Where to stay in Santorini
Santorini is not a city, and you do not walk between its villages. They are strung along twelve kilometers of clifftop and spread across the plain below, and the choice that matters most is whether you stay on the caldera rim, with the view, the steps and the prices, or down on the east coast, with a beach and a car park. For a first visit, Fira is the practical base and Imerovigli the quiet one. Oia is for the sunset and the crowd that comes for it. Kamari and Perissa are for the sea. Whatever you pick, plan how you will get around, because the island is built for cars, buses and taxis, not feet.
The short answer
- First trip
- Fira for the bus station, the food and the caldera view, or Imerovigli if you would rather have the view without the crowds.
- Couples
- Imerovigli or Firostefani for quiet terraces on the rim, Oia if the sunset is the point.
- Families
- Kamari or Perissa: flat streets, a beach with shallow water, and tavernas on the sand.
- Tight budget
- Perissa or Kamari, then Pyrgos. The rim villages cost the most.
- Quiet
- Pyrgos or Akrotiri, with a car or a taxi number to hand.
How we judge a village: the view, the noise at night, how you get in and out, and the price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Santorini's villages, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Fira | Oia | Airport | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fira | Transport, food, first visits | Loud in the center | 5 min | over an hour | over an hour | Main bus station, all routes | €€€ |
| Firostefani | Views, quieter nights | Quiet | 15 min | over an hour | over an hour | Bus in Fira, ten minutes' walk | €€€ |
| Imerovigli | Couples, quiet views | Very quiet | 25 min | over an hour | over an hour | Bus stop, taxis; walk to Fira | €€€€ |
| Oia | Sunsets, photography | Quiet after the sunset | over an hour | 5 min | over an hour | Bus to Fira, taxis | €€€€ |
| Pyrgos | Quiet, local life, drivers | Very quiet | over an hour | over an hour | 50 min | Bus to Fira; taxi at night | €€ |
| Kamari | Beaches, families, the airport | Lively in summer | over an hour | over an hour | 50 min | Bus to Fira, 20 minutes | €€ |
| Perissa and Perivolos | Budgets, beach life | Loud on the strip | over an hour | over an hour | over an hour | Bus to Fira, 25 minutes | € |
| Akrotiri | Quiet, ruins, drivers | Very quiet | over an hour | over an hour | over an hour | Bus via Fira; taxi at night | €€ |
The three columns are the straight line from the middle of each village plus a third for real roads, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes, so they show how far apart things are, not what to do. Between villages you drive, take the KTEL bus or take a taxi: nobody walks from Oia to the airport. Fira, Firostefani and Imerovigli are joined by a clifftop path, and that is the only stretch worth walking. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the villages are
Fira, for transport and a first visit
The island's capital: the bus station, the shops, the most restaurants and a caldera view, and the most visitors.
Fira sits on the rim of the caldera and is where every bus on the island starts and ends. The main bus station is in the town, so you can reach Oia, Kamari, Perissa, the ferry port and the airport without a car, and the restaurants and bars are the most varied on the island. Hotels are plentiful, and cheaper than in Oia or Imerovigli. For two or three nights without a car, nowhere makes the logistics easier.
It is also the busiest place on Santorini. Cruise ships anchor in the caldera below, and on a ship day the main street fills from mid-morning. The lanes are steps and slopes, luggage has to be carried, and rooms on the cliff pay for the view, while those back from the rim do not have one. Late-night bars make the town center loud into the early hours. Choose a street off the main route, and ask whether the room is on the caldera side.
Good for
- Getting around by bus, with no car
- The widest choice of food and bars
- A first visit of two or three nights
Think twice if
- You want quiet evenings: the center is loud late
- Steps and cobbles are hard for you with luggage
- You dislike crowds on cruise ship days
Firostefani, for the view a short walk from Fira
A quieter stretch of the rim, ten minutes north of Fira on the clifftop path, with the same view and fewer people.
Firostefani is the next village north of Fira, and the two run into each other: a path along the cliff takes you from one to the other in about ten minutes. The view is the same caldera and the same sunsets, with the volcano in the water below, but the lanes are quieter and the late-night noise stays in Fira.
It has fewer restaurants and shops, so you walk into Fira for most evenings, which also means you can use the Fira bus station without staying in the middle of it. Hotels cling to the cliff, so the rooms with a view often come with steps down to them, and a pool or terrace on the edge costs more. A few hotels sit back from the rim and are cheaper, with no view.
Good for
- Caldera views without Fira's late nights
- A walk to Fira for dinner and the bus
- Couples, and anyone who wants quiet mornings
Think twice if
- You want many restaurants at the door
- Steps down to the room are a problem for you
Staying in Firostefani: nearby sights, food and getting around
Imerovigli, for a quiet view
The highest point on the rim, a 40 to 50 minute clifftop walk from Fira, with the best view of the caldera without the crowds of Oia.
Imerovigli stands on the highest part of the caldera rim, with the rock of Skaros below it and the whole bay in front. It is known as the quiet alternative to Oia, and the sunset here is as good, with a fraction of the people. The path along the cliff gets you to Fira, about 3 km away, in 40 to 50 minutes.
It is small: a handful of restaurants, a few shops and a lot of hotels with small pools cut into the cliff. There is no bus station, so you rely on the bus stop at the top of the village, a taxi, or the walk to Fira. Steps are the price of the view, and luggage goes down them by hand. It is among the dearest places on the island, and dinner options are limited, so you will often eat at your hotel or in Fira.
Good for
- Couples, honeymoons and quiet terraces
- A caldera sunset without the Oia crowd
- The path to Fira along the cliff
Think twice if
- You want to choose among many restaurants
- You have limited mobility: steps are everywhere
- You want the lowest price: this is one of the dearest bases
Staying in Imerovigli: nearby sights, food and getting around
Oia, for the sunset and the postcard
The village in every photograph, at the northern tip: beautiful, expensive, and shoulder to shoulder at sunset.
Oia is the Santorini of the posters: white and blue domes, steps down the cliff, and a castle ruin where people gather for the sunset. It is a lovely place at breakfast and late in the evening, with small shops and good restaurants, and the hotels with caves cut into the cliff are the island's most photographed.
Around sunset it is packed, and the lanes become queues for the best spots. Rooms and meals cost more here than anywhere else on Santorini, and everything is a long way from the airport and port: about half an hour by bus or taxi to Fira, and a change in Fira for the airport, as there is no direct bus. The last bus back to Fira leaves late in the evening, so check the time before dinner in Oia if you are staying elsewhere. For more space and less jostling, stay in Imerovigli and visit Oia for the evening.
Good for
- The sunset from the castle, and morning walks before the crowds
- Photography, honeymoons and anniversaries
- Good restaurants in a pretty setting
Think twice if
- You want value: Oia is the most expensive village
- Crowds around sunset will spoil it for you
- You want to reach the airport or port easily: you change buses in Fira
Pyrgos, for a hill village with real life in it
A medieval village on a hill in the middle of the island, with views both ways and almost no tour groups.
Pyrgos climbs a hillside inland, with the old castle at the top, a maze of lanes below it, and the monastery of Profitis Ilias on the higher ridge behind. From the top you see across the island to the sea on both sides. It was the capital before Fira and feels like a village where people live, with a handful of small hotels, good tavernas and a church-bell calendar of festivals, rather than a stage set.
It sits in the middle of the island, so a car or scooter makes every other place easy. By bus it is possible but slow, and evenings out mean taxis. The streets are steep and stepped, there is no beach, and the view from your room depends on the hotel. It is also a good base for the wineries on the plain.
Good for
- Quiet nights, and a village with local life
- Views over both sides of the island
- A car for wineries, beaches and ruins
Think twice if
- You have no car and want to go out in the evenings
- Steep lanes and steps are a problem for you
- You want a beach in walking distance
Kamari, for a beach and an easy airport
A long black-sand beach with a promenade, a few minutes from the airport, and no caldera view.
Kamari lies along the east coast under the rock of Mesa Vouno, with a wide beach of dark volcanic sand and shingle, a promenade lined with tavernas and sun beds, and Ancient Thera on the mountain behind. It is flat, and the hotels are on or near the beach, so it suits families, long stays and anyone who wants to swim every day. The airport is a short drive away.
You will not see the caldera from your room, and the sunset is behind the island, not over the water. In July and August the front is busy until late, and the sand is hot enough that you need shoes. The village is quiet out of season, with many places closed from November. A bus links Kamari to Fira in about twenty minutes.
Good for
- Beach days, with the sea at your door
- A short transfer from the airport
- Flat streets for children and pushchairs
Think twice if
- You want the caldera view and the sunset
- You travel out of season, when many places close
- You want the lanes and charm of a rim village
Perissa and Perivolos, for the lowest prices and the beach
The cheapest rooms on the island, at the foot of the hill, along a long black beach with a lively strip of bars.
Perissa and Perivolos run together along the south-east coast: a long dark beach, beach bars and clubs, water-sports, and lines of small hotels and rooms behind them. Prices are the lowest on Santorini, the streets are flat, and a bus runs to Fira in about twenty-five minutes.
It is a beach resort, not a Cycladic village. The strip is loud on summer nights, especially around the bars, and the sand is hot in the afternoon. The caldera and the sunset are across the island, so you will make a day trip to see them. Out of season, many places close and the area is very quiet.
Good for
- The lowest prices on the island
- A lively beach scene and water sports
- Flat streets and a direct bus to Fira
Think twice if
- You want views and a sunset from your room
- Music and late bars bother you in summer
- You want the feel of a Greek island village
Staying in Perissa and Perivolos: nearby sights, food and getting around
Akrotiri, for the quiet south-west
A small village by the Bronze Age ruins and the Red Beach, far from the crowds and far from everything else.
Akrotiri is at the south-western end of the island, next to the excavated Minoan-era town buried by the eruption, and a short drive from the Red Beach and the lighthouse. It has a handful of tavernas, a few small hotels, and sunset views from the castle ruin and the coast to the west. The tour buses stop at the ruins in the morning and leave.
It is the quietest place we list, and the furthest from Oia, about forty minutes by road. By bus you change in Fira, and evenings out mean taxis, so a car makes it work. There is almost nothing to do after dark, which suits some people and stops others. Pair it with Pyrgos on a longer stay.
Good for
- A quiet base with ruins and beaches nearby
- Sunsets from the south-west coast
- A car, and an interest in archaeology
Think twice if
- You have no car and want to go out
- You want a choice of restaurants and bars
Where not to stay in Santorini, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Santorini. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room 'with a caldera view' that is not on the rim
Photos are taken from the roof or one angle, and many rooms in the same hotel face a wall. Ask which floor and which side the room is on, and for a photo from the balcony.
- Oia, if you have a tight budget
The sunset is the same from Imerovigli and the prices are lower. Stay in Imerovigli or Firostefani and take the bus or a taxi to Oia for the evening.
- A hotel with no step-free access, if stairs are hard
Cliff hotels often have forty or more steps between the street and the room, and no lift. Ask for the number of steps before you book, or choose Kamari or Perissa.
- Staying on the rim without a plan for the evening
Imerovigli and Firostefani have few restaurants, and taxis can be slow to arrive after dark. Book dinner in advance and agree your way back.
- The beach villages for the sunset
Kamari and Perissa face east, and the sun sets behind the island. Take the bus to Fira or Oia for the caldera view, or stay on the rim.
Which village suits you
First time on Santorini
Stay in Fira for the bus and the food, or Imerovigli for the same view and fewer people.
Couples and honeymoons
Imerovigli or Oia, a room with a terrace on the caldera.
Sunsets
Oia for the famous one, Imerovigli for the same sky without the crowd.
Quiet
Pyrgos, Akrotiri or Imerovigli.
Before you book a room on Santorini
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Santorini makes a good stay.
- The climate resilience feeGreece charges a fee per room per night, not per guest, paid at the hotel and usually not in the online price. From April to October it is €2 at a one or two-star hotel, €5 at three stars, €10 at four and €15 at five; from November to March it is €0.50, €1.50, €3 and €4. Holiday rentals pay more or less by size, and the rate is the same on every island.
- From the airportThe airport is near Kamari, about ten minutes from Fira. The KTEL bus to Fira runs from outside arrivals and costs €2.20, paid in cash to the driver. A taxi to Fira is usually €20 to €25. There is no direct bus from the airport to Oia: you change in Fira.
- From the ferry portFerries dock at Athinios, below the cliff. A bus from the port to Fira takes about twenty minutes and costs €2.70, and a taxi is about €20 to €25. Many hotels send a driver for a small fee. Check the timetable if your ferry comes in late.
- The busKTEL buses all go through Fira. Fira to Oia is €2.20 and takes about 25 minutes, Fira to Kamari €2.20 and about 20, Fira to Perissa €2.70 and about 25. In July the last bus back from Oia left at 22:50, so check before you plan a late dinner. Buses are cash only, and fares and times change by season.
- Cars and scootersA car is useful for Pyrgos, Akrotiri, the wineries and the beaches, and it makes the hotels on the east side easier to reach. Roads in Fira and Oia are narrow, and parking in Oia fills up by early evening. Ask your hotel where to leave the car.
- Steps and luggageMany cliff hotels are reached by stairs with no lift, and porters are not guaranteed. If stairs are hard for you, ask for the number of steps and the floor before you book.
- SeasonJuly and August are the busiest and dearest, and the beach villages are lively. From November many hotels and restaurants close, and ferries run less often, so check before you book out of season.
Where to stay in Santorini: questions people ask
What is the best area to stay in Santorini for a first visit?
Fira, for most people: it has the bus station, the most restaurants and a caldera view, and hotels cost less than in Oia. Imerovigli gives the same view with far fewer people if you do not mind the steps and the quiet.
Should I stay in Oia or Fira?
Oia for the sunset and the setting, and you will pay for it, share the lanes with crowds and be a long way from the port and airport. Fira for transport, food and lower prices. Imerovigli, between them, has a good case against both.
Is Imerovigli worth it?
Yes if you want a quiet room on the caldera and a good sunset. It has few restaurants and many steps, and the only public bus stop is at the top, so you will use taxis or walk to Fira.
Where should I stay on Santorini if I have no car?
Fira, where every bus starts, or Kamari and Perissa, which have a direct bus to Fira. Oia, Firostefani and Imerovigli work too, but evenings out depend on buses and taxis.
Is it better to stay on the caldera or by the beach?
On the caldera if the view and the sunset are the point. By the beach, in Kamari or Perissa, if you want to swim every day, spend less and have flat streets. You cannot walk between them, so choose one and take the bus to the other.
Can you walk between the villages?
Only Fira, Firostefani and Imerovigli, along the cliff path. Oia is about ten kilometers from Fira, and the walk there takes most of a morning. Everywhere else you take the bus, a taxi or a car.
How much is the climate fee in Santorini?
It is charged per room per night, not per person: from April to October €2 at one and two-star hotels, €5 at three stars, €10 at four and €15 at five. It is paid at the hotel, usually on top of the price shown online.
How do I get from the airport to Fira?
By KTEL bus for €2.20, about ten minutes, or by taxi for €20 to €25. Oia has no direct bus from the airport, so you change in Fira.
