santorini tours 2023

Santorini or paros is a choice between the most dramatic landscape in Greece and the most balanced island in the Cyclades. Santorini has the caldera, a volcano, Akrotiri and a unique wine region at roughly double the price; Paros has sandy beaches, Naoussa’s nightlife, better ferry links and prices that let you stay a fortnight. First visit or honeymoon, Santorini. Family, beaches or a long stay, Paros.

Visit Santorini in 2023 and take a tour with Santorini Tours. The island is mainly known for its enchanting sunset and volcano, but it has more than that. The white houses with the blue roofs that are built on the edge of the cliff, create an extraordinary image that can amaze even the most demanding visitor.

The volcanic island of the Aegean

Santorini is an island in the Aegean Sea and belongs to the Cyclades. It is a highly touristic island due to its traditional architecture and Instagrammable scenery.

Whatever type of traveler you are, Santorini has a lot to offer. If you are a history buff then you must visit ancient Thira or the prehistoric archaeological site at Akrotiri. If you like good food, here you will definitely find many options of local and traditional flavors, as well as a huge variety of wines from local producers to accompany them. Finally, if what you are looking for is nightlife, then Santorini is the ideal island for you.

The volcano of thera

The caldera of the volcano is probably the most famous attraction of the island. It was created by many volcanic eruptions, the most famous being the Minoan one in the 17th century BC. In the center of the caldera you will find two small islands, Palia and Nea Kameni. Access to Nea Kameni is by boat that operates daily. There you can walk for 20 minutes on stabilized lava and reach the crater at the top of the island. Or take a dip in the exotic orange waters, created by the hot springs.

Where to stay in Santorini in 2023?

Santorini is divided into two parts, the Western and the Eastern.

Western section of the island

The busiest part of the island is the western part because that is where the caldera, Thira and Oia are located. Most of the hotels located at this point have amazing views of the caldera, the sea and the sunset. But there are also negatives. To begin with the prices are very high, the majority of hotels have a lot of stairs and many of them do not accept children under 13 years old. Finally, it is good to know that not all hotels on the west side have a view, as some of them are located inside the settlements.

Eastern part of the island

On the other hand, the Eastern side is more similar to the rest of the Cyclades. Here you will find seaside hotels that attract many young people and families. These hotels usually offer larger and cheaper rooms than those on the west side.

The best beaches of Santorini in 2023

In Santorini, due to the volcanic eruption, you will find unique beaches. I’ve collected my favorites below, but that doesn’t mean the others aren’t good.

Red beach

The Red Beach is one of the most famous beaches of the island and is located in its southern part. Access to it is easy and can be done either on foot or by boat from Akrotiri. Also, it is good to know that the beach is organized.

Perivolos

Another famous beach of the island with black sand is Perivolos. It is the largest beach in terms of area and satisfies every type of visitor. Here you can find many beach bars, cafes and taverns, but also quiet corners to rest.

Vlychada

Vlychada is also a beautiful beach of the island, in its southeastern part. Most of it is organized, however you can find enough space to enjoy your bath in peace. You should know, however, that there is no cell phone signal on this beach.

White beach

White Beach is the one that makes the difference. As its name suggests, it is made up of white rocks that create a strong contrast with the black sand and all together create an idyllic landscape. To get to Aspri beach you have to take the boat from Akrotiri and be prepared that you won’t find any taverns, canteens or bars here.

What should you eat in Santorini in 2023?

It is impossible to be on the island and not try its local and traditional flavors. You can take a tour of Santorini!

Local wine

Among other things, Santorini is known for its wines. Here you can find wineries to visit that will introduce you to the flavors and aromas of the wines produced in the volcanic vineyards. Do not miss to try the famous Vincento, the local variety of the island.

Fava

You can’t come this far and not try Santorini’s famous fava. This local legume dominates many dishes but also in its simple form.

Tomato balls

The locals are very proud of their tomato meatballs, and not without reason. Santorini tomato meatballs are made from local, pure products and give you a taste that you won’t need anything else.

Santorini salad

With a Santorini salad you will taste almost all the famous products of the island. Its basis is the Santorini cherry and it has capers, nuts and chlorotyri.

Read more about Santorini Tours:

• Santorini Sightseeing Private Tour
• Exclusive Shore Santorini Private Tour
• Impressive Caldera Santorini Private Tour
• South Part Santorini Private Tour
• North Part Santorini Private Tour
• Santorini Historical Private Tour
• Santorini Sunset Private Tour

Santorini or Paros: The Short Answer

Santorini or paros is a choice between the most dramatic landscape in Greece and the most balanced island in the Cyclades. Santorini has the caldera, an active volcano, a Bronze Age city buried in ash and a wine region unlike anywhere else, at roughly double the price. Paros has good sandy beaches, two attractive towns, proper nightlife, excellent ferry connections and prices that let you stay a week without thinking about it.

On santorini or paros for a first visit to Greece, a honeymoon or a single spectacular week, the answer is Santorini. For a family holiday, a longer stay, a budget trip or a base to hop from, Paros. With ten days, do both, because they are two to three hours apart by fast ferry.

Neither island in the santorini or paros pairing is a cheaper version of the other, and most of the disappointment we hear comes from people who booked one expecting what the other one does.

The Two Islands in One Line Each

Santorini. The dramatic half of santorini or paros: the rim of a collapsed volcano, a 300-metre cliff, white villages along the top, a crater full of sea and two black islets in the middle of it.

Paros. The balanced half of santorini or paros: a rolling marble island of 195 square kilometres with two harbour towns, a mountain village of white lanes, sandy bays on every coast and a windsurfing beach on the east.

The difference that matters. On Santorini you look at something; on Paros you do something. That single distinction settles most santorini or paros arguments before the details start.

Size. Santorini is 76 square kilometres and fifty minutes end to end. Paros is nearly three times larger and still easy to drive around in an afternoon.

Shape of the day. Santorini is built around timing: sights at opening, nothing at midday, the island back after five. Paros has shade, breeze and beaches, so the day runs normally.

See how the caldera formed.

The Landscape

What Santorini has in the santorini or paros comparison. A crater eight kilometres across with the villages perched on the edge of it, cliffs banded red, black and white by successive eruptions, and vineyards growing in ash. There is nothing comparable in the Mediterranean.

What Paros has. Low hills, marble quarries that supplied the Venus de Milo, olive groves, a spine of villages and a coastline of coves. Green in spring, gold by July, and shaded in a way that Santorini simply is not.

Trees. Only one side of santorini or paros has them, and it is Paros. Santorini has almost none, which is why there is no natural shade anywhere on the island.

Water. Paros has springs and wells. Santorini has neither, and every drop is desalinated or shipped in.

The view test. Ask what you will photograph. On santorini or paros the answer is a caldera on one island and a village square, a fishing harbour or a beach on the other.

The walking test. Santorini has one exceptional ten-kilometre rim path. Paros has the Byzantine Road and a network of marked trails through the hills, with shade on some of them.

The Beaches

The clearest difference of the lot, and the one that decides most santorini or paros bookings.

Paros. The beach half of santorini or paros: Kolymbithres with its sculpted granite, Santa Maria, Golden Beach for windsurfing, Logaras, Chrissi Akti and a dozen small coves. Sand, shallow water, tamarisk shade and beach bars.

Santorini. Black, grey and red volcanic sand and pebble. Perissa, Perivolos, Kamari, Vlychada and Monolithos are long and dramatic, the water shelves quickly, there is no natural shade and the sand is too hot to stand on by eleven in summer.

Wind. On santorini or paros the meltemi hits Paros hard on its eastern beaches, which is exactly why windsurfers go there. Santorini’s south coast stays sheltered when the north is blowing.

Sunbeds. 15 to 30 for a pair on both, and free at many Paros tavernas if you eat there.

The verdict. Paros, comfortably, and it is not a matter of taste. If the trip is a beach holiday, santorini or paros answers itself.

The caveat. The best swim on either island is off a boat in the Santorini caldera, in deep, cold, absolutely clear water.

See the Santorini beaches ranked.

What There Is to See

Santorini. Akrotiri, a Bronze Age town buried by the eruption around 1600 BC with two-storey houses, drainage and frescoes. Ancient Thira on its ridge 360 metres up. Nea Kameni, the active volcano, which you can walk up. Two good museums in Fira. Around fifteen wineries. Oia, Imerovigli and the caldera rim path.

Paros. The Panagia Ekatontapiliani, one of the oldest churches in Greece and genuinely remarkable. The ancient marble quarries at Marathi. Lefkes and the Byzantine Road. Naoussa’s Venetian harbour. Antiparos and its cave, twenty minutes away by ferry.

The verdict. Santorini, by a distance. In the santorini or paros comparison of sights there is no real contest: one island has two major archaeological sites and a volcano, the other has one great church and a good afternoon’s worth of everything else.

The honest qualifier. Sights are not why most people book Paros, and nobody arrives there disappointed by the lack of them.

See Akrotiri and the volcano.

Things to Do Beyond Looking

On the Santorini side of santorini or paros. A catamaran round the caldera with swimming stops, three wineries in an afternoon, Akrotiri with a guide, the rim walk from Fira to Oia, the volcano climb, and Oia at seven in the morning.

On Paros. Windsurfing and kitesurfing at Golden Beach and Pounda, sea kayaking, diving, the Byzantine Road on foot, a day on Antiparos, and boat trips to the small islands around the bay.

Water sports. Paros wins this part of santorini or paros outright. Santorini’s caldera is 300 metres deep and its coast is exposed, which suits boats and not boards.

Wine. Santorini wins outright: Assyrtiko, Nykteri and Vinsanto from ungrafted vines in a region that has never had phylloxera. See the wine tour.

Boat days. Both are good. Santorini’s is inside a volcano; Paros’s is a hop to Antiparos and a string of coves.

With children. Paros, easily. Flat towns, shallow water and short distances.

On activity rather than scenery, santorini or paros is the one comparison where Paros genuinely wins on volume.

Food and Wine

Santorini. The expensive half of santorini or paros at the table. It is a volcanic island with no fresh water, and the produce shows it: white aubergine, capers, fava, and cherry tomatoes with a concentration nothing else matches. Inland tavernas at Pyrgos, Megalochori, Exo Gonia and Vothonas are very good and reasonably priced; the caldera rim charges two or three times as much for the view.

Paros. Seafood, cheese, good cheap tavernas in Naoussa and the villages, and a genuine local wine industry that nobody outside Greece has heard of.

Where to eat well cheaply on santorini or paros. Paros almost anywhere; Santorini inland only.

The wine. Not close. Santorini’s Assyrtiko is one of the great white wines of the Mediterranean, and a winery afternoon here is among the best things either island offers.

Dinner prices. 30 to 45 for two on Paros, 35 to 55 inland on Santorini, 90 to 160 on the Santorini rim.

The verdict. On food, santorini or paros comes down to the bill: Paros for eating well every night, Santorini for three or four meals and a wine region you will remember.

See the food experience.

Nightlife

Paros. The evening half of santorini or paros. Naoussa is the best small nightlife town in the Cyclades after Mykonos: harbour bars, a proper crowd, music until three or four, and Parikia has a strip of its own.

Santorini. Fira from eleven, with a handful of bars and clubs, and Perissa and Perivolos beach bars in the afternoon. Oia closes early and expensively.

The verdict. Paros, and by a clear margin. Anyone choosing santorini or paros for the evenings should book Naoussa.

The qualifier. Neither is Mykonos, and neither is trying to be.

See Santorini nightlife.

Crowds

Santorini. The crowded half of santorini or paros: two to three million visitors a year on 76 square kilometres, with up to five cruise ships a day and several thousand people in Oia at sunset. It is also completely empty before nine in the morning and after seven in the evening, everywhere except two villages.

Paros. Busy in Naoussa and Parikia in August and comfortable everywhere else, with no cruise calls of any consequence.

The feeling. Santorini is a place people travel a long way to photograph. Paros is a place people go back to for a fortnight every year.

The fix on Santorini. Timing. The rim path that is solid at noon is empty at seven, and the same is true of Oia, Fira and the cable car.

The verdict. Paros for a quieter holiday; santorini or paros makes little difference if you are prepared to get up early.

What Each Island Costs

Rough santorini or paros numbers for two people in the shoulder season.

Hotels on Santorini. 60 to 120 a night inland or on a beach, 180 to 300 on the caldera, 400 and up for a cave suite.

Hotels on Paros. 60 to 120 for a good room near a beach, and 150 to 250 for the best places in Naoussa.

Car hire. 25 to 70 a day on Santorini depending on the month, 25 to 50 on Paros.

Ferries. Paros is cheaper to reach from Piraeus and marginally cheaper to leave.

Activities. A Santorini catamaran is 90 to 140 each; a Paros boat day or a windsurfing lesson is 40 to 80.

The honest summary. A week on the Santorini rim costs roughly double a week on Paros. A week inland on Santorini costs about the same as Paros, which is the single most useful fact in the santorini or paros decision.

See real Santorini prices.

Where to Stay on Each Island

Santorini, for the view that decides santorini or paros. Firostefani and Imerovigli: caldera terraces, with road access at Firostefani and a great many steps at Imerovigli. See Firostefani.

Santorini, for value. Karterados, Messaria, Vothonas or the back streets of Perissa, at a third of the rim price.

Santorini, for a beach. Kamari, Perissa or Monolithos, flat and walkable. See Kamari.

Paros, the santorini or paros answer for nightlife. Naoussa, which has the harbour, the bars and the best restaurants.

Paros, for convenience. Parikia, where the ferries dock, with the great church and the bus station.

Paros, for the beach. Santa Maria, Golden Beach or Aliki, depending on which coast the wind is hitting.

Paros, for quiet. Lefkes in the hills, or Antiparos across the strait.

The rule for both. On santorini or paros, the village decides the holiday far more than the hotel does. See where to stay on Santorini.

Getting There

Flights, where santorini or paros is not close. Santorini has direct services from most of Europe between April and October, and forty-five minutes from Athens all year with twenty or more rotations a day in season.

Flights to Paros. A newer airport with Athens flights and a handful of seasonal European services, on small aircraft.

Ferries from Piraeus. Three to four and a half hours to Paros on a fast boat, four and a half to five and a half to Santorini, and seven to eight on a conventional ferry to either.

Between the two. Two to three hours by fast ferry, several sailings a day in summer.

Connections. Paros is the better hub, with frequent boats to Naxos, Mykonos, Ios and Antiparos. Santorini is the better airport.

Winter. Santorini keeps daily flights and ferries; Paros thins out considerably.

The rule for both. Never a ferry on the day you fly home, whichever way the santorini or paros decision goes. Wind cancels boats far more often than it grounds planes.

See the Santorini ports explained.

How Many Days Each Needs

Santorini. On santorini or paros trip length, five nights is right here: Akrotiri, a boat day, three wineries, Oia at dawn, a beach afternoon and one day with nothing booked. Three works and feels tight; two is a highlights reel.

Paros. Four to six, because the island rewards a slow week rather than a checklist: two or three beaches, Naoussa in the evening, Lefkes and the Byzantine Road, a day on Antiparos.

The asymmetry. Santorini gives you more in the first two days than Paros does. Paros is better on the fifth and sixth day, when the Santorini list has run out and yours has not.

Ten days. Five and five, and the santorini or paros question stops mattering.

A fortnight. Paros as a base with Naxos and Antiparos attached, and four or five nights on Santorini at the end.

See the Santorini itinerary guide and how many days you need.

Which Suits Which Trip

First visit to Greece. Santorini takes santorini or paros here. You want the view you have seen a hundred times and it is better in person.

Honeymoon. Santorini, and it is the least close line in santorini or paros.

Family with young children. Paros: flat towns, shallow sandy beaches, short drives and lower prices.

Groups in their twenties. Paros, for Naoussa and the water sports.

Couples on a budget. Paros, or Santorini staying inland.

A fortnight in one place. Paros, which has the variety and the ferry links to fill it.

Five nights only. Santorini, which delivers more per day than anywhere else in the Cyclades.

Archaeology, geology or wine. Santorini, outright.

Windsurfing, kitesurfing or diving. Paros, outright.

Walking. Both: Paros has the trail network, Santorini has the single best walk.

A quiet week out of season. Santorini, because Paros closes down more thoroughly in winter.

Read that list and the santorini or paros answer for your particular trip is usually obvious within two lines.

Season by Season

April and May. Santorini or paros in spring: both are lovely, both have a cold sea, and Paros is greener. Santorini has wildflowers on the ridge and the best walking of the year.

June. The best month on either side of santorini or paros: long days, warm enough water, everything open and pre-peak prices.

July and August. Paros handles the heat better, with shade, breeze and space. Santorini needs a plan built around the clock, and the difference between a good August day and a bad one here is entirely a matter of hours.

September. The warmest sea of the year on both, with crowds thinning from the second week. If your dates are flexible, this is when santorini or paros matters least, because both are at their best.

October. Santorini keeps its flights and services to the end of the month; Paros winds down earlier.

November to March. Santorini stays open in reduced form and is genuinely interesting in winter. Paros becomes a working island with very little for visitors.

See the Santorini weather month by month.

Doing Both in One Trip

The best answer to santorini or paros is very often to take the ferry and do both.

The order. Paros first, Santorini second. Paros is the gentler start, and Santorini has the flights home.

The crossing. Two to three hours on a fast ferry, booked ahead in July and August, taken in the morning so a cancellation can be absorbed.

Ten nights. Five on each: beaches, Naoussa and Antiparos on one, then Akrotiri, a boat day, the wineries and Oia at dawn on the other.

A week. Four and three, with the crossing on the morning of day five. It works and it is tight.

Adding a third island. Naxos or Ios sits neatly between them without adding a travel day.

What not to do. Three nights on each in a six-night trip. Two travel days out of six shows you neither island.

Two Worked Two-Island Itineraries

Ten nights of santorini or paros, couple, September. Ferry from Piraeus to Paros. Five nights in Naoussa: beach days at Kolymbithres and Santa Maria, a morning on the Byzantine Road from Lefkes, a day on Antiparos with the cave, and harbour dinners. Fast ferry to Santorini on the morning of day six. Five nights at Firostefani: Akrotiri at opening with a guide, a catamaran round the caldera, three wineries from four, Oia at seven in the morning, one rim dinner and one empty day. Fly home from Santorini.

Nine nights, family, late June. Ferry to Paros, five nights at Santa Maria or Aliki with a pool. Beach mornings, one boat day, a windsurfing lesson for the teenagers, early dinners in Naoussa. Ferry to Santorini, four nights at Kamari: Akrotiri while it is cool and roofed, the cable car and the museum in Fira, a catamaran with swimming stops, and the open-air cinema.

What both share. The easier island first, the crossing in the morning, and no ferry on the day of a flight. That shape solves santorini or paros without either island being squeezed.

The cost difference. Doing both costs slightly more than a week on Paros and slightly less than a week on the Santorini rim.

Common Misconceptions

“Santorini or paros is just expensive against cheap.” It is cheaper and it is not a lesser version of anything. Different island, different holiday.

“Santorini is just a sunset.” It has the best-preserved Bronze Age town in the Aegean, an active volcano and a unique wine region. The sunset is the least interesting thing on the island.

“Paros has nothing to see.” One of the oldest churches in Greece, ancient marble quarries, a mountain village and Antiparos. It has less than Santorini and it is not empty.

“Santorini is ruined by crowds.” Two villages are crowded for six hours a day and the other eleven are not.

“You can day-trip between them.” Two to three hours each way plus port transfers eats the day. Sleep on both or choose one.

“They are basically the same.” The only serious mistake in the santorini or paros debate. One is a volcano rim; the other is a marble island with beaches.

What We Tell People Who Ask

We get the santorini or paros question constantly, and the answer turns on one thing: how often you expect to come to Greece.

If this is your only trip. Santorini. You will regret missing the caldera more than you will regret missing a beach.

If you come most years. Paros this time and Santorini another, and you will enjoy both more.

If you have children under ten. Paros, with three or four nights here at the end if the flights work.

If it is a honeymoon. Santorini, without hesitation.

If the budget is fixed and tight. Paros for the week, or Santorini inland with everything eaten inland.

If you have ten days. Both, Paros first.

That is the whole of santorini or paros as we would give it to a friend, and none of it depends on which island photographs better.

Making Santorini Cost What Paros Costs

The price gap is the strongest argument against this island, and most of it is a choice.

Sleep inland. Karterados, Messaria, Vothonas or the back streets of Perissa are 60 to 120 a night against 250 to 400 on the rim, for the same standard of room.

Eat inland. Pyrgos, Megalochori and Exo Gonia serve better food at a third of the caldera price. One rim dinner is enough.

Use the view for nothing. The rim path at Firostefani, Imerovigli and the Akrotiri lighthouse costs nothing at all.

Share the boat. 90 to 140 each on a semi-private catamaran; 600 and up for a private one.

Take a driver for two days rather than a car for five. Per vehicle, and no parking. See transfers.

The result. A week done that way costs roughly what Paros costs, with a volcano, a buried city and a wine region added, which changes the santorini or paros arithmetic entirely.

What a Week on Santorini Actually Looks Like

Santorini or paros is abstract; a week is not. This is the version we would book for anybody who chooses this side of the santorini or paros question.

Day one. Arrive, nothing booked, a walk along the rim at Firostefani, dinner ten minutes from the hotel.

Day two. Akrotiri at opening with a guide, ninety minutes and roofed. Lunch under a vine in Megalochori. The pool or a terrace until five. Three wineries from five, with the vineyards below. Dinner at Pyrgos at nine, outside.

Day three, the day that wins santorini or paros for most people. A catamaran at ten: out through the caldera, swimming stops, lunch cooked on board, Thirasia, and the cliff turning gold at six. Nothing in the evening.

Day four. Oia at half past seven with a camera, when the main street is empty and level. Breakfast at nine. The whole afternoon free. One dinner on the rim, booked weeks ahead.

Day five. The rim path from Fira to Imerovigli early, Vlychada or Perivolos from four, dinner at Vothonas.

Day six. Nothing at all. A swim, a terrace, a long lunch.

Day seven. Ancient Thira at opening, the museums in Fira, and the flight.

Three outings, two empty afternoons and one spare day for wind. That is what the expensive half of santorini or paros buys, and it is why people who do it this way come back.

What a Week on Paros Looks Like

The fair santorini or paros comparison, written the same way.

Day one. Arrive at Parikia, the great church in the late afternoon, dinner on the waterfront.

Day two. Kolymbithres in the morning, Naoussa harbour in the evening, and a late night if you want one.

Day three. Lefkes and the Byzantine Road on foot in the morning, a long village lunch, a beach at four.

Day four. Antiparos: the ferry, the cave, a swim, and back for dinner.

Day five. Golden Beach with a windsurfing lesson, or a boat day around the coves.

Day six. The marble quarries at Marathi in the morning, Santa Maria in the afternoon.

Day seven. A last beach, then the ferry or the small airport.

Seven relaxed days with no early alarms. Held next to the Santorini week above, the santorini or paros decision becomes concrete: one is a landscape and a set of sights, the other is a holiday.

The One-Line Verdicts

Seven nights, first time in Greece. Santorini.

Seven nights, third time in Greece. Paros.

Ten nights. Five and five, Paros first.

Four nights only. Santorini, because it front-loads everything.

A honeymoon. Santorini.

Two children under eight. Paros.

A group of friends in their twenties. Paros, in Naoussa.

Windsurfing or diving. Paros.

Wine and archaeology. Santorini.

August on a budget. Paros.

A quiet week in November. Santorini, because Paros largely shuts.

A photographer. Santorini, and it is the least close line on the list.

Eleven lines, and the santorini or paros decision takes about a minute once you know what each island actually is.

The Ferry Between Them, in Detail

The crossing is short enough that santorini or paros need not be an exclusive choice, and the logistics are worth knowing before you book anything.

Crossing time. Two to two and a half hours on a fast catamaran, and closer to three and a half on a conventional ferry that calls at Ios or Naxos on the way.

Frequency. Several sailings a day from June to September, dropping to one or two in April and October and thin from November to March.

The ports. Parikia on Paros, which is in the town, and Athinios on Santorini, which is thirty minutes below Fira on a quay with no shade at all.

Cost. 45 to 75 each on a fast boat, less on a conventional one.

Booking. Weeks ahead in July and August, and a few days is enough in the shoulder months.

The wind. The stretch between the two is open water and the meltemi makes it uncomfortable. Take the morning sailing, which is usually the calmest.

Cancellations. Wind cancels a handful of sailings each summer, which is exactly why a two-island santorini or paros trip should never put the crossing on the day of a flight home.

Luggage. Fast ferries load in ten minutes and the racks are by the door. Travel light or be quick.

Side Trips From Each Island

From the Paros side of santorini or paros. Antiparos in twenty minutes, with the cave and a quiet main street. Naxos in forty-five minutes. Mykonos in an hour. Delos as a long day. Paros is the best hub in the Cyclades and that is a genuine advantage.

From Santorini. Thirasia by the local ferry from Ammoudi, which is the island as it was fifty years ago. Ios in forty minutes. Nea Kameni and Palia Kameni, the volcanic islets, which are a half-day boat trip rather than a separate island.

The verdict. Paros, comfortably, if hopping is part of the plan. On santorini or paros as a base for a wider Cyclades trip there is no contest.

The qualifier. Santorini’s side trip is inside a volcano, which is not a thing Paros can offer at any price.

See Thirasia.

Hiring a Car on Each

On Paros. Sensible for the week. The island is 195 square kilometres, the good beaches are spread around three coasts, and parking is a normal experience rather than a competitive sport.

On Santorini. Useful for two days rather than five. Everything is within half an hour and the difficulty is parking in Fira and Oia, which at midday in August is genuinely impossible. See car hire.

Cost. 25 to 50 a day on Paros, 25 to 70 on Santorini depending on the month.

Buses. Good on both. Every Santorini route runs through Fira; every Paros route runs through Parikia.

Scooters and ATVs. Popular on both and the main cause of hospital visits on both. We would not.

A private driver. Priced per vehicle on Santorini, so for four people it is often cheaper than a small group tour and it removes the parking entirely. It is the single biggest practical difference between the two islands once you are there, and it tips a santorini or paros comparison for anybody travelling as a family or a foursome.

What to Pack for Each

Both islands. Shoes you can walk in, real sun protection, a hat, and a light layer for the evening breeze.

Santorini specifically. Something to walk on hot black sand, because Perissa and Perivolos burn bare feet by eleven. Shoes with grip if you intend to walk the rim path. Nothing with wheels if you are staying below the road in Oia or Imerovigli.

Paros specifically. A windbreaker for the eastern beaches when the meltemi is up, and swimming shoes for the rockier coves.

What neither needs. Formal clothes. One decent shirt or dress covers the single rim dinner on Santorini and every restaurant on Paros.

Water. Both islands run on bottled water; the tap is desalinated and fine for washing.

The luggage rule. Whichever way santorini or paros goes, travel light. Every village in the Cyclades is cobbled, stepped or both, and nobody will carry a bag down eighty steps for you.

Photography on Each Island

For anyone choosing santorini or paros with a camera, this is the least balanced section on the page.

Santorini. Oia and the blue domes at first light, Skaros and the Imerovigli cliff, the carved white cliffs at Vlychada, the caldera from the water at golden hour, blue hour from the Firostefani rim, and the ridge chapels on red gravel. Two shooting windows a day and a long empty middle.

Paros. Naoussa’s harbour and its little Venetian fort at dusk, the marble lanes of Lefkes, the sculpted granite at Kolymbithres, and the church at Parikia.

The light. Santorini faces west across a crater, which is why the evening light is what it is. Paros is a normal island with normal light.

The verdict. Santorini, outright, and it is the reason a photographer weighing santorini or paros should stop weighing.

The practical note. The blue domes face east, so Oia is a morning subject, not an evening one, and half the disappointment about Santorini photographs comes from arriving at five in the afternoon.

See the island’s photo spots.

Weddings, Honeymoons and Occasions

Santorini. The occasion half of santorini or paros, and one of the most booked wedding destinations in Europe, with caldera terraces, sunset ceremonies and an entire local industry around them. It is also the honeymoon island by default.

Paros. Quieter, cheaper and increasingly popular for smaller weddings, particularly around Naoussa.

The cost difference. Substantial. A caldera venue is priced accordingly, and the same money on Paros buys a bigger party.

The verdict. On occasions the santorini or paros choice is really a question of whether the photographs are the point. If they are, come here.

See weddings and honeymoons.

Steps, Access and Mobility

Santorini. The caldera villages are stepped throughout. Oia has no vehicle access and hotels sit fifty to eighty steps below the road. Firostefani, Fira and the flat beach villages are far easier, and Akrotiri itself is one of the more accessible archaeological sites in Greece.

Paros. Parikia and Naoussa are largely flat, the beaches are level, and only Lefkes involves real climbing.

The verdict. Paros, clearly. Anybody with knee, hip or balance trouble should either choose Paros or choose Santorini carefully, from a flat base at Kamari, Perissa or Karterados.

The compromise. Santorini from a flat base with a driver removes most of the difficulty and keeps all of the sights, which is how we run the santorini or paros trade-off for people who cannot manage steps.

The one rule. Ask for the number of steps in writing before booking anything on the caldera rim.

The Final Verdict

After all of that, the honest summary is short.

Santorini is better at being remarkable. The caldera, the volcano, Akrotiri and the wine are things you will not see anywhere else, and five nights here produce more memory per day than any island in Greece.

Paros is better at being a holiday. Sand, shade, cheap dinners, a lively harbour town and a ferry hub, at prices that let you stay two weeks.

The cost. The gap is real on the rim and almost disappears inland, and that single fact resolves more santorini or paros arguments than any comparison of beaches.

The compromise nobody regrets. Both, Paros first, five nights each, and the crossing in the morning.

If you must pick one and it is your first trip. Come here. The caldera is the thing people remember for thirty years, and beaches are available on twenty other islands.

If you must pick one and you have been here. Paros, and enjoy the change of pace.

If You Only Have One Week and Cannot Decide

Three tie-breakers settle santorini or paros faster than any list of beaches.

1. Who is paying attention to the view? If somebody in the party will spend an hour every evening looking at the caldera and saying nothing, that is worth the money and Santorini is the answer. If nobody will, you are paying a premium for a photograph.

2. How early will you get up? Santorini rewards a seven o’clock alarm more than any island in Greece and punishes a ten o’clock one. Paros does not care what time you wake.

3. What does the week need to include? Write the six things you want. If four of them are beaches and dinners, book Paros. If two are archaeological and one involves wine, the santorini or paros question has already answered itself.

The tie-break nobody mentions. Flights. Santorini has direct services from most of Europe and Paros mostly does not, and for many people that alone decides santorini or paros before any of the above.

And if you still cannot choose. Four nights on Paros and three here, or three and four the other way. It is tight, the ferry is two hours, and nobody who has done it has told us afterwards that they regretted seeing both.

What we would not do. Spend a whole week comparing santorini or paros online. Both are excellent, the wrong choice is still a very good holiday, and the hours you spend on the island matter far more than which island it is.

Santorini or Paros: Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, santorini or paros? Santorini for a first visit, a honeymoon or a single spectacular week. Paros for families, beaches, nightlife, budgets and longer stays.

Which has better beaches, santorini or paros? Paros, comfortably: sand, shade and shallow water against volcanic sand, deep water and no shade at all.

Which is cheaper? Paros, by roughly half against caldera hotels, and by very little against inland Santorini.

Which is better for families? Paros, for flat towns, short distances and gentle water.

For couples, santorini or paros? Santorini. The caldera terraces and the boat days are what people come for.

Which has better nightlife? Paros, in Naoussa, by a clear margin.

Which has more to see? Santorini: Akrotiri, Ancient Thira, the volcano, two museums and fifteen wineries within fifty minutes of driving.

How far apart are they? Two to three hours by fast ferry, with several sailings a day in summer.

Can you visit both in one trip? Yes. Five nights on each over ten nights is the ideal; four and three works in a week.

Which should you visit first? Paros, then Santorini, because Santorini has far more flights home.

Which is better in August? Paros, for shade, breeze and space. August on Santorini works but has to be planned around the clock.

Which is better out of season? Santorini, which keeps flights, ferries and a good share of its restaurants through the winter.

Is Paros as pretty as Santorini? Naoussa and Lefkes are lovely. Nothing in the Cyclades looks like the caldera.

Is Santorini worth the extra money? Yes, if you sleep inland, eat inland and take each sight at the right hour.

We Will Make the Santorini Half Work

We are a local operator running private tours and transfers in our own vehicles, and most of what we sell is timing rather than transport: Akrotiri before the coaches, the wineries after four, the villages once the ships have gone, and Oia at an hour when you can walk down the main street.

If you are weighing santorini or paros on price or on crowds, tell us your dates and we will show you the version of this island that costs what the other one costs and feels half as busy: an inland base, inland dinners, one shared boat, one guided morning and a driver on the two days it genuinely matters.

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 full day tour, 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

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