Your 2026 Guide

Things to do in Santorini

Six places worth your time — written by someone who actually lives here.

Fira Oia Pyrgos Megalochori Akrotiri Boat Tour

Start Here

Fira — The Capital

Where most of your time will naturally be spent. The best access to everything on the island.

Fira · Must Do Walk the caldera path The path along the cliff edge from Fira north toward Imerovigli is the best free experience on the island. Take the cable car down to the old port, walk back up through the 580 steps if you want the full picture.

Cable car Old port Caldera views Shopping street

🍹PK Bar — one of the most famous cocktail bars on the island. Caldera view, good drinks, worth one evening.

☕Iriana Cafe — local favourite for coffee with a view without the full bar pricing.

Best restaurants in Fira Santorinia for live music weekends · Kipos for garden dining · Rizes for a special occasion

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Local tip Walk two streets back from the caldera edge in Fira and prices drop immediately. The restaurants locals eat at are one street behind the tourist ones — look for handwritten menus and no photos on the board.

A Must

Oia — Go Early

You have to go. Preferably before 9am — the village is completely different without the crowds.

Oia · Best in Morning Blue domes, windmills and the famous sunset Walk the main path end to end. Find the windmills. The blue domed churches and white narrow paths look exactly like the photos — just not at midday in August when the cruise ship crowds arrive.

Blue domed churches Windmills Sunset viewpoint Narrow paths

🌅Arrive at least one hour before sunset to find a good viewpoint — it fills up fast.

⏰Before 9am the village is empty and the light is extraordinary. Worth the early start.

Ammoudi Bay · 300 Steps Below Oia The best seafood on the island The old fishing port sits at sea level below Oia. The fish tavernas here are the best on the island — fishing boats dock directly in front of the restaurants. Go for lunch not dinner.

Recommendation Amoudi Bay Tavern — order whatever came in that morning. Fresh, simple, genuinely good.

If You Have Time

Pyrgos & Megalochori

The most traditional villages on the island. Most tourists never reach them. That is exactly the point.

Highest Village Pyrgos Castle ruins at the top, views of the entire island, walking paths, no cruise ship crowds. Metaxi Mas restaurant is the recommendation. Free to explore

Traditional Village Megalochori Just below Pyrgos. Central square, traditional architecture, zero tourist menus. Alisachni and Olio Santorini are both outstanding. Free to explore

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Local tip Pyrgos at sunset is better than Oia. Castle ruins, 360° view, no tour groups, best food nearby. Nobody talks about it. Now you know.

History & Nature

Akrotiri

The archaeological site and the iconic red beach — two of the most unique experiences on the island.

Archaeological Site The ancient city buried by the volcano Buried under volcanic ash around 1600 BC — older than Pompeii and better preserved. Today it sits under a bioclimatic roof and is open to the public. Walk through the excavated streets of a 3,600-year-old city. Genuinely fascinating even if history is not usually your thing.

🏛Opens 8am — go early before the heat builds up inside the roof structure.

🏖The Red Beach is just below — dramatic red volcanic cliffs, dark red sand, unlike anywhere else on the island.

Restaurant nearby The Cave of Nikolas — right at the red beach. One of the most traditional dining options on the island.

Book Akrotiri tickets →

Do Not Skip This

The Boat Tour

The one experience that genuinely changes how you see Santorini.

Catamaran · Half Day · From €70 The caldera from the water From the water the scale of the caldera becomes clear. The cliffs, the volcano, the villages perched above. A catamaran tour covers beaches only accessible by sea, stops at the hot springs for swimming and gives you a perspective no viewpoint on land can match.

🛥Book a small group morning departure — better light, calmer sea.

🌊Hot springs swim included — the water turns orange-yellow around you.

🍽Lunch and drinks on board. Leaves more of the island budget for the good stuff.

Why locals recommend it It also gets you completely away from the crowds. The best version of Santorini is from the sea.

Book a Boat Tour →

Book Ahead

Tours & experiences

Live availability through GetYourGuide for the paid experiences above.

Good To Know

Frequently asked questions

The six best things to do in Santorini are: walk the caldera path in Fira, visit Oia at dawn before the crowds, explore Pyrgos and Megalochori villages, visit the Akrotiri archaeological site, swim at the Red Beach and take a caldera boat tour.

Before 9am is best. The village is completely empty, the light is extraordinary and you get the famous views without any crowds. After 10am cruise ship tourists arrive and the experience changes completely.

Yes — it is one of the most significant prehistoric sites in the world. The ancient city was buried by volcanic ash around 1600 BC and is better preserved than Pompeii. It sits under a bioclimatic roof and is open to the public.

Yes — a caldera boat tour is the single best experience on the island. From the water the scale of the caldera becomes clear. Small group catamaran tours cost from €70 and include lunch, drinks, hot springs and swimming stops.