are busy with Greek visitors. The weeks between are generally calm.

How many days should I stay?

Four to five days lets you see the island at a relaxed spring pace.

With Santorini Tours. We run private tours from the start of the season. If you plan to visit Santorini after Easter, contact us and we will plan your days around the spring weather.

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September 8, 2026 By Stelios Karamolegkos Leave a Comment

Santorini Carnival – Apokries and Clean Monday on the Island

The santorini carnival, or Apokries in Greek, is the three-week run-up to Orthodox Lent, ending on Clean Monday seven weeks before Orthodox Easter, so usually between early February and mid-March. Village parades, school fancy dress, tsikna smoke over Fira on Smoky Thursday, and a kite-flying picnic on Clean Monday that half the island turns out for. It is free, entirely local, and it falls in the cheapest and emptiest weeks of the year.

Carnival season in Greece is an important holiday period that leading up to the Orthodox Easter Sunday! This year the celebrations start from 9th February until 1st of March the first day of Lent. So in total a celebration of twenty-two days, including 3 weekends, there are many private parties, parades and public events organized by municipalities and schools all over Greece. Book a Santorini Tours and spent the carnival season on the best island in Greece!

How Carnival weeks named and what you can eat?

The Greek carnival season is divided in 3 weeks and all the Greeks are preparing for the Lent with great festivals and parties. The first week opens the carnival and it is named Profoni, because everyone is shouting that the carnival season begins. The second week it is named Kreatini, because you can eat meat every day and the third week is called Tirini, because you only eat dairy products and fish.

Of course Carnival is a feast of great parties that takes place all over the country with masquerades, dancing and music. The name ‘Apokries’ means avoidance from meat because, after that, the period of Easter Lent begins, where there is no meat consumed for 40 days.

What is Tsiknopempti and how can you celebrate it in Greece?

On the second week of Carnival and on Thursday, Greeks celebrate the so called “Tsiknopempti”. On this particular day everyone grills and eats meat. The smell of grilled meat, which fills every neighbourhood, is called “tsikna”! Most Greeks gather with friends and family, in order to feast! This means, they will eat meat, smell the “tsikna”, drink and dance until late at night!

Where the Carnival take place in Santorini?

The unique aspect of Carnival is wearing costumes and masks. This festival, dates back to the period of Dionysos, the ancient Greek god of wine and theatre. The greatest Carnival that takes place in Patra. However, there are many other’s cities like Xanthi, Santorini, Naxos, Mytilini, Thessaloniki, and Athens that celebrate equally.

The carnival customs of Santorini differ from the rest of Greece. Something like that happens with everything on the island. We may not find similar customs, but the carnival in Fira Square is still here and fills the island with fun, dance and smiles, a sight worth watching and living. You can take a tour of Santorini!

What are the carnival customs of Santorini?

In the past, from the feast of St. Anthony to the Sunday of Tirini and the beginning of the Triodion, children and adults dressed in funny costumes and visited the various houses in the evenings. As soon as they got out of the door the masquerades shouted: “Can the masquerades get inside? And the master of the house replied, “Get in. Get in”

On the afternoon of the Carnival everybody is dressed up and change their voices according to the costume they wear. Because they couldn’t reveal their faces they had to play a short role in a story, only they know and the party begins. Book a Santorini Sunset Wine Tour, a Santorini Private Tour or a Santorini Popular Destination Tour and enjoy your stay there without wondering where to start from.

What is Clean Monday?

The name might sound weird but really, it is not that Greeks clean up their homes on this day. The Clean Monday is always placed every year 7 weeks before the Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday. This is an usual moveable feast that will introduce you to the Greek traditions and customs and make you feel like a local! The carnival ends this day and the Lent begins. On Kathara Deftera most of the Greeks leave the big cities and visit the countryside with friends and families to have a picnic and fly a kite.

Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) is a day of joy and more tranquil celebrations. As in the rest of Greece, locals head for the nearby beach in the morning, where they fly colourful kites to the sky. At noon, they gather in the village centre to share the traditional meal of the day: “lagana” (traditional flatbread, originally prepared without yeast), “taramosalata” (Greek caviar paste), seafood, beans and other fasting delicacies.

How can you built a kite?

Making a kite is not as hard as it seems. Here’s the material you will need.

A rectangular piece of paper – A4 is good. Feel free to decorate it, either now or in step two.
String.
A paper hole punch.

Fold paper in half widthways. Bring the two short sides of your piece of paper together and press along the bend to make a crease. Now is a great time to decorate your kite! Use pens, pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens, a printer, but be careful not to weigh it down too much. If it’s too heavy it won’t be able to fly!

Bend the front corner of the top layer down to touch the crease. Repeat on the back layer and staple.The essential thing with this step is to only bend the corners down. If you fold them, the kite will not work. The exact position of the corner is not critical, but will affect how your kite flies. If you don’t have access to a functional stapler and staples, you can pierce through the two corners and the body of the kite with your hole making device.

Thread string through the hole and tie it off. The knot used is not important as long as it will keep the string attached to the kite. Find somewhere with a steady breeze free from things that could get in the way. Release your kite with one hand while holding the string in the other. Your kite should take off! Enjoy!

See more about Santorini Private Tours 2020:

Santorini Carnival: The Short Answer

The santorini carnival — Apokries in Greek — is the three-week run-up to Orthodox Lent, ending with Clean Monday. It is a local festival rather than a tourist event: village parades, fancy dress in the schools, tsikna smoke over Fira on Smoky Thursday, and a kite-flying picnic on Clean Monday that half the island turns out for.

Eight points cover almost everything people ask about the santorini carnival.

When. Movable, tied to Orthodox Easter. Usually somewhere between early February and mid-March, and it always ends on Clean Monday, seven weeks before Easter Sunday.

How long. Three weeks: Profani or Prophonia week, Meatfare week, and Cheesefare week.

The big days of the santorini carnival. Tsiknopempti, or Smoky Thursday, in the second week; the final Sunday of parades; and Clean Monday, which closes the whole thing.

Where. Fira for the main parade, and the villages — Emporio, Pyrgos, Megalochori, Karterados — for the parts that feel oldest.

What it costs. Nothing. Everything is street-level and free.

Who the santorini carnival is for. Anybody who wants Greece rather than a resort, and who does not mind a cold sea and a half-closed island.

The catch. It falls in the deepest part of the off season. Most of Oia is shut, direct flights do not exist, and the weather is a lottery.

What the Santorini Carnival Actually Is

The Greek carnival season is older than the Christian calendar it now sits inside, and understanding that explains most of what you will see.

Apokries means, literally, “away from meat” — the period of feasting and licence before the fasting of Lent. The three weeks are structured: the first is Profani, when the season is announced and the first fancy dress appears; the second is Kreatini, Meatfare week, whose Thursday is the great meat-eating day; the third is Tyrini, Cheesefare week, when meat has stopped and dairy is still permitted. Then Clean Monday, and seven weeks of fasting.

Underneath that Christian frame sits something considerably older. The masking, the transgressive costumes, the bells, the mock weddings and the ritual mockery of authority are pre-Christian — Dionysian festivals of exactly this kind ran in the Aegean for centuries before the Orthodox calendar absorbed them. On some Greek islands the connection is unmistakable: bell-wearers, phallic props and satirical processions that the church has periodically tried and failed to suppress.

The santorini carnival is a gentler version of that. It is a family and village festival rather than the enormous street party of Patras, or the archaic, slightly unsettling rituals of Skyros and Naoussa. What it offers instead is scale: on an island of 15,500 people, in February, you are not a spectator at a carnival. You are simply there while it happens.

Tsiknopempti: Smoky Thursday

The single best day of the santorini carnival, and the one to plan a trip around if you can only be here for one of them.

Tsiknopempti — from tsikna, the smell of meat grilling over charcoal — falls on the Thursday of the second carnival week, eleven days before Clean Monday. It is the last great meat day before Lent, and the whole country grills. On Santorini that means every taverna in Fira firing up outside, souvlaki and chops going on charcoal from lunchtime, tables spilling into the street, and a smell that hangs over the town all afternoon.

What happens practically: tavernas fill from about one o’clock and stay full. Groups book long tables and stay for hours. Wine goes round, music starts, and by evening a good number of places have people dancing between the tables. Fancy dress appears — not everywhere, and enough that you notice.

Where to go: Fira has the concentration, and the villages have the character. Karterados, Messaria, Pyrgos and Emporio all keep something on, and in the smaller places you will be the only visitor in the room. Book a table in Fira; do not bother in the villages, where turning up and asking works better.

What to eat: everything grilled. Souvlaki, paidakia, loukaniko, kokoretsi if it is on. This is not the day for fava and a salad.

One practical note. Tsiknopempti is a Thursday and it is a working day for most of the island, so the eating starts at lunch and runs into the evening rather than beginning late. Arrive at two rather than nine.

The Parades and the Final Sunday

The visible spine of the santorini carnival is a sequence of parades that build across the three weeks and peak on the last Sunday before Clean Monday.

Seven notes on the parades that form the spine of the santorini carnival.

The school parades. The largest participation of the whole season. Every school on the island turns out in costume, and the numbers are considerable relative to the island’s population. Parents, grandparents and half the village line the route.

Fira. The main parade, through the town, with floats built by local clubs and associations. Satirical rather than spectacular — the floats mock local politics, island issues and whatever has been in the news.

The village parades. Emporio, Pyrgos, Megalochori, Karterados and Vothonas all hold their own. Smaller, older, and considerably more interesting if you want to see the thing rather than photograph it.

Costume at the santorini carnival. Everyone dresses up, including adults. If you are here for the final weekend, buy something. Turning up in ordinary clothes marks you out more than any costume would.

Music and dancing. Village halls, club rooms and squares, running late into the night on the final Saturday and Sunday.

Timing. Santorini carnival parades are afternoon events, typically starting between eleven and one. Nothing here starts on time.

Finding out what is on. The municipality publishes a programme a week or two ahead, and posters go up in Fira. There is no reliable schedule further out than that, which is the single most frustrating thing about planning around it.

Clean Monday and the Kites

Kathara Deftera — Clean Monday — closes the santorini carnival and opens Lent, and it is a public holiday across Greece. It is also, unexpectedly, the best day of the season to be on this island.

The tradition is a picnic outdoors, with Lenten food, and kite flying. Both are taken seriously. Families drive out to open ground — the fields around the south, the ridges near Pyrgos and Profitis Ilias, the beaches at Perissa and Kamari, the flat land near Monolithos — and spend the whole day there. The sky fills with kites, which in the wind that this island gets in February is a genuinely impressive sight.

The food is specific and worth knowing about, because Clean Monday marks the start of a strict fast. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, and no fish with blood — which leaves shellfish, octopus, squid and everything from the vegetable garden. So: lagana, a flat unleavened bread baked only on this one day; taramosalata; olives; pickled vegetables; octopus grilled or in vinegar; squid; skordalia; halva for dessert. On Santorini, fava is inevitably on the table.

What this means for a visitor is that Clean Monday is one of the few days in the Greek year when eating well is easy, cheap and entirely traditional — and one of the few days when you can watch an entire island doing the same thing at the same time. Tavernas that open at all will be full of families. Shops close. Nothing else happens.

Practical points for the last day of the santorini carnival. Buy a kite in Fira in the days before; they appear in every shop. Expect wind, and expect it to be cold. Bring layers. And do not plan anything else for that day, because the island is closed.

When the Santorini Carnival Falls

The dates move by up to a month between years, which is the first thing to establish before booking anything.

Orthodox Easter is calculated from the Julian calendar and the paschal full moon, and it rarely coincides with Western Easter. Everything in the carnival season counts backwards from it: Clean Monday is exactly seven weeks before Easter Sunday, and the santorini carnival runs for the three weeks before that.

Seven dates to work out before booking a santorini carnival trip.

The practical range. Clean Monday can fall anywhere from mid-February to mid-March. The carnival season therefore starts somewhere between late January and mid-February.

Tsiknopempti. Eleven days before Clean Monday, always a Thursday.

The final weekend. The Saturday and Sunday immediately before Clean Monday, when the parades peak.

What this means for booking. Check the Orthodox Easter date for your specific year first, count back seven weeks to Clean Monday, and build the trip around the four days ending on it.

The ideal santorini carnival window. Arrive on the Wednesday before Clean Monday, catch the final weekend of parades, and stay through the Monday itself. Four nights.

The alternative window. The Tsiknopempti weekend, which is a week earlier and quieter.

What not to do. Book a February trip and hope. In some years the whole season is over before the middle of the month.

The Island in Carnival Season

This is the honest part. The santorini carnival falls in the deepest part of the off season, and the island in February is not the island in the photographs.

Eight things about the island during the santorini carnival, stated plainly.

Weather. 12 to 16 degrees by day, 8 to 11 at night. Six to nine wet days a month, arriving as fronts with real wind behind them. Occasional storms across the caldera, which are spectacular and disruptive in equal measure.

The sea. 15 to 16 degrees. Its coldest point of the year. Nobody swims.

Daylight. Sunset between six and half past six, moving later through the season.

What is open. Fira, all of it, all year: supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, banks, restaurants and bars. Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and both museums in Fira on winter hours. The cable car, reduced. A handful of wineries.

What is closed. Most of Oia. Almost all of Imerovigli. The entire beach strip at Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos. Most boat operators.

Getting there. No direct European flights. Athens connects year-round, several times a day, forty-five minutes. Conventional ferries from Piraeus run on a reduced winter timetable and the fast catamarans mostly do not.

Prices. The santorini carnival falls in the cheapest weeks of the year. Caldera-view rooms at 70 to 130 euros where August asks 500 to 900, and standard doubles in Fira from 40.

Where to stay for the santorini carnival. Fira. Not a debate — it is the only part of the island with genuine winter life, and it is where the carnival happens.

What Else to Do That Week

A carnival trip needs the days around the parades filled, and February on this island has more to offer than most visitors assume.

Nine things to fill the days around the santorini carnival programme.

Akrotiri in silence. The Bronze Age town under its roof, with entire rooms to yourself. Better now than at any other time of year.

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera. The frescoes from Akrotiri, indoors, and the correct answer to a wet afternoon.

The Archaeological Museum of Thera. Also in Fira, also open all winter.

The caldera path. Oia to Fira in 14 degrees with a green landscape underneath and nobody on it. The best walking conditions of the year.

Pyrgos and Emporio. The two best inland villages, at their most themselves in February, and both central to the carnival programme.

A winery. Reduced hours, no queue, and the vines being pruned in the fields.

Ancient Thera. Open, weather permitting, with storms moving across the whole southern half of the island.

The green island. Winter rain on volcanic soil produces six weeks of deep green across the terraces and the vineyards. It appears in almost no photograph of Santorini, and February is when it starts.

Eat like a local. Winter menus in Fira: fava, slow-cooked lamb, wild greens, and prices that bear no relation to July.

Santorini Carnival Costumes and What They Mean

Fancy dress is not decoration in a Greek carnival. It is the mechanism of the whole thing, and knowing what you are looking at makes the santorini carnival considerably more interesting than a parade of children in costume.

The Greek word is maskarema, and the point of it is inversion. For three weeks the ordinary social order is suspended: a mask allows anybody to say anything to anybody, and the tradition of teasing, mocking and impersonating — particularly authority — is protected by anonymity. In villages where everybody knows everybody, that matters. It is the same logic that produced the satirical floats, which on this island are aimed squarely at local politics, the tourism industry and whatever has annoyed the island that year.

What you will see falls into a few broad groups. Children dress as more or less anything, and school parades are the biggest participation of the season. Adults tend towards either the elaborate — full period or fantasy costume, made or hired — or the deliberately absurd, which is the older tradition. Cross-dressing is common and entirely unremarkable, and it is one of the oldest elements of the festival. Groups from village clubs often dress to a single theme and build a float to match.

The one thing that stands out on Santorini, relative to the mainland carnivals, is how much of it is family-organised. There is no professional carnival industry here. The floats are built in garages, the costumes are made at home or borrowed, and the music is whoever in the village plays. That is precisely what makes it worth watching.

If you are here for the final weekend, buy something. Costume shops appear in Fira for the season and every supermarket carries masks, wigs and hats. Turning up to a village parade in ordinary clothes marks you as a spectator; turning up in a bad wig marks you as a participant, and the difference in how the evening goes is substantial.

Where the Santorini Carnival Traditions Come From

The santorini carnival sits at the end of a very long line, and its individual elements have traceable origins that are worth knowing.

The masking. Almost certainly Dionysian in origin. Festivals of Dionysus involved masks, wine, licensed disorder and processions, and they ran across the Aegean for centuries. The Orthodox church absorbed the timing rather than the content, and the content survived largely intact.

The three-week structure. Byzantine. The graduated fast — meat, then dairy, then nothing — is a formal part of the Orthodox calendar and the carnival weeks are named after it: Meatfare and Cheesefare.

The satire. Medieval and Venetian. The Cyclades were under Venetian rule for three centuries after 1204, and the tradition of ridiculing authority in costume travelled with it.

Tsiknopempti. Practical rather than religious in origin. Meat had to be used before the fast, and grilling it outdoors is what a whole community does at the same time.

The kites on Clean Monday. The usual explanation is the soul rising towards God at the start of Lent. The unromantic explanation is that late February and early March are the windiest weeks of the Greek year and everybody is outdoors anyway.

Lagana. Unleavened bread, connected to the same symbolism of stripping things back that governs the whole Lenten fast. It is baked on one day a year.

The kites and the food together. Clean Monday is the only day in the Greek calendar on which an entire country picnics outdoors simultaneously, and it is the most visible surviving example of a communal seasonal ritual anywhere in Europe.

Photographing the Santorini Carnival

Eight notes on photographing the santorini carnival.

The light. February and March give the best light of the year here — low sun, real cloud and storm structure over the caldera. Nothing in August comes close.

Ask first. Children in costume are the heart of the santorini carnival and photographing them without asking a parent is not acceptable. A greeting first changes the answer almost every time.

Village over town. The Fira parade photographs like a parade. Emporio and Pyrgos photograph like something older.

Go wide. The lanes are narrow, the villages are stacked and the crowds are close.

Shoot the evening. Village halls and squares after dark, with a fast lens, are where the atmosphere is.

Clean Monday from above. A ridge above the picnic grounds, with kites in the air and the caldera behind. The single best photograph of the season.

Bring a waterproof for the camera. Fronts come through fast and hard in February.

The empty island as a bonus. Oia, Imerovigli and the caldera path in carnival season are as empty as they will ever be, and the green landscape underneath them is gone by June.

Carnival Food, Week by Week

The three weeks of the santorini carnival are organised around what you are allowed to eat, and following that is the easiest way to understand the season.

The santorini carnival is organised around what you are allowed to eat, week by week.

Week one, Profani. Nothing is restricted. The season is announced, the first costumes appear in the schools, and the eating is ordinary.

Week two, Kreatini or Meatfare. The great meat week, ending on the Sunday of Meatfare, which is the last day meat is permitted before Lent. Tsiknopempti falls on the Thursday, and the whole island grills.

Week three, Tyrini or Cheesefare. No meat. Dairy, eggs and fish are still allowed, so the week runs on cheese pies, omelettes, macaroni with cheese, and everything that uses up what is in the house before the fast.

Clean Monday, the end of the santorini carnival. The fast begins. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no fish with blood. Shellfish, octopus, squid, vegetables and pulses are permitted, which is why the Clean Monday table looks the way it does.

The santorini carnival additions. Fava with onion and capers, tomatokeftedes, white aubergine, chloro cheese in the cheese week and none of it on the Monday, and local capers and caper leaves throughout.

Lagana. The flat unleavened bread baked in Greece on one day a year, Clean Monday, and available in every bakery in Fira that morning.

Halva. The traditional Clean Monday dessert, since it contains no dairy or eggs.

What to drink. Local assyrtiko, which is on every table on the island whatever the calendar says.

Carnival Elsewhere in Greece, for Comparison

It is worth being clear about what the santorini carnival is not, so that expectations match what actually happens.

Seven Greek carnivals, and where the santorini carnival sits among them.

Patras. The largest carnival in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe, running for weeks with tens of thousands of participants, a treasure-hunt game and a final parade that fills the city. If spectacle is what you want, that is where it is.

Naoussa, in Macedonia. The Genitsari and Boules, an archaic masked ritual with white wax masks and a dance that is far older than anything Christian. Unsettling and remarkable.

Skyros. Goat-bell wearers in animal skins, an unbroken pre-Christian tradition, and one of the most anthropologically interesting festivals in Europe.

Rethymno, in Crete. A large, organised carnival with a treasure hunt and a substantial parade.

Xanthi and Tyrnavos. Northern carnivals, one for its scale and multicultural mix and the other for a fertility rite that is considerably franker than most visitors expect.

The santorini carnival. A village and family carnival on an island of 15,500 people, in the low season, with school parades, satirical floats, a grilling day and a kite-flying Monday. Small, warm, entirely unpackaged, and with no other visitors in the frame.

Which to choose. Patras or Naoussa if the carnival is the trip. Santorini if you want to be somewhere extraordinary at the cheapest and emptiest time of year, with a genuine local festival happening around you.

Practical Notes for a Santorini Carnival Trip

Eleven practical points that a santorini carnival trip turns on.

Base in Fira. The only part of the island with year-round life, and the centre of the santorini carnival programme.

Hire a car or book a driver. The village parades are the good ones and the bus network runs a skeleton winter timetable.

Confirm the hotel is actually open. February listings sometimes stay live after a property has closed for the season. Message directly.

Bring warm clothes. 13 degrees with wind and rain on an exposed cliff is colder than the number suggests.

Waterproofs and grippy shoes. Wet marble steps in a Cycladic village are genuinely dangerous.

Buy a costume. For the final weekend. Everyone else will have one.

Buy a kite. They appear in Fira shops in the week before Clean Monday.

Book Tsiknopempti. A table in Fira, for the early afternoon.

Expect nothing to be scheduled precisely. Parades start when they start.

Cash. Cards work in Fira; a village club room on a carnival night may not take them.

Do not book a ferry on the day you fly. February fronts cancel sailings at short notice.

A Four-Day Santorini Carnival Itinerary

Four nights is the right length for a santorini carnival trip, ending on Clean Monday.

Thursday. Fly in through Athens, transfer to Fira, and walk the rim to Firostefani in the afternoon. Sunset at about half past six. Dinner in town.

Friday. Akrotiri at opening with the place to yourself, lunch in Megalochori, a winery at three, and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera if the weather turns. Village parade in the evening if one is on.

Saturday. The caldera path from Oia to Fira in the morning, four hours at a walking pace through the green version of the island. Costume on in the afternoon for the parades, and out late.

Sunday. The peak day of the santorini carnival: the main parade in Fira, floats and school groups, followed by whatever the town does afterwards. This is the peak of the santorini carnival.

Monday. Clean Monday. Buy lagana at a bakery in the morning, take a kite, and go to open ground — the fields near Pyrgos, the ridge below Profitis Ilias, or Perissa beach. Eat octopus, taramosalata and halva, and fly the kite until the light goes.

Tuesday. Transfer to the airport. Everything is quiet again.

If it rains for two days. Both museums, the wine museum in a cave, a winery and long lunches. February here rarely loses a whole day.

Who Carnival Suits

The split between the travellers the santorini carnival works for and the ones it does not is unusually clean.

People who want Greece rather than a resort. This is the strongest reason to come. Nothing about the santorini carnival is staged for visitors.

Photographers. Storm light over the caldera, a green island, empty villages, and a genuine festival with no other cameras in it.

Walkers. The best walking conditions of the year: 14 degrees, green hillsides and an empty caldera path.

Budget travellers. The cheapest week of the entire year on this island.

Second and third visits. If you have done the sights in summer, this shows you what is underneath them.

Families with school-age children. The parades are school parades, and children are the point of them.

Not for a beach holiday. The sea is 15 degrees and the resorts are shut.

Not for a first-and-only visit. Too much is closed, and the weather is a lottery.

Not for nightlife. Beyond the carnival nights themselves, there is very little.

Santorini Carnival: Frequently Asked Questions

When is the santorini carnival? Movable, tied to Orthodox Easter. It runs for the three weeks before Clean Monday, which is seven weeks before Orthodox Easter Sunday — so usually somewhere between early February and mid-March.

What is Apokries at the santorini carnival? The Greek name for the carnival season. It means “away from meat” and refers to the feasting before the Lenten fast.

What is Tsiknopempti at the santorini carnival? Smoky Thursday, in the second carnival week. The great meat-grilling day, when every taverna cooks outside.

What is Clean Monday? Kathara Deftera, the first day of Lent and a public holiday. Families picnic outdoors on Lenten food and fly kites.

Why kites at the santorini carnival? The tradition is usually explained as the soul rising towards God at the start of the fast. It is also very windy in February, which helps.

What do people eat on Clean Monday? Lagana bread, taramosalata, olives, pickles, octopus, squid, skordalia, fava and halva. No meat, dairy, eggs or fish with blood.

Where are the best santorini carnival parades? Fira for the main one, and Emporio, Pyrgos, Megalochori and Karterados for the village versions.

Should I dress up for the santorini carnival? Yes, for the final weekend. Everyone else does.

Is the santorini carnival worth travelling for? As the whole reason for a trip, only if you want an off-season island and a genuine local festival. As part of a cheap February trip, absolutely.

What is open during the santorini carnival? Fira all month, Akrotiri, Ancient Thera, both museums and the cable car on winter hours, and some wineries. Oia and the beach resorts are largely closed.

How do I find the programme? The municipality publishes it a week or two ahead, and posters go up in Fira. There is no reliable long-range schedule.

How cold is the santorini carnival? 12 to 16 degrees by day, 8 to 11 at night, with six to nine wet days across the month.

See the Island at Its Most Greek

We are a local operator running private tours and transfers in our own vehicles, and we work through the winter — which means we know which villages have something on in any given carnival week, and which roads to take to get there.

Tell us your dates and we will build the days around the programme, the weather and what is actually open.

Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, hotel pickup anywhere on the island is included, we guide in twelve languages, and an 80 EUR deposit confirms a date.

See the personalised tour, the private transfers, or contact us.

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

Santorini Private Tour

Do not miss the famous sunset of Oia

Taste the special local cuisine of Santorini

Ideal island for extreme sports

Admire the beautiful villages of the island

See rare finds in the museums of the island

Read more about Santorini:

Santorini Supermarkets: The Short Answer

Where the Big Stores Are

What Things Cost

What to Buy and What to Skip

Opening Hours, Sundays and the Winter Version

Santorini Supermarkets: Questions People Ask

Self-Catering, and How Much It Saves

The Shopping Run, and How We Help

The Greek Supermarket, Explained

Markets, Bakeries and the Alternatives

Prices Against the Rest of Greece

What to Bring Home

Every Village and Site on the Island

1. Oia

2. Fira

3. Caldera

4. Pyrgos

5. Perissa

Take a Santorini tour

More Places You Should See in Santorini

21. The Castle and Maritime Museum of Oia

22. Finikia

6. Imerovigli and Skaros Rock

7. Firostefani and the Three Bells

24. The Old Port and the 587 Steps

13. Ammoudi Bay

8. Akrotiri

16. The Museum of Prehistoric Thira

9. Ancient Thera

10. The Red Beach

14. Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni

15. Thirasia

11. Megalochori

12. Emporio

20. Profitis Ilias Monastery

23. Vothonas and the Cave Villages

25. Panagia Episkopi

17. The Akrotiri Lighthouse

18. Kamari and Vlychada

19. The Wineries

How to See Them All: Planning by Area

When to Visit and How to Avoid the Crowds

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the places you should see in Santorini?

How many days do I need to see them?

Can I see Santorini in one day?

Do I need a car?

What is the best time to visit?

Read more about Santorini Tours:

Visit Santorini after Easter 2020

Stricter traffic restriction measures Easter 2020

Additional measures in Santorini

Measures for Easter in Santorini

1. Exit home

2. Traffic at certain return time

3. Exclusion of public spaces

4. Special written certificate of circulation for the elderly

5. Police checks

6. Closing tolls

7. Closed door services in selected metropolitan churches

8. Larger fine for unnecessary traffic

9. Stricter ban on gatherings

10. Once you move out of the municipality of permanent residence

What you can do to visit Santorini after Easter 2020?

Why Visit Santorini After Easter: The Case Today

When Is Greek Orthodox Easter?

Easter on the Island: What Comes Before

Spring Celebrations After Easter

Weather After Easter

What Is Open in the Weeks After Easter

Things to Do When You Visit Santorini After Easter

Sunsets After Easter

Walking Routes for Spring