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Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022

Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022

Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022

Best things to do in Santorini - Oia

Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022

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 Santorini is one of the most famous Greek islands known, mostly, as a romantic summer destination.

I am sure you can, automatically recall photos from the internet picturing cliffside views with typical white cubical houses and blue domed churches, stunning infinity pools and incredible sunsets.

Best things to do in Santorini - Oia

 

Hunt for those views is definitely one of the best things to do in Santorini (because who can get bored of those views), but, Santorini has much more to offer, and not only to couples.

If you enjoy picturesque villages, swimming, sunbathing… you appreciate good food and wines… you are interested in volcanos… you don’t mind enjoying a beautiful sunset with a friend/imaginary friend/relative/parent/neighbor/your alter ego (and not necessarily with a partner) – then you can enjoy Santorini as well.

Honestly, I find the etiquette “honeymoon destination” a bit exclusive (annoying as well) and, even though I agree that any functional couple would definitely enjoy their time in Santorini, I don`t see why singles or groups of non-coupled people wouldn’t.

I heard that phrase so many times. “I haven’t been to Santorini, that’s for couples”. Especially, after visiting it myself, I just don’t see the logic.

There is no reason any single person should miss Santorini. Many incredible things one can do there with or without the partner.

In this text we will write about best things to do in Santorini (both romantic and non-romantic) based on our recent (August 2021) experience.

But, before that, let’s speak about facts.

Some interesting facts about Santorini:

  • Santorini (Thira in Greek) is an island in the southern Aegan Sea and it’s the largest within a small archipelago (other inhabited islands of Santorini are Therasia, Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi and Christiana)
                        •  
  • The whole island of Santorini is a volcanic rock and it’s one of very few places in the world where houses are built on volcanic soil.
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  • Santorini is where one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history happen around 160 BCE (known as Minoan eruption).  This eruption devastated the island and it destroyed the Minoan settlement.
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  • There are speculations suggesting that Santorini was the inspiration for Plato’s Atlantis.
                        •  
  • Excavation done in the 1960s, led to the findings that the island’s pre-eruption shape and landscape.Frescos located under the ash strongly resembled Plato’s description.
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  • This volcano is still active but, currently (for the last around 70 years) in a sleeping mode.
                        •  
  • The most recent eruption (smaller one) was in 1950 and, according to the local tour guide, more eruptions (hopefully not the catastrophic ones) will be happening in not so far future.
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  • On the bright side – Santorini is a home to over 100 varieties of grapes which brings us to even brighter side of the life above the active volcano – winelots of wine.
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  • There is a saying that the wine is more abundant than water in Santorini (referring to the lack of rain).
                        •  
  • Santorini wines are unique because of the volcanic soils that gives them very special quality and aroma.

***

As for the best things to do in Santorini, you cannot miss these ones!:

1. BE LAZY AT THE BEACH

As on any island, you must relax and spend some quality time doing nothing in the sun, sipping a cocktail and listening to the waves.

Even though I would say that beaches are not Santorini’s strongest point there are some quite nice.  For sure they are super relaxing

It extends for 7 km on the southeastern side of Santorini. A unique black sand beach with crystal clear waters. Located in a small village Perissa.  The beach has all the equipment that you need with all the amenities (sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars and restaurants…).

Best things to do in Santorini - Perissa Beach

 

This is another black beach located in close proximity to Perissa.

Similar to Perissa beach, this one shares the same sparkling azure blue waters and tranquil atmosphere.

On the beachfront, there are numerous bars and restaurants serving freshly made sea food and excellent Greek meals.
Perivolos is a great beach if you are into watersports – here you can find numerous facilities like scuba diving, jet ski and similar.

Best things to do in Santorini - Perivolos Beach

 

**Both Perissa and Perivolos  are good options to stay as there are plenty of different accommodation options. You have from the cheaper ones to the more fancy ones in  boutique hotels with private pools/jacuzzi.

**In most of the beach bars (on both Perissa and Perivolos beach), you can use sunbeds and umbrellas for free if consuming at their bar. 

This beach is quite similar to the landscapes of Perissa and Perivolos. It is black sand beach as well. It has all the equipment with different facilities such as sunbeds, umbrellas and water sports.

There are plenty of excellent restaurants and bars along the coast where you can enjoy fresh sea-food and a refreshing drinks.

Kamari is another great option for accommodation, especially if you are looking for the budget options.

Beach bars work the same – you can use beach beds and umbrellas while consuming (drink or food).

Best things to do in Santorini - Kamari Beach

 

This one calls the most attention in the whole island, I would say.

As the name suggests, you can expect some shades of red involved and the reason is the volcano.

The beach is semi-organized (there are some umbrellas and few food and drink stalls in the vicinity) so don’t expect all the commodities.

It is surrounded by high, bright-red cliffs which make it unique and picturesque.

Best things to do in Santorini - Red Beach

 

Red Beach is located somehow remotely (not too remotely, but, most likely, not within walking distance from your accommodation) , in the area of Akrotiri (archaeological site – *also among the best things to do in Santorini, don’t miss visiting Akrotiri).

It’s a good option to make a half-day or one-day trip to Akrotiri ruins antient cite and visit Red Beach on the way. You can reach it by taxi, motorbike, car, bus. Good for snorkeling.

White Beach is one is located near the Akrotiri area and near the Red Beach. You can arrive to this beach by boat or on foot from the Red beach.

The scenery is quite similar to the Red Beach only with the different coloring – black pebbles on the shore and the surrounding cliffs are white.

It does not have many facilities (only some umbrellas and sunbeds) and it is much less crowded than the nearby Red Beach.

***

There are, obviously, more beaches in Santorini, but, according to our investigation, these are the main and the best ones so we decided to visit them.

Some other beaches that we didn’t have time to visit are: Vlychada beach, Agios Georgios and Cape Columbo. Less known but also missed Monolithos beach, Vourvoulos beach, Caldera beach, Armeni beach

2. VOLCANO + HOT SPRINGS + THIRASIA ISLAND TOUR

If the idea of walking over the crater of a still active volcano, attracts you, you must do this tour. If you would like to fit in several other activities and seize the day is possible.  There are tours that offer that as well.

Normally, it is organized as half-day or, even better, full-day excursion that includes several different activities (the one that we did included the following activities):

  • Boat ride

Best things to do in Santorini - Boat Trip

 

  • Walk to the volcano’s ridge with a tour guide explaining the whole volcano history (which is, btw, incredibly interesting

Best things to do in Santorini - volcano crater

 

  • Swimming in the hot springs

Best things to do in Santorini - hot springs

 

  • Visit to Thirasia island – free time for beach, lunch, sightseeing of the village…

Best things to do in Santorini - Thirasia island

 

  • Return boat trip and seeing all the villages from the boat (Fira, Oia)

Best things to do in Santorini - Oia

 

  • Sunset time in Oia – free time for exploring Oia town, dinner, taking photos & enjoying what is said to be one of the most spectacular sunset spots in the world.

Best things to do in Santorini - Amoudy Bay

 

  • Return by bus to your accommodation

We,normally, love boat tours and we loved this one too. It was a nice day. We used it the best possible way – lot of different activities + relaxing time on the boat. Lots of relaxing time in-between. Wrapping up the day with an incredible sunset.-

These kinds of tours normally start in the morning (around 9  AM and finishes around 9PM) -. Depending on the activities included the your arrival time might vary.

Our tour was ending around 9PM so that was our planned departure time from Oia to bring us back to our accommodation in Kamari.

We decided to end the day with calm and enough time to enjoy the place + have an amazing dinner in Ammoudy Bay in Oia, so we skipped the organized return and got back by taxi later on.

A bit more expensive but a nice way to customize the tour to fit our preferences. Besides, if you are not staying in Oia (which is, btw, one of the most crowded and most expensive places to stay), then you may want to spend some more time in this town before you go back.

Agencies are organizing day-trips and  tours that include volcano, hot springs, Thirasia island and sunset in Oia. You can general start from any place in Santorini, no matter where you accommodation is.

There are, also, various variations of this tour that include more or less activities, bigger or smaller group of people and different types of the boat. Our choice was a budget option – that means, full house onboard (quite many people) and no food/drinks included in the price.

There are options for smaller groups, even private tours, with included food/drinks onboard etc.

I would say the best way to book a tour is simply asking at your accommodation or just visiting some tour operator office or stand that you can spot around the touristic centers.

The prices can go from 20 eur per person (including less activities) to +100 eur (offering more commodity, drinks/food and similar). Our tour was around 40 eur per person.

3. DRINK LOTS OF WINE @WINE TASTING TOUR

As already mentioned, Santorini is well known by it`s production of excellent wines.

Thanks to the volcano soil, warm and dry climate, the island’s vineyards give high quality grapes with naturally high levels of sugars and acidity.

Santorini is best known for its crisp, dry whites and sweet Vinsanto wines, both of which made of the island’s most famous grape kind – Assyrtico.

Best things to do in Santorini - wine tasting tour

 

If you enjoy good wines, especially white ones, one of the best things you can do in Santorini is getting tipsy at a wine tasting tour.

There are plenty of organized tours but also, there are many wineries. You can just go on your own (book your visit at the winery’s web page). Chose some of the options for wine tasting and you are done.

As for the organized tours – there are many of them and there are many options: private tours, small groups, tours that combine wine tasting with some other activity (sightseeing, visit to some village, sunset tours…) … choices are many and you can, for sure find some that suits to your taste and budget.

If you want to do a wine tasting on your own, you can just search for the wineries online. Look for the info on their web sites and chose the best option. Book your visit and you are done.

Keep in mind that, in case you book an organized tour, you won’t need to worry about the transport to and from the winery. In case you opt for self-organized tour, you will have to figure out the transport (taxi, bus…) as you don’t want to drive after the wine tasting tour.

Some of the famous wineries in Santorini are:

Santo Winery in Pyrgos village , Venetsanos  in Megalochori village, Art Space Winery in Exo Gonia, Domaine Sigalas Winery in Oia, Gaia Winery in Perivolia, Koutsoyannopoulos Winery and Museum (or Santorini Wine Museum) in Vothonas (close to Kamari).

Our choice was Santorini Wine Museum   which is located around 4km from Kamari Beach so we decided to make it a walking tour. On our way to Santorini Wine Museum we passed by several other wineries so, you can even visit few of them and taste even more wine. 

At Santorini Wine Museum, there are several options for wine tasting (that include more or less different kinds of wines) that you can choose for your private wine tasting. You can book your tour online and just appear there in the given time.

Best things to do in Santorini - wine museum

Wine tasting is done inside of the winery in a nice and quite environment where you will get the main explications about different kinds of grapes and wines while enjoying some of the most popular Santorini’s wines.

As for the tasting menu options – you can chose the size of your group (in case you are not coming alone) and you can chose how many wines you want to try.

Prices vary from 14 eur (tasting of 4 wines) to 190 eur (tasting of 10 wines, some of which are quite exclusive ones). In the entrance they give you an audio guide with the tciket. You can get more detailed information about each wine you are tasting.

Any of the wine tasting options include also a visit to the museum – here you can learn about the history of this winery, family business run by two brothers and also, about different types of grapes, wine growing techniques and similar.

You can visit the museum on your own as you will get an audio guide for more detailed explanation.

Best things to do in Santorini - Wine Museum

 

After you are done with the museum visit and the wine tasting tour, you can, eventually, shop some of the local products, Producers sell many things in the winery’s store. If you buy something to drink or eat enjoy it in the beautiful courtyard.

4. HIKE TO PYRGOS VILLAGE

Pyrgos is a former capital of Santorini and, the highest settlement of the island and, according to the internet, the best-preserved medieval settlement in Santorini. It’s a small village located around 4.5km from Kamari.

The locals built this village at the foot of Mountain Profitis Ilias therefore offers incredible panoramic views.

The concept of the village is somewhat similar to Oia and Fira. For example narrow streets and white houses, infinity pools and stunning views from the top. However Pyrgos has a much different charm than those 2 popular touristic places.

Best things to do in Santorini - Pyrgos

 

It’s location (on the very top of a hill) makes it, maybe, a little bit more isolated. Therefore, less exploited by the tourism compared to the main touristic cities (Fira and Oia). Pyrgos, in my opinion, looks much more authentic.

However, Pyrgos is, definitely, not lacking charm and beauty. We both fall in love with this village and would even call it our favorite place in Santorini.

Best things to do in Santorini - Pyrgos Village Best things to do in Santorini - Pyrgos Village

Since we decided to extend our walking tour to the winery and visit Pyrgos village on the way, the day, suddenly turned out into a real hike. I am speaking about 20km more less.

So, if you are staying in Kamari, you can easily do the same – hike from Kamari to Pyrgos (4,6km walking uphill most of the time).

You want to add some complexity, few more kilometers and some funny vibes to your hike?. Do a wine tasting tour on the way as well.

All in all, if you start from Kamari, walk until the Santorini Wine Museum and taste some wines. Once you are drank hike up to Pyrgos. Wonder around the village for some time and go back to Kamari before dark. You can, then, proudly brag about cca. 20 km walked. Btw, approximate distance from the southern most to the northern most point of the island.

In Pyrgos you can see the typical architecture of the island, white houses and blue domed churches, narrow labyrinth streets, some donkey here and there and amazing panoramic views.

There are around 40 churches in Pyrgos – it’s a great opportunity to visit at least some of them.

When you finished walking around, there is a great spot for some nice, refreshing drinks and some quick food.

Franco’s café has one of the best outdoors sitting area in Pyrgos from where you can have breathtaking views, especially in sunset.

If you are not into too much walking, you can visit Pyrgos in some other way – bus, taxi, motorbike, rented car… but make sure not to miss it.

5. OIA & FIRA – DO WHAT OTHER TOURISTS DO

Doesn’t matter which type of person you are – tourist or traveler?. The one who likes to check all the mainstream attractions?. Or the one who likes to get lost and hit off the beaten paths?. If you are in Santorini, you must see the famous postcard spots – Fira and Oia.

Fira is the capital of Santorini and the center of everything – tourism, nightlife, everything.

Oia is another, nearby town and one of the most popular destinations in Santorini.

Both Oia and Fira are located on the Santorini caldera. These towns have great views of the sunset, volcano, caldera and, all the famous photos from the internet (browse “Santorini”) are, most likely, taken in these towns.

These towns are extremely crowded in the summer season and the crowds there look like a fashion runways. The best thing to do in Oia and Fira is, well, get all dressed up and take some photos.

Best things to do in Santorini - kiss

 

Photos of the sunsets or photos of the beautiful white houses and blue domes.  Pre-wedding photos of Asian couples, honeymoon photos, couple’s photos. You name it,  beautiful girls’ in a floating dresses photos… photos of everything.

You will have to wait in the line to get your perfect photo moment. On the positive side, if you are into Instagram or taking photos in general, this is the place.

Speaking of Oia, once you get all your perfect shots done, we suggest visiting the nearby Amoudy Bay and have a nice dinner by the sea.

You will reach Amoudy Bay just following around 300 stairs down in the direction of the sea. Once you get there, you will see that there are few fancy restaurants with outside sitting area overlooking the sea.

Best things to do in Santorini - Amoudy Bay - Sunset restaurant

 

In the high season it is recommendable to book the table in advance. Anyways, we were able to get a table without booking so, I guess booking is not mandatory.

After dinner you will have to climb the same 300 stairs up. If you want to go back to the center of Oia of course.

High heals not recommendable.

In case you need some help on your way back, there are some donkeys. The are employed as a mean of transportation from Amoudy Bay to Oia. Something I would not ecommend but, there they are.

6. VISIT THE PREHISTORIC CITY – AKROTIRI

Akrotiri was the prehistoric settlement that was a home to Minoan civilization.The Minoan eruption in the 16th century BC The destroyed the settlement and it has been excavated since 1967.

Apparently, the excavation findings led some experts to think of Akrotiri settlement was a possible inspiration for Plato’s story of Atlantis.

Nowadays, many believe in the theory that Atlantis is actually right there in Santorini, buried in volcanic ash above Akrotiri.

It is definitely an interesting place to visit.  Therefore we put it on our list of Best things to do in Santorini.

Best things to do in Santorini - Akrotiri

 

The site has a covered roof and walkways above and around the archeological ruins. You can see the remains of the houses from a very close distance.

At the entrance, you can chose to hire a guide. He would give you all the necessary explanations. Another option is to visit it on your own.

For more information about the opening hours, rates etc – refer to the official web – Ministry of Culture and Sports | Akrotiri of Thera

Since the archeological site is not too big (most likely you will need not more than half an hour – 45 min, to see it), you can use the opportunity to visit the nearby beaches (Red Beach & White Beach) and/or have lunch at some of the nearby tavernas that serve excellent sea food meals.

***

For a hustle-free vacation, book your tours in advance – check trustable agencies and sources such as Viator where you can compare prices, check different tours and see the ratings and reviews of each tour.

 

***This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. NO EXTRA COST FOR YOU! 

***

Covid-19 restrictions in Santorini:

Up to date (August 2021) Santorini (and Greece in general) is open for tourism. To enter Greece you must have with you either of these certificates:

  • Vaccination certificate (14 days from the last dose)
  • Negative PCR (72 hrs)/Rapid Test Certificate (48hrs)
  • Certificate of recovery
  • Before arrival to Greece, you should fill in Passenger Locator Form (PLF)

The airport authorities of Santorini are asking everyone to show their PLF form and vaccine/covid test certificates.

Airline employees asked for a rapid test to all passengers. After they take the sample you wait for few minutes. Once it is done they communicate you the result.  If  you pass it you can go to the exit of the airport.

Face masks are (officially) mandatory when entering taxi, bus, shops, restaurants, hotel reception areas and similar.

BUUUT, not many locals respect or cares if other respect this rule or not. In case you happen to forget your mask, most likely nobody is gonna say anything about it.

As for the return to your country from Santorini  you can do a quick test. Almost any pharmacy in Santorini do it. Price is about 20 eur (result in 5 minutes).

**For more information about the current entry protocol to Greece – visit the official government web page – Protocol for Arrivals in Greece – travel.gov.gr

***

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16 thoughts on “Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022”

  1. We did a similar trip but with slightly different attractions. I have planned to write a Santorini blog for ages, and I think it would complement yours nicely. We stayed 2 days in Kamari, definitely a quieter side of the island. Better value too. Then we were robbed in Fira. I’d definitely agree that anyone can travel here, but we did come on our honeymoon. It’s a very cool place.

  2. We loved Santorini but now I want to return after reading your guide on the best things to do there. A visit to Pyrgos would be top of my list and then some wine tasting as we didn’t get to do either of those on our short trip there. Awesome guide, thank you.

    1. Thanks as always for reading Wendy! Inded Pyrgos was very beautiful and a hard trekking from down to top. We walk 22km that day overall! was a long one!
      Wine is also a great reason to visit wine & food 🙂

  3. 100 varities of grapes for wine?? Sign me up! I’ve seen the iconic pictures of Santorini, but didn’t knwo there were so many different towns to visit. Your post has made me curious to find out more about the island.

    1. Not really difficult to get drank in Santorini ahaha. There are not only lot of varieties of grapes but also it’s said that one of the older vineyards in history is from Santorini- old micenic culture. It really worth a visit , we also found a lot of things to do that we were not really expecting. Most of us go to Santorni expecting to see the blue & white houses, but indeed there is a lot more to do there!.
      Thanks for reading Tiffani!

  4. You had me at awesome wine! I can imagine that the volcanic soil influences the flavors a lot. That would be fun to explore the different colored sand beaches as it’s rare to see a black or red one. I’ve heard Santorini is very touristy yet the views and beauty of it makes me want to visit anyways!

    1. We totally agree! Good wine is always a good reason to travel! , if you add mediterranean food to the equation you get a fantastic destination. Different beach colors is a thing in Greece. We also enjoyed pink beaches in Crete (on a different trip). Thanks a lot for taking the time to read and enjoy Vanessa!

  5. Following the Rivera

    I haven’t been to Greece for a long time, so it was nice to read about Santorini. My favourite part has to be the iconic white homes, and churches with blue domes. It makes me want to visit now!!

    1. Hey Carina,
      Believe me, you will have a great time going alone. Santorini is good either way and so many things to do there – alone, in couple, with friends…doesn’t matter 🙂
      I hope you will get the chance to visit it 😉
      Thanks a lot for reading 🙂 <3

  6. Loved this thorough overview of Santorini. I’ve really only seen the classic pictures from Fira and Oia. So it was great to learn that there are beaches, wineries, smaller villages, and so many other activities!

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16 thoughts on “Best Things To Do In Santorini (Greece) – 2022”

  1. We did a similar trip but with slightly different attractions. I have planned to write a Santorini blog for ages, and I think it would complement yours nicely. We stayed 2 days in Kamari, definitely a quieter side of the island. Better value too. Then we were robbed in Fira. I’d definitely agree that anyone can travel here, but we did come on our honeymoon. It’s a very cool place.

  2. We loved Santorini but now I want to return after reading your guide on the best things to do there. A visit to Pyrgos would be top of my list and then some wine tasting as we didn’t get to do either of those on our short trip there. Awesome guide, thank you.

    1. Thanks as always for reading Wendy! Inded Pyrgos was very beautiful and a hard trekking from down to top. We walk 22km that day overall! was a long one!
      Wine is also a great reason to visit wine & food 🙂

  3. 100 varities of grapes for wine?? Sign me up! I’ve seen the iconic pictures of Santorini, but didn’t knwo there were so many different towns to visit. Your post has made me curious to find out more about the island.

    1. Not really difficult to get drank in Santorini ahaha. There are not only lot of varieties of grapes but also it’s said that one of the older vineyards in history is from Santorini- old micenic culture. It really worth a visit , we also found a lot of things to do that we were not really expecting. Most of us go to Santorni expecting to see the blue & white houses, but indeed there is a lot more to do there!.
      Thanks for reading Tiffani!

  4. You had me at awesome wine! I can imagine that the volcanic soil influences the flavors a lot. That would be fun to explore the different colored sand beaches as it’s rare to see a black or red one. I’ve heard Santorini is very touristy yet the views and beauty of it makes me want to visit anyways!

    1. We totally agree! Good wine is always a good reason to travel! , if you add mediterranean food to the equation you get a fantastic destination. Different beach colors is a thing in Greece. We also enjoyed pink beaches in Crete (on a different trip). Thanks a lot for taking the time to read and enjoy Vanessa!

  5. Following the Rivera

    I haven’t been to Greece for a long time, so it was nice to read about Santorini. My favourite part has to be the iconic white homes, and churches with blue domes. It makes me want to visit now!!

    1. Hey Carina,
      Believe me, you will have a great time going alone. Santorini is good either way and so many things to do there – alone, in couple, with friends…doesn’t matter 🙂
      I hope you will get the chance to visit it 😉
      Thanks a lot for reading 🙂 <3

  6. Loved this thorough overview of Santorini. I’ve really only seen the classic pictures from Fira and Oia. So it was great to learn that there are beaches, wineries, smaller villages, and so many other activities!

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