Walks & Food · Updated 2026

On foot, and at the table

The island is best explored slowly — along the caldera rim and through its quiet villages, then sat down to the food that actually grows here.

Self-guided or guided?

For the big rim hike from Fira to Oia, you don't need a guide — the path hugs the cliff and is hard to lose. But in the villages, a good local guide turns a pretty walk into a real story: which house belonged to whom, why the churches are blue, where the cave homes came from. If you like context, book a guide for the towns and walk the rim yourself.

Whatever you choose, walk early. The midday sun is brutal and most of these routes have little shade. Wear proper shoes — the marble lanes are slippery and the rim path is loose stone in places. Carry water, a hat and a light layer for the wind, and you'll enjoy every one of these far more.

What To Eat

The local food, honestly

Santorini's volcanic soil gives its produce an intensity you won't find on the mainland. Seek these out.

Fava

Creamy yellow split-pea purée, drizzled with olive oil, capers and raw onion. Santorini fava has protected-origin status and a depth the supermarket stuff can't touch. Order it everywhere.

Tomatokeftedes

Fritters of the island's tiny, sweet-intense cherry tomatoes, mixed with herbs and fried. The signature meze. Crispy outside, soft within, and they taste of summer. Best with a cold Assyrtiko.

Fresh octopus

Hung to dry in the sun, then grilled over charcoal until tender and smoky. You'll see it strung outside seafront tavernas. Go to Ammoudi Bay for the freshest, right beside the boats that caught it.

White eggplant

A pale, sweeter, almost seedless aubergine unique to the island. Less bitter than the purple kind, often served grilled or in a smoky dip. A small thing that tells you you're really eating local.

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