The best things to do in Santorini
A freak of nature, Santorini is a place of terrible beauty. The flooded caldera was created by a volcanic explosion three millennia ago, which blew the heart out of the island. A crescent of black and red cliffs plunges down to the submerged volcano, with two smouldering craters marooned in the deep blue sea. Whitewashed villages are honeycombed out of the cliff face. This vista has turned Santorini into one of the world’s most recognisable destinations. For seven months a year, a deluge of cruise ships and catamarans, newlyweds and bucket-listers, descend on this arid little island. Beyond the drama of the caldera, vineyards and villages, ancient ruins and incredible frescoes, challenging hikes and mystical chapels, offer glimpses of a calmer, slower way of life. Saturated in selfies and clichés, Santorini still has the power to awe and surprise, if you know how to avoid the crowds.
How many days is ideal in Santorini?
Most people only spend a couple of nights on Santorini — or even a couple of hours, if they’re on one of the enormous cruise ships that drift into the caldera daily. They go shopping in Fira, cram into Oia’s alleys to watch the sunset, perhaps take a wine tour, and then move onto the next island. But Santorini merits a longer stay of 4-5 days; this will give you time to do as little or as much as you like – from archaeology, geology, and fishing tours to simply gazing at the horizon with a glass of local Assyrtiko wine.
What is Santorini famous for?
Sunsets, of course. Romance — a whole industry has evolved around weddings, honeymoons, and bridal shoots (Tie the Knot Santorini is the most tasteful wedding and event planner). The volcanic terroir produces exceptional wines, as well as exceptional architecture. Many of the island’s yposkafa — traditional dwellings with barrel-vaulted roofs hollowed out of the landscape — have been transformed into some of the smartest hotels in Greece.
The best things to do in Santorini
1. Kayak around the caldera
Everyone takes a sunset cruise around the caldera. For a more adventurous experience, paddle your own kayak past the famous Red and White beaches, snorkel through sea caves, and see the stunning lava formations up close. Kalliopi and Gregory of Serenity Kayak are personable guides who cater to all ages and fitness levels. Another hands-on (and sustainable) way to explore the caldera is a fishing trip on the Giorgaros, a traditional wooden kaiki. Skipper Anthi comes from a long line of local fishermen; help her reel in the nets, and then she’ll cook the catch for your lunch on board.
2. Explore the ancient origins of Santorini
Akrotiri was one of the most powerful settlements in the Aegean before it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption around 3600 years ago. When Akrotiri was unearthed in 1967, the frescoed buildings and their contents were amazingly well preserved under volcanic ash, just like at Pompeii. Licensed tour guide Kostas Sakavaras brings this dramatic history to life (with the assistance of an iPad and anecdotes about the everyday life of the Minoans). Half-day private tours of Akrotiri also include a visit to ancient Thira, a stunning site at the summit of a sheer mountain looming above Kamari Beach.
3. You say tomato
The cherry tomatoes of Santorini are renowned for their sweet intensity. Pre-tourism, these tiny flavour bombs were one of the island’s main exports along with wine. Discover more about this native crop and how it was processed before electricity arrived on Santorini at the Tomato Industrial Museum, the last of nine tomato canning factories that once operated on the island. After touring the factory floor, you can have a go on a vintage canning machine and pick up funky gifts in the design shop. When you’re done, go and try the tomato fritters at To Psaraki, an excellent fish taverna overlooking the Vlychada Marina.
4. Taste the finest wines
Vineyards are dotted around Santorini, the grapes pinned close to the porous earth by wreaths of vine branches. The waterless terroir produces some of the most exceptional wines in Greece — and beyond. Kyanos Wines recently won Decanter’s ‘Best in Show’ for their first Assyrtiko, the island’s most distinctive white grape variety. Most wineries offer tours and tastings. For both the quality of the wines and the sublimity of the setting, we like Vassaltis Vineyards, Venetsanos, and Domaine Sigalas. If you want a designated driver (and your own personal sommelier), book a private wine tour with Blue Shades of Santorini or Grand Reserve Travel.
5. Explore the inland villages
While everyone is oohing and aahing over the views from the cliffside terraces, suites, and restaurants, life goes quietly on in Santorini’s inland villages. Wander up to the pinnacle of Pyrgos, a tumble of whitewashed lanes clustered around a 16th-century castle, with views across the island. Get lost in the fortified Byzantine citadel of Emporio and light a candle in one of the island’s oldest churches, Palia Panagia. Stop for home-style meze at the traditional kafenio in Megalochori, and stock up on ceramics from Earth and Water, the workshop of renowned potters, Andreas Makaris and Kristi Kapetanaki. The villages of Messaria, Exo Gonia, and Akrotiri also harbour plenty of easy-going local life.
6. Go off-piste in Oia
Cascading down the cliff, Oia is undeniably the most spectacular village on Santorini. But it’s also a hot mess of coach parties and selfie sticks at sunset. While everyone else is crowded around the windmills, head into the back alleys to explore in peace. Housed in a superbly restored 19th-century mansion, the Maritime Museum contains all sorts of fascinating nautical memorabilia, art, and model ships. Atlantis Books is a destination in its own right: a cave-house crammed with foreign language literature, non-fiction, and even first editions. Dimitris Koliousis’ haunting icons decorate many of Santorini’s blue-domed churches and make marvellous talismans to take home. His wife and son are also painters; their work is on sale in the family’s workshop. For a sundowner or late-night drink, Oia Vineyart is an atmospheric wine bar that serves select vintages from every winery on Santorini, occasionally paired with live music.
7. Walk the line
One of the world’s most giddying hikes runs along the rim of the flooded volcano from Fira to Oia. The three-hour walk affords mind-blowing vistas every step of the way and is easy to do independently. Another unforgettable hike is the trail that circles the live crater of Nea Kameni, an otherworldly landscape of black lava rocks surrounded by sea. Alternatively, look for the footpath that leads from Skaros Rock down to the hidden chapel of Panagia Theoskepasti, perfectly positioned for sunset. If you prefer to walk with a guide, contact Santorini Walking Tours.
8. Shop local
Boutique in Oia is the place for breezy summer staples in linen and Greek cotton. They also stock We Wear Young, Maria Sklavounou’s timeless leather and suede clutches, totes, and bucket bags in rainbow hues. For a more unusual memento, pick up one of the traditional musical instruments designed by Yannis Pantazis at Symposion, a workshop/performance space, or “mythological botanical garden”, in Megalochori village. Pantazis also runs workshops where you can learn to make your own ancient Greek pan pipe. For edible souvenirs (and fun cooking classes) head to Faros, an organic farm shop near the lighthouse.
9. Swim in search of Atlantis
Where better to go scuba diving than Santorini, the likely inspiration for Plato’s lost kingdom of Atlantis? Divemaster Apostolos Stylianopoulos (who is working with Pierre-Yves Cousteau and other conservationists to establish a Marine Protected Area around Santorini) takes a sensitive approach to his underwater explorations of reefs, wrecks, sea caves, and volcanic rock formations. Dives are suitable for all levels; book through Atlantis Oia dive centre.
10. Seek out another sunset
Each evening at sunset, crowds flock to Oia’s high-flung castle to stand shoulder-to-shoulder clapping the suns’ descent over the caldera’s black rim as if it was a performing seal. For a (far) more serene way to watch the sun spread its last glittery golden-red rays over that world-famous caldera, turn your back on Oia and follow the potholed road to Akrotiri’s 19th century lighthouse on the island’s isolated southerly tip where views are just as spectacular, but with the added bonus that you’ll probably have them all to yourself. Break up the return journey with a pitstop at Kali Kardia, a remote taverna whose name ("good heart") clearly indicates the cheery ambiance and hearty local food you’ll find inside. Heidi Fuller-Love
11. Step back in time
Once part of Strongilis, the island to which Santorini also belonged before the volcano blew back in the 16th century BC, locals describe Thirasia as “Santorini 50 years go”. Step from the boat after the ten-minute ride from Ammoudi Bay and you’ll probably agree. Far from the frenetic snarl of hooting coaches, angry donkeys and heat struck tourists on Santorini, the only sounds here are the gentle chug of traditional kaiki fishing boats heading out to haul in their nets and the plaintive cry of goats, whose milk is used to make the island’s creamy chloro cheese. It’s easy to get about on foot here, but if you prefer to visit capital Manolas’ taverns or Agrillia’s abandoned cave houses with a guide, book a half-day tour with Explore Thirasia. Heidi Fuller-Love