Santorini
White villages along the rim of a drowned volcano.
Santorini is the crescent left when a volcano blew itself apart, and its villages sit along the top of the cliff that was the crater wall, looking down into a caldera filled by the sea. Oia and Fira are the famous ones; the black and red beaches, the vineyards and the Bronze Age town at Akrotiri are the rest of the island.
Why go
For the caldera view, which is as remarkable as the photographs suggest: a sheer drop of coloured rock, the sea far below, the volcano islands in the middle and the sunset over the whole thing every evening.
And for what is underneath the view — a wine tradition grown in volcanic ash, a Minoan city preserved under it, hot springs and boat trips inside the crater, and villages away from the rim where the pace is slower.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Oia
The village at the northern tip, with its blue domes, windmills and cave houses cut into the cliff. The sunset from the castle ruin draws a crowd; the lanes at dawn are empty.
02Fira and the caldera path
The island's capital on the rim, with the cable car down to the old port, and the cliff-top path that runs north through Firostefani and Imerovigli to Oia in a few hours' walk.
03Akrotiri
The Bronze Age town buried by the eruption and excavated under a protective roof: streets, houses and frescoes from before the caldera existed.
04The beaches
Black sand at Perissa and Kamari on the east coast, the red beach below Akrotiri, and white cliffs at Vlychada. The water is deep and clear off all of them.
05The wineries
Vines grown in coiled baskets against the wind, and cellars along the road south of Fira pouring the island's dry white and the sweet vinsanto. Tastings look over the caldera.
06Inside the caldera
Boat trips cross to the volcano islands to walk the crater and swim in the warm springs. The old port below Fira and the harbour at Ammoudi under Oia are the departure points.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Oia
Cave hotels on the cliff with the view and the sunset, and the crowds that come for them.
Imerovigli and Firostefani
On the rim between Fira and Oia, quieter than either, with the caldera path at the door.
Fira
The capital: shops, nightlife, buses to everywhere and the cable car to the port. Central and busy.
Kamari and Perissa
The beach resorts on the east coast, flat, family-friendly and away from the caldera, with the water on the doorstep.
When to go: Santorini
- Shoulder monthsApril – June, September and October
- Warm days, swimmable sea by June and again through October, and rooms easier to find. The most comfortable weeks.
- High seasonJuly and August
- Hot, bright and full, with the sunset crowds in Oia at their densest. Book well ahead and rise early.
- WinterNovember – March
- Quiet, cool and windy, with many hotels and restaurants closed and the caldera to yourself on clear days.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Santorini. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- JTRSantorini
Distance from
- CDGParis2,320 km
- LHRLondon2,640 km
- DXBDubai3,100 km
- BOMMumbai4,990 km
- JNBJohannesburg6,960 km
- JFKNew York8,140 km
- SINSingapore8,890 km
- SYDSydney15,140 km
Getting around: Santorini
The airport and the ferry port are both a short drive from Fira. Local buses radiate from Fira to Oia, the beaches and Akrotiri; taxis are few and transfers are worth arranging.
A hire car or scooter opens up the south and the vineyards, though parking in Oia and Fira is tight. The caldera path is a fine way to walk between the rim villages.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Greece
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Greek
- Time zone
- Eastern European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +30
The atlas
Santorini in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Santorini, month by month
- Jan15°
- Feb15°
- Mar16°
- Apr18°
- May21°
- Jun25°
- Jul27°
- Aug27°
- Sept25°
- Oct22°
- Nov19°
- Dec16°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: April to November.
Mean highs run from 15°C in January to 27°C in August, with about 488 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for SantoriniThe model's grid cell here is mostly sea, so the daily high and low sit closer together than they do on land: afternoons ashore are usually warmer, and nights cooler.
Modelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
The figures are modelled at Fira, the atlas city this page's place is measured from.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBSantorini
3,100 km
4 hrs 25 mins · Estimate
From AUHSantorini
3,080 km
4 hrs 25 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Santorini
Plan this trip: Santorini
Open the trip builder with Santorini already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
