Best things to do in Santorini: 2027 visitor guide

Last Updated on 24/10/2026 by Ting Dalton

Santorini sits on the rim of a drowned volcano, and you feel it everywhere – in the black sand underfoot, the rust-red cliffs at Akrotiri, the flinty tang of the wine. We spent a week here, hired a car and took it slowly, and the island turned out to be far more than the blue domes on every postcard.

The short version, if you just want the highlights – the sunset at Oia, wine with a caldera view at Santo Wines, the Skaros Rock hike, the Bronze Age ruins at Akrotiri, and the black sand beaches on the east coast. Give it three to four days at least, and come in spring or September rather than high summer. Here is everything we did, what each bit costs, and how to see it without the worst of the crowds, including what has changed for 2027.

Where to stay in Santorini

The island has two very different sides, and which you pick matters. The caldera side – Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia – is where the cliff-hugging hotels, infinity pools and sunset views are. Many rooms are carved straight into the rock, with a plunge pool looking out over the water. It is spectacular, and it is expensive.

The south-east coast is the quieter, better-value side, with laidback seaside towns like Perissa and Kamari, direct beach access and a far more easygoing feel. We based ourselves there at Hotel Zorzis near Perissa, close to the beach and the tavernas, a 15-20 minute drive from Fira and well clear of the day-trippers. For families, it is the easier choice – more self-catering, more tavernas, fewer fine-dining-only streets.

Is Santorini good for families?

It can work well for families, with a couple of caveats. The terrain is steep and hilly, so it is hard going with a pushchair, and the caldera towns get busy when the ships are in. Accommodation on the cliff side leans boutique and grown-up, and many of the restaurants there are at the pricey, romantic end.

Stay on the east coast, though, and it is a different holiday. The black sand beaches, the shallow calm water at Kamari, the relaxed tavernas and the ice cream stops all go down well with kids. You can also hop on a ferry to other Cyclades islands, or take a boat out to swim in the caldera, which kids tend to love.

Best time to visit Santorini

The season you choose changes everything here, from the crowds to the price of a room.

High summer (July to August) is hot, around 27-30°C, with packed viewpoints, premium prices and the ships at their busiest. Everything is open, but you queue for it. It is not our idea of fun.

Shoulder season (late April to June, and September to October) is when the island is at its best. We went in late spring and found it warm enough to swim by late May, cool enough to walk and hike comfortably, and quiet enough to get a table. September is a particularly good shout, with the sea at its warmest after the long summer, around 23-25°C, the heat eased off, the ships thinned out, and room rates dropping sharply from their August peak.

Winter (November to March) is very quiet. Plenty of hotels and restaurants close, and it is too cold to swim, but prices are low, and the caldera is yours.

How to avoid the crowds in Santorini

Santorini gets busy, there is no pretending otherwise, but with a bit of planning you can sidestep the worst of it.

Time Oia by the clock. It flips from peaceful to packed depending purely on the hour. Go between 8am and 11am, when most people are still at breakfast – we had the blue domes almost to ourselves at 9am, with the light soft and the shops just opening. Early afternoon, 2pm to 5pm, is quiet again while everyone is at the beach. When the sunset crowd rolls in around 6pm, that is your cue to head off for dinner elsewhere and come back later.

Base yourself away from the honeypots. Staying on the quieter east coast at Perissa or Kamari, or in a central village like Pyrgos or Megalochori, means better value and real island life, with the famous spots a short drive away when you want them.

Swap the famous spot for the quiet one. While everyone queues for Oia Castle, you could be at Skaros Rock with a handful of other walkers and the same caldera view. The Santo Wines terrace does sunset with a seat and a glass in hand. Ammoudi Bay, down below Oia, sees a fraction of the foot traffic of the town above. And the ancient sites rarely feel crowded, even in peak season.

Best things to do in Santorini

Santorini, Greece has far more than its famous sunsets – Bronze Age ruins, volcanic beaches, caldera hikes and a glass of Assyrtiko at golden hour. Here is what is worth your time.

Watch the sunset in Oia

Oia’s sunset is the one everyone comes for, and yes, the whole town claps when the sun finally drops into the sea. It is worth doing once. It is also heaving, so stake out your spot a good hour ahead, whether that is Oia Castle (the classic choice), a restaurant terrace (you pay a premium, but you get a drink and a seat) or any street corner with a gap. We ended up watching ours from Imerovigli and from the Santo Wines terrace instead, and it was every bit as good without the scrum.

Taste the wine at Santo Wines

Santo Wines sits on the caldera rim near Pyrgos, and it is the easiest place on the island to pair a sunset with a glass of the local white. It is Santorini’s biggest producer, a growers’ cooperative with roots going back to 1911, and the dry volcanic soil gives the wines a flinty, mineral, citrus edge you do not get anywhere else. Try the crisp Assyrtiko, or the sweet Vinsanto made from sun-dried grapes, usually served as a flight with little plates of fava, cheese and bread. And yes, the wine here is really good – I drank quite a lot of it. The terrace seating means you can take your time over the view. Book ahead for sunset, as it fills up fast.

Hike to Skaros Rock

This was our favourite find. Skaros is a jagged lump of rock jutting out below Imerovigli, and it was once the island’s fortified capital – a 13th-century Byzantine stronghold, later the Venetian seat, slowly shaken apart and tipped into the sea by earthquakes. The walk starts in Imerovigli (nicknamed the balcony to the Aegean for its height), near the little church of Agios Georgios, then drops down a steep, stony path to the base of the rock. It is about 45 minutes there and back, it is free, and the views across the caldera and over to the volcano are some of the best on the island. Go early or late to dodge the midday heat, wear trainers with grip as the path is loose underfoot, and carry on to the tiny Theoskepasti chapel on the far side if you fancy it.

Step back in time at Akrotiri

Akrotiri is Santorini’s answer to Pompeii – a Bronze Age town buried under volcanic ash when the island erupted around 1600 BC, and preserved almost whole beneath it. You walk raised walkways over two and three-storey buildings, old drainage channels and the lines of ancient streets, all under a cool canopy that makes it bearable even in summer. The frescoes lifted from here, including the famous blue monkeys and the swallows and lilies, are a short drive away at the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira, which is well worth pairing with the site. Allow an hour or two, and consider a guide to bring the ruins to life.

See the Red Beach

Near Akrotiri, the Red Beach is one of the island’s strangest sights – rust-red cliffs of iron-rich volcanic rock dropping onto a dark pebble shore, with clear water that is good for a snorkel. It is a 10-minute scramble over a rocky path from the car park, it is small, and it fills up by midday, so go early and take water shoes, because the pebbles are brutal barefoot. One thing to know before you go. The cliffs here are prone to rockfall, so check for any access warnings first.

Relax on the black sand beaches

Over on the east coast, Perissa, Perivolos and Kamari are long stretches of black volcanic sand, and this is where we spent our lazy days. The sand gets scorching in summer, so you will want sandals and a sunbed (a couple of loungers and an umbrella run around €8-10). Perissa is the longest, backed by tavernas, cafes and water sports; Kamari is a touch more resort-like and good with younger kids thanks to the calmer, shallower water. Swimming is good from May into October, once the black sand has warmed the shallows up.

Wander the caldera towns

The white towns strung along the cliff – Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia – are best explored on foot, ducking off the main drag into the side alleys where you find the quiet cafes and little churches. Fira, the capital, mixes boutiques and galleries on its main street with older tavernas down the lanes. Oia is the blue-dome village everyone pictures, so go early or late rather than at peak sunset, and seek out Atlantis Books while you are there. Imerovigli is the highest and calmest of the four, and the start of the Skaros walk. A rim-hugging footpath links Fira to Imerovigli via Firostefani in about 20 minutes, with the view the whole way.

Ride the cable car from the Old Port

The cable car runs from Fira down to the Old Port in about three minutes, saving you the 580-odd steps down the cliff (or the donkeys, which we would skip). It is handy after a boat trip or coming off a tender. A one-way ticket is €6 for adults and €3 for children, and on busy ship days the queue can stretch to an hour or more. We walked down and rode back up to save our legs.

Eat down at Ammoudi Bay

Down a winding set of steps (or the road) below Oia, Ammoudi Bay is a tiny fishing harbour at the foot of the cliffs, and a complete change from the crowds up top. The seafront tavernas grill the day’s catch right there, you can swim off the rocks into deep, clear water, and dinner here at sunset beats fighting for a spot in Oia. The walk down takes about 15 minutes; the climb back is the hard part, so a taxi on the road is the easy way out.

Take a boat trip to the volcano

To really get the volcano, you need to be on the water. Boat trips cross to Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera, where you hike 20-30 minutes over black rock to the still-steaming craters, then stop at the springs off Palea Kameni for a swim. They are more lukewarm than hot, but bobbing about in the ochre, iron-tinted water is a novelty, and it is a hit with kids. Most trips run 3-6 hours and leave from the Old Port or Athinios, with sunset cruises costing more.

Explore the inland villages

Inland, the quieter villages are where island life carries on. Pyrgos winds up a hill in circles around a 15th-century Venetian castle, with locals still outnumbering visitors and tavernas at fair prices. Megalochori has old mansions and cave dwellings, plus a cluster of wineries nearby, including Venetsanos with its caldera views. Emporio, the biggest inland village, hides a largely intact medieval quarter of covered passages behind its castle walls.

Climb up to Ancient Thera

High above Perissa and Kamari, on the Mesa Vouno ridge, sit the ruins of Ancient Thera – layers of Greek, Roman and early Christian Santorini, with temples, homes, a theatre and huge views down the east coast. You can drive most of the way up the winding road, or hike it from the beaches below. It is very exposed, so go early or late rather than in the midday sun.

Getting around Santorini

Santorini is small, roughly 18km end to end, but the winding roads and scattered sights mean transport is worth thinking about before you go.

• Hire a car. This is what we did, and it gave us the freedom to reach the beaches, villages and wineries at our own pace. Roads are fine, if narrow in places, and parking in Fira and Oia can be a scrum.
• ATV or quad bike. Hugely popular and easy to park, though less comfortable over longer distances and with no shade. You will need the right licence.
• Public buses. They run from Fira to Oia, Akrotiri, Perissa, Kamari and the airport – cheap and reliable, but packed in peak season. Timetables are at the Fira station and on the KTEL Santorini site.
• Taxis. Limited in number, so pre-book through your hotel or an app, especially for airport runs.

FAQs about visiting Santorini

What are the must-see sights in Santorini?

If you only have time for the highlights, the must-see sights are the Oia sunset, the Bronze Age ruins at Akrotiri, wine tasting at Santo Wines, the Skaros Rock hike and the Red Beach. That is the core of what to do in Santorini on a first trip, with the black sand beaches on the east coast for your downtime in between.

How many days do you need in Santorini?

Three to four days is enough to see the main sights, get some beach time and watch a sunset or two without rushing. We stayed a full week and used the extra days for the beaches and slower mornings. Two days feels tight unless you just want a quick taste.

Is Santorini expensive?

It is one of Greece’s pricier islands, especially for caldera-view hotels and the restaurants in Oia and Fira. You can keep costs down by staying on the east coast, eating at local tavernas and visiting in shoulder season, when room rates fall well below their summer peak.

Can you swim in Santorini?

Yes, from May into October. The black sand beaches on the east coast, like Perissa and Kamari, are best for a good swim, with gently shelving shallows. The caldera side has rockier access but very clear water. The sea is warmest in August and September, at around 23-25°C.

Do you need a car in Santorini?

Not essential, but it makes life easier. Buses cover the main routes but are crowded and not always frequent. A car or ATV lets you reach the beaches, villages and ancient sites on your own schedule. If you are staying put in Fira or Oia and taking organised tours, you can manage without.

Where are the famous blue domes in Santorini?

The most photographed blue-domed churches are in Oia, at the northern tip of the island. Look for the Church of Agios Spyridonas and the Three Bells of Fira (which are actually in Firostefani, between Fira and Imerovigli).

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