By air
Santorini (JTR), ~6 km
Europe · Greece
Santorini, Greece
Whitewashed cliffs above a volcanic caldera
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to June and September to October — warm, fewer crowds
Don't miss
Oia
Fira
Akrotiri
The Red Beach
Things to do
Sunset in Oia
A caldera boat trip
Wine tasting
The black-sand beaches
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Meersan · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Comfortable shoes (lots of steps), swimwear
A quieter corner
The caldera path from Fira to Oia
Questions travellers ask
When should I visit Santorini?
May to June or September to October, when it's warm and there are fewer crowds.
What do I need to pack for Santorini?
Comfortable shoes, because there are lots of steps, and swimwear for the black-sand beaches.
What are the highlights of Santorini?
Sunset in Oia, a caldera boat trip and wine tasting, plus Fira, Akrotiri and the Red Beach. For a walk, take the caldera path from Fira to Oia.
What should I eat and drink on Santorini?
Fava and tomato fritters, with a glass of Assyrtiko wine.
About Santorini
- Island
Where it is
Santorini, officially Thira, is a volcanic island in the southern Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, Greece, the largest of a small ring of islands curving around a flooded caldera whose sheer cliffs drop to the sea.
History
About 3,600 years ago one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history reshaped the island and buried the Bronze Age town of Akrotiri under ash. Venetian and later Ottoman rule followed, Santorini became part of independent Greece in the 1830s, and after a destructive earthquake in 1956 the island was rebuilt and grew into one of the best-known destinations in the Aegean.
People
Santorinians speak Greek. Farmers grow small cherry tomatoes, fava split peas and vines in the dry volcanic soil, training the vines into low basket shapes to shield the grapes from the wind, and many homes are cave houses dug sideways into the soft pumice.
Known for
- Sunset at Oia
- Whitewashed villages on the caldera rim
- The Bronze Age town of Akrotiri
- Black and red volcanic beaches
- Assyrtiko and Vinsanto wines
Did you know?
The name Santorini comes from Saint Irene, after an old church in the village of Perissa, and has been used since the Middle Ages; the island's official Greek name is Thira.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.