Where to stay in Santorini: Firostefani for the caldera view with road access, Kamari or Vlychada for a flat base and a beach, and Megalochori for food and quiet. Oia only if you have counted the steps and decided you do not mind them.
The top Santorini Tours
In Santorini there are a number of attractions and places of interest that no one should miss to come closer to the history, tradition, heritage and importance of the island in history. But lets see the Santorini Tours and Santorini Private Transfers!
Archaeological site of Akrotiri
The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri is one of the most important sites of archaeological interest in the Mediterranean. After the rebuilding of the shelter, today’s visitor can tour the city that was destroyed by the great eruption of the volcano in the 16th century BC. to admire the buildings, the halls, the streets and the culture that developed in Santorini.
The Ancient Thira
The middle of the mountain was chosen by the Spartan settlers in the 8th century BC. to build their own city. Today you can visit Ancient Thira by going up from Kamari. You will admire the ancient theater, the ruins of temple and market, as well as the unique view to the eastern side of the island and Anafi.
Book now a Santorini Historical Private Tour!
Santorini Volcanoes
Santorini belongs to the arc of active Aegean volcanoes and a walk in the volcanoes that created the unique scenery of Santorini is an experience that you should not miss. In the islets of Old and Nea Kammeni you will have the opportunity to walk and reach the crater and swim in the Thermal Springs.
Book now a Santorini Impressive Caldera Private Tour!
Wineries, Distilleries and Vineyards
The richness of the variety of houses built on the island is so much the imagination with which canavas were formed, and with limited means and local volcanic materials.
In Phoenikia Oia the canavas were equal to the houses and distinguished only by their characteristic double-sided arched entrance which had to be wide to allow the large barrels to pass before they were filled with grain each year. Inside the canvas consists of one or more domes. You can take a tour of Santorini!
The canes provided ideal humidity and constant temperature conditions to ripen the wine well. Over the years, wine production on the island has evolved, and so large units have been built that differ from the old distilleries in that they have bigger domes covering a large area and a large yard.
They are separate bands and do not combine, as the old ones, with the producer’s home. Such distilleries are still preserved in Mesaria, Megalohori, Episkopi Gonia and Exo Gonia.
See more about Santorini island:
- Santorini, the island that never rests
- Happy New Year’s Eve From Santorini
- The Best Santorini Tours At Christmas
- Santorini Instagram Stories
Where to Stay in Santorini: The Short Answer
Firostefani for the caldera view with road access, Kamari or Vlychada for a flat base and a beach, and Megalochori for food and quiet. That is where to stay in santorini for most people, and Oia is the answer only if you have read the steps carefully and decided you do not mind them.
The island is fifty minutes end to end, so nowhere is far from anywhere. Where to stay in santorini is not a question of distance. What differs is the view, the number of stairs between the road and your room, and how much of the day the village belongs to cruise passengers.
The Caldera Villages
Firostefani. The same view as Oia, ten minutes along a level rim path from Fira, noticeably cheaper, and several hotels reachable by vehicle. Our usual answer to where to stay in santorini. See Firostefani.
Imerovigli. The highest point on the rim and the best view on the island. Almost entirely stepped, with luggage carried down by hand. Quiet, expensive and spectacular, and the most beautiful answer to where to stay in santorini. See Imerovigli.
Fira. The capital: shops, banks, the bus station, the cable car, museums and the only real high street. Central and convenient by day, loud by night, and the busiest place on the island when the ships are in. See Fira.
Oia. The most photographed village in Greece and the least practical base. No vehicle access into the centre, hotels fifty to eighty steps below the nearest road, and packed from eleven until eight. Magnificent at seven in the morning, and a poor answer to where to stay in santorini for anyone carrying a suitcase. See Oia.
Finikia. Five minutes inland from Oia, a fraction of the price, level, and almost nobody considers it when deciding where to stay in santorini. See Finikia.
The Beach and South Coast
Kamari. A long black-sand beach with a promenade, restaurants, hotels of every grade, level ground and easy parking, under the ridge of Ancient Thira. The best-value answer to where to stay in santorini. See Kamari.
Perissa and Perivolos. The same idea on a longer beach with more bars and a younger crowd at Perivolos. See Perissa.
Vlychada. Quiet, level, a marina, wind-carved pale cliffs and no crowds at all. The calmest place to stay on the island. See Vlychada.
Monolithos. Shallow water, tamarisk shade and a playground. The obvious answer to where to stay in santorini with small children. See Monolithos.
No caldera view from any of them, and roughly a third of the price for the same standard of room. If the view is not the point of the trip, this is where to stay in santorini without paying for it.
The Inland Villages
Megalochori. Vaulted lanes, a working village, wineries on the doorstep and some of the best restaurants on the island. Flatter than Pyrgos, and the best inland answer to where to stay in santorini. See Megalochori.
Pyrgos. Medieval, stepped, crowned by a Venetian castle ruin with a view over the whole island. See Pyrgos.
Emporio. The largest village on the island and the least visited, with a genuine kasteli at its centre. See Emporio.
Karterados and Vothonas. Ordinary, central, cheap and five minutes from Fira. See Karterados.
Exo Gonia and Mesa Gonia. Vineyards, quiet, and the eleventh-century church of Panagia Episkopi. See Exo Gonia.
Inland needs a vehicle or a driver, and repays it with cool evenings, real tavernas and no cruise traffic, which is why we keep recommending it when people ask where to stay in santorini.
Where to Stay in Santorini by Budget
Under 100 euros a night in season. Karterados, Vothonas, Messaria, Perissa and the back streets of Kamari. Clean, simple, level, and a bus or a scooter from everything. This is where to stay in santorini on a budget.
100 to 200 euros. Good hotels with pools at Kamari, Perissa, Vlychada, Megalochori and Imerovigli’s outer edge, and modest rooms in Fira.
200 to 400 euros. The entry point for a caldera view. Firostefani and the Fira rim mostly, with the occasional Imerovigli room.
400 euros and up. Cave suites with plunge pools at Imerovigli, Oia and Firostefani, and the top end runs into four figures in August, which is where to stay in santorini at its most extravagant.
Two structural facts worth knowing. First, the same room costs roughly three times more with a caldera view than without one. Second, prices fall by half or more outside July and August, so the shoulder months change the answer entirely.
Which Village Suits Your Trip?
First visit, three or four nights. Firostefani. View, road access, walkable to Fira, cheaper than Oia, and the safest first answer to where to stay in santorini.
Honeymoon. Imerovigli if you can manage steps, Firostefani if you would rather not. See honeymoons.
Families with young children. Monolithos or Kamari. Flat, shallow water, shade and space.
Teenagers. Perissa or Perivolos, for the beach bars and the company.
Food and wine. Megalochori or Pyrgos, with a driver for the estates. See the wine tour.
Budget. Karterados or Perissa.
Photography. Imerovigli or Firostefani, facing the sunset with the caldera below.
Quiet. Vlychada, Finikia or Emporio.
One night before an early flight. Kamari or Messaria, both ten minutes from the airport, which settles where to stay in santorini for a transit night.
Winter. Fira, because it is the only village that stays fully open, so where to stay in santorini has one winter answer.
Six Questions to Ask Before Booking
How many steps from the road to the room? Ask for the number in writing. Fifty to eighty is common on the caldera and the answer decides where to stay in santorini more than the photographs do.
Can a vehicle reach the door? On the rim, frequently not, and in Oia almost never.
Will someone carry the luggage? Most will if you ask.
Is it a plunge pool or a swimming pool? Caldera hotels overwhelmingly have the former, which is two metres of cold water, not somewhere to swim, and a common surprise for anyone new to where to stay in santorini.
Is there shade on the terrace? Not always, and it matters from June to September.
Does the air conditioning run all night? Cave rooms hold heat and some systems are on a timer, which matters more than any other detail of where to stay in santorini in August.
Six emails, and they answer where to stay in santorini better than any review score.
Where to Stay in Santorini: Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I stay in Santorini for the first time? Firostefani: the same caldera view as Oia, road access to most hotels, a level ten-minute walk into Fira, and noticeably cheaper.
Is Oia worth staying in? Only if steps and crowds do not bother you. There is no vehicle access into the village and many hotels sit fifty to eighty steps below the road.
Fira or Oia? Fira for convenience, transport and nightlife. Oia for the photographs. Firostefani beats both for a first stay.
Where is cheapest? Karterados, Vothonas, Messaria, Perissa and the back streets of Kamari.
Where should families stay? Monolithos or Kamari, for flat ground, shallow water and shade.
Do I need a caldera view? No, and it costs roughly three times the same room without one. Buy the view once at dinner instead.
Which village is quietest? Vlychada, Finikia, Emporio and Exo Gonia.
Is a cave hotel worth it? The yposkafo is the traditional dwelling here, dug into pumice, and it stays around 18 degrees all year. Yes, if you can reach it.
How far is the airport? Ten minutes from Kamari and Messaria, twenty from Fira, forty from Oia.
Should I stay near the port? No. Athinios has nothing around it. Book a transfer instead.
Where to stay for one night? Kamari or Messaria, close to the airport and level.
Do I need a hire car? Inland yes, on the caldera no, and parking in Fira and Oia is the problem a car does not solve.
We Will Tell You Honestly Which Village Fits
We are a local operator running private tours and transfers in our own vehicles, and we spend a good part of every week answering where to stay in santorini by telling people that the hotel they are about to book is eighty steps below the road.
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, 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
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
