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Updated: January 7, 2021

Iconic windmills and boutique luxury hotels spill down the Santorini clifftop village of Oia.
Santorini is a popular holiday destination in Greece, and part of the Cycladic island group in the Aegean Sea. It is best known for its picturesque clifftop tourist towns (Fira, Oia, and Imerovigli), all of which offer spectacular views over the caldera: the crater created after a 16th-century BC volcanic eruption. With a land area of 76 square kilometers, Santorini is a little bigger than New York’s island of Manhattan.
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The 2021 Santorini Travel Guide
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Santorini Basics
- Where to Stay in Santorini
- Best Beaches and Beach Towns in Santorini
- When to Visit Santorini
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- Should I Stay in Fira or Oia?
- Santorini or Mykonos?
Santorini Hotels
- Best Hotels in Santorini
- Best Cheap Hotels in Santorini
- Best Santorini Beach Hotels
- Best Santorini Villas & Rentals
- Best Boutique Hotels in Santorini
- Best Santorini Hotels for Families
- Best Santorini Honeymoon Hotels
- Santorini Hotels with Private Pools
- Santorini Hotels With Sunset Views
- Santorini Cave Hotels
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- Santorini All-Inclusive Hotels
- Fira Hotels
- Oia Hotels
- Imerovigli Hotels
- Firostefani Hotels
- Perissa & Perivolos Hotels
- Kamari Hotels
- Megalochori Hotels
- Pyrgos Hotels
- Akrotiri Hotels
- Airbnbs in Santorini
- Santorini Hotel Reviews
Santorini Activities
- Best Santorini Tours & Things to Do
- Best Restaurants in Santorini
- Santorini’s Best Bars & Nightlife
- Santorini Wineries & Wine Tours
- Fira to Oia Hike & Walking Tours
- Santorini with Kids
- Santorini Private Tours
- Santorini Photography Tours
- Santorini Boat Tours (Day Trips)
- Santorini Jet Ski Tour
- Santorini Scuba Diving
- Santorini’s Open Air Cinema in Kamari
- Ancient Ruins of Akrotiri
- Ammoudi Bay
- Santorini’s Best Bookstore
- Santorini Views
- Santorini Coloring Pages
Santorini Trip Planning
- Where is Santorini?
- How to Get to Santorini
- Santorini Holidays: Planning a Trip
- Santorini Ferry Port Guide
- Santorini Airport Guide
- Getting Around by Bus in Santorini
- Renting a Car in Santorini
- Santorini Taxis
- Athens to Santorini by Ferry
- Mykonos to Santorini by Ferry
- Crete to Santorini by Ferry
- Santorini Helicopter Tours and Transfers
- Day Trips to Santorini
- Santorini Travel Agencies
- Santorini Vacation Packages
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- Cruises to Santorini
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- 1, 2, 3, and 7 Days in Santorini
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Frequently Asked Questions about Santorini
See Also: Greece: Tips & Information for First-Timers
Where is Santorini?
Santorini is an island in Greece, located in the Aegean Sea, 200 km southeast of Athens, 150 km south of Mykonos, and 140 km north of Crete. Flights to Santorini take 4 hours from London, 3.5 hours from Paris, 2 hours from Rome, and 1 hour from Athens. There are no direct flights to Santorini from the USA, Canada, or Australia.
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How do I get to Santorini?
Santorini is connected by direct ferry to Athens (5 to 7 hours) and the islands of Naxos, Paros, Ios, Milos, Folegandros, Mykonos, and Crete (1 to 3 hours). Flights from Athens to Santorini take less than 1 hour, direct flights from western Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice) take 2 to 4 hours.
How big is Santorini?
Santorini has a population of 15,500 and a land area of 76 square kilometers (an area a little bigger than Manhattan). The length of the island is 16 km and its width varies from 1 to 5 km. It takes 45 minutes to drive from one end of Santorini to the other.
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What is the best month to go to Santorini?
The best time to visit Santorini for good weather, boat tours, swimming, sunbathing, and nightlife is from June to September. If beach time and hot weather are not a necessity and you’re more interested in sightseeing, history, hiking, and exploring then late March, April, May, October, and early November are also great.
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What are the main towns in Santorini?
The towns of Fira, Oia, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Akrotiri cling to the 300m cliffs and have magical views of the caldera and volcano to the west. The beach towns of Kamari, Perissa, Perivolos, and Agios Georgios are on the east and south sides of the island (not the caldera).
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Do I need a car in Santorini?
A car can be helpful to have in Santorini, but it is not necessary. It’s easy to get around Santorini using their public bus service, which is cheap, comfortable, and reliable – especially if you’re staying in Fira, the central hub of the bus system. If you prefer renting a car in Santorini instead of relying on the bus, I recommend picking it up at the airport, even if you are arriving by ferry. (And remember that foreign drivers are required to have an International Drivers Permit in Greece.) There is a very limited number of taxis, and Uber is not available on Santorini, so private transport from the Santorini airport or ferry port is best arranged in advance through your hotel or through Welcome Pickups car service.
Santorini’s public bus system is comfortable, reliable, and cheap.
Where should I stay in Santorini?
The best places to stay in Santorini are along the caldera in the villages of Fira, Oia, Imerovigli, and Firostefani. These towns have incredible views of the volcano, sea, and sunset. All of these towns are on the west side of Santorini.
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What are the best things to do in Santorini?
The best things to do on Santorini include hiking the incredible caldera footpath, touring wineries, doing a boat tour of the caldera (with volcano hike/hot spring swimming/sunset), and visiting the island’s small charming villages. There is a vibrant nightlife with everything from wine bars to dance clubs but it’s never rowdy and the club scene is easily avoided if you’re not interested.One of the amazing views on the hike between Oia and Fira on Santorini.
How was Santorini created?
Santorini is what remains from a massive volcanic eruption 3600 years ago. The eruption destroyed all settlements and created the caldera. The caldera is a lagoon of seawater surrounded on 3 sides by the steep cliffs of Santorini and on the 4th side by the island of Thirassia (which was part of Santorini before the eruption). The current volcano (on the island of Nea Kameni) sits in the middle of the caldera. It’s active but presently not at risk of erupting.
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How many days should I spend in Santorini?
Stay a minimum of 2 nights and 1 full day. But there’s so much to see and do that it’s easy to fill 5 to 7 days. If possible, do one boat tour, one wine tour, hike the Fira to Oia footpath, explore the villages of Pyrgos and Emporio, and visit the historical sites of Akrotiri and Ancient Thera. You’ll also want plenty of time to wander the cobblestoned lanes and alleys of Fira, Oia, and Imerovigli. Then there’s nightlife and all the great places to eat on Santorini.A visit to the ruins of ancient Akrotiri, a Bronze Age Minoan settlement on the island’s southern tip, is an excellent activity for travelers with two or more days on Santorini.
What currency is used in Santorini?
Greece is part of the European Union, so the currency used in Santorini is the Euro (€). Most shops and restaurants on Santorini accept credit cards, but it is a good idea to have some cash on hand for small purchases like bottled water and snacks. ATMs are easy to find in all of Santorini’s main towns.
Most restaurants in Santorini, like Candouni in Oia, accept credit cards.
Is Santorini expensive?
Santorini is known for 5-star luxury hotels, great restaurants, and high-end shopping but it’s easy to visit Santorini on a modest budget. There are no all inclusive resorts or all inclusive holidays or vacation packages so the key to saving money is to choose hotels and restaurants not directly on the caldera. Enjoying the incredible views is free and cheap hotels in Santorini are plentiful, good value, and good quality.
Costa Marina Hotel in Fira. Many great Fira hotels that do not overlook the caldera are suprisingly affordable.
Santorini Hotel Reviews
- Amity Suites – Near Fira
- Aria Suites and Villas – Fira
- Athina Luxury Suites – Fira
- Celestia Grand Villas – Near Fira
- Cori Rigas Suites – Fira
- Cosmopolitan Suites – Fira
- Anteliz Suites – Firostefani
- Belvedere Suites – Firostefani
- The Tsitouras Collection – Firostefani
- Homeric Poems – Firostefani
- Above Blue Suites – Imerovigli
- Absolute Bliss – Imerovigli
- Aenaon Villas – Imerovigli
- Andronis Concept Wellness – Imerovigli
- Astra Suites – Imerovigli
- Cavo Tagoo – Imerovigli
- Chromata Santorini – Imerovigli
- Grace Hotel Santorini – Imerovigli
- Heliotopos Hotel – Imerovigli
- Honeymoon Petra Villas – Imerovigli
- Iconic Santorini – Imerovigli
- Remezzo Villas – Imerovigli
- San Antonio – Imerovigli
- Santorini Princess – Imerovigli
- Sophia Suites – Imerovigli
- 270 Oia’s View – Oia
- Andronis Boutique Hotel – Oia
- Andronis Luxury Suites – Oia
- Anemomilos Hotel and Villas – Oia
- Canaves Hotel – Oia
- Canaves Suites – Oia
- Elysian Santorini – Oia
- Esperas Santorini – Oia
- Gabbiano Traditional Cave Houses – Oia
- Ikies Traditional Houses – Oia
- Katikies – Oia
- Kirini Santorini – Oia
- Maregio Suites – Oia
- Myst Boutique Hotel – Oia
- Mystique Hotel – Oia
- Mythique Villas – Oia
- Oia Castle Luxury Suites – Oia
- Perivolas Hotel – Oia
- Santo Maris Oia – Oia
- White Pearl Villas – Oia
- Zoe Aegeas Traditional Houses – Oia
- Tamarix del Mar Suites – Kamari
- Meltemi Village – Perissa
- Istoria Hotel – Perivolos
- Carpe Diem – Pyrgos
- Vedema Resort – Megalochori
- Santorini Princess Presidential Suites – Akrotiri
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