Santorini Greece Itinerary: Visit the Supermodel of Greek Islands

When you think of Greek Islands, white-washed buildings, blue domes and azure water comes to mind. These images fit the Cycladic islands in Greece perfectly. And Santorini is the supermodel amongst them all. Our 3 days in Santorini itinerary was focussed on exploring the west side of the island, known for its jaw-dropping views.

Santorini’s reputation precedes any trip to this famous island: panoramic views, romantic sunsets and volcanic-sand beaches. Santorini, known since ancient times as Thira, is one of the most famous islands in the world. The volcano here is one of the few active volcanoes on Greek and European land.

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Best time to visit Santorini

I feel that when you visit Santorini will decide whether the reality of this dreamy, stunning island will match your expectations or not. July and August are when cruise ships deposit thousands of day-trippers in the towns of Oia and Fira. So that you are jostling for space, sweating in the peak summer heat, and paying for high accommodation prices. The island may not feel like an exclusive supermodel then.

But, if you visit Santorini in the shoulder season – late April to early June or September / October – you would know why I fell in love with this beauty. We visited Santorini Greece in end May after spending 7 days on the Greece mainland and then a quick stop to visit Mykonos. For the sea lovers, one thing to keep in mind is that the ocean water temperature is warmer in September / October than in April / May. Santorini is one of the best places to visit in Europe in October.

Overview of Santorini Greece

There are 2 main towns in Santorini both on the western side: Fira, the capital city and a major port town, And Oia, the northernmost town on the island. The cave-like houses here cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera.

The caldera of Santorini is filled with sea, offering some of the most striking and unique views you can get.

Fira, the island’s busy capital, sprawls north into villages called Firostefani and Imerovigli. Though the Blue Domes of Oia are the most famous ones, there are churches with blue domes to be viewed even in Firostefani. Firostefani is just a 10-15 min walk from Fira (they merge together and you cant make out when one ends and the other starts). Imerovigli is the highest point of the caldera edge, about a 30-minute walk from Fira. We stayed in Oia village (this is the northernmost part of the island) during our 3 days in Santorini. And explored mainly the west side of the island.

The best way to move from any town / village of Santorini to another is via private taxis, or a rented car, or ATVs (more suited for shorter distances). There are few public bus options as well, but we didn’t try them.

Santorini Itinerary for 3 days

Day 1: Arrive in Santorini and get wowed by Oia

Land in Oia

We landed via a fast ferry from Mykonos to Santorini. There are 2 different ports in Fira: one for cruise ships only, so our ferry landed at the other port. We had pre-booked a hotel transfer in Oia and managed to get out of the port quickly. Santorini port can get very busy in summer months, especially in the late afternoons, when many ferries land or take off to other Greek Islands. 

Oia is instantly recognizable, from the thousands of Instagram photos that we have all seen. Surprisingly, it is as pretty as was expected. The first look after settling in our luxury hotel was mind blowing. Oia has some of the best luxury hotels that Greek Islands have to offer.

It was already evening by the time we freshened up and set out to explore Oia. The whole village of Oia looks like a work of art as the houses are carved into the lava rock. The main street made of marble has fancy hotels and restaurants and cute shops lined at both ends, with jaw-dropping caldera views guaranteed. A popular tour in Oia is a photoshoot against the backdrop of the iconic blue-domes roofs and whitewashed houses here.

Enjoy a spectacular sunset

This main street can get super busy with day-trippers from late morning until sunset. And after that, it feels almost that you have the village entirely to yourself. We visited Santorini in May-end so the crowds were manageable. 

There are few spots in the world where you can see the sun literally dive into the ocean so clearly, and Oia is one of them.

We walked to almost the end of the village, moving north, to see what was promised to be an epic sunset. Of course, there was a large crowd here, but not crazy. And nature gave a spectacular show from just before 8 PM until after 830 PM, with the sky on fire. The sky remained scarlet and purple even after the golden ball dipped away from our sights.

One of the top things to do in Santorini is to take a sunset cruise. From our vantage point, we could see several yachts and catamarans lined up at Ammoudi Bay below the Oia village, all looking at this show-stopper of a scene. Whether on a sunset cruise or at any of the picturesque villages, watching a sunset in Santorini is one of the best things to do.

Day 2: Ammoudi Bay and the Black Sand Beach

A lovely afternoon at Ammoudi Bay

We as such, didn’t have to leave our hotel for the spectacular caldera views that Santorini promises and delivers. From our room deck, from the breakfast area, from the hotel pool and other common areas of the hotel, there were Instagram-worthy views everywhere. Comparing the 2 Cycladic Islands, Santorini vs Mykonos, Santorini is unbeatable as far as stunning views go.

We still wanted to see some parts of the island. So after a leisurely breakfast, we walked to Ammoudi Bay, definitely recommended for any Santorini Greece Itinerary. You can also take a taxi which is what we did on the way back, or rent an ATV, to get there. Ammoudi Bay sits below Oia, so we walked on the main street to the northern point where we had enjoyed the sunset the evening earlier. We took a left from here to the Venetian castle, and from then on, there are about 300 steps down to Ammoudi. You can take a donkey to climb down, but it is more fun to walk down and enjoy the stellar views. Stay hydrated and wear a hat and sunscreen.

The bay is delightful, with many tavernas and cafes lined up offering the freshest of sea produce. The water is clear and there are several swimming spots. I could see many people jumping from cliffs into the water below. You can take a boat tour from here to cruise the caldera. As I mentioned earlier, it is a great spot for the sunset cruises to stop here in the evenings.

We had a lovely lunch at Ammoudi Fish Restaurant (Ammoudi Fish Tavern). Highly recommended! Reserve ahead, tables right by the water are hard to get.

Drive to Akrotiri

The second half of the day was reserved for exploring the south-west side of the island, renting a car from Akrotiri village, visiting the Black Beach and the Red Beach, and then seeing the sunset at Akrotiri Lighthouse.

So we got a private taxi to drop us to Akrotiri village. The plan was to hire 2 ATVs. But the rental shop owner refused to give me an ATV without an IDP (International Driving Permit, I was only carrying my Indian driving license). We were a bit surprised because my husband hadn’t been asked for his IDP for renting a car in Athens, and this was only an ATV to be used on backroads.

Anyway, we hired a Fiat car and went ahead to Black Beach. The drive to and from Black Beach is quite steep. Don’t expect a golden sand beach in Santorini. People do talk about the amazing beaches like Perissa, Kamari on the east side of the island, but the west side has rocky beaches. Even then, I though the word ‘beach’ was a stretch for Black Beach. It felt more like a pile of rocks on a small strip of land going into the sea. There were few sunbeds and a refreshment shop, and that was it. If you are looking for sandy beaches, then Mykonos island in the Cycladic group is a better bet.

We decided to go ahead to the Red Beach, which has a dramatic setting. There was a steep gravel road where the tiny Fiat got buried in the loose gravel and refused to budge! I was pleasantly surprised by how every person who passed by stopped and offered whatever help they could. Eventually, we got the rental guys to come over, take the car out of the gravel mess, and got us back to a proper tar road. In hindsight, I feel that a boat tour to the Red and Black Sand Beach would have been a better way to enjoy this area.

Ah….such is travel. Not everything goes as per plans. We had spent 1.5 hours sorting this car adventure. It was time to go to Akrotiri Lighthouse and see another spectacular sunset. We returned the car and got a ride back to Oia village.

Day 3: Enjoy the Hotel, the best hike in Santorini

Relax at the hotel

If you do splurge for a stay in Oia, make sure you keep some time aside chilling out at your hotel, taking in the views, and just enjoying the sun and the sea. Day 3 on our Santorini Greece Itinerary was for that. We made sure we packed adequate sun protection in our Greece packing list.

Fira to Oia walk

Most people don’t think of Santorini as one of the best greek islands for hiking, but it is. The Fira to Oia hiking path was the highlight of my 3 days in Santorini. My daughter and husband wanted to chill by the hotel pool. But I wanted to do the 6.5 mile (about 10 km) walk from Fira to Oia. You can do this from Oia to Fira as well, but then you have to keep looking back for the stunning views of the norther tip of the island.

This is an easy to moderate hike, so I encourage you to put it on your Santorini itinerary. This hike is along the rim of the caldera. Nothing gives the most epic views of the caldera and the island from so many different angles.

I had a private taxi drop me to the Three Bells Church at Fira, where I started my hike. The main paved path from Fira to Firostefani and then to Imerovigli village is lined with boutique stays and restaurants, and is quite interesting to walk through. From Imerovigli, you get spectacular views of Skaros Rock out on the sea. 

Continuing then down a pebbly dirt path on to Oia village. I was pretty much by myself. You will encounter more people if you do this walk early in the morning. Avoid the timings of 11 AM – 4 PM for this walk when the sun is beating down mercilessly. You cross a couple of beautiful churches on your way, and don’t miss the epic views from a spot near Turtle Rock. I managed to reach my hotel in Oia in less than 3 hours. Splendid end to the Santorini Itinerary for 3 days.

Day 4: Relax at the hotel and leave for Crete

We spent the morning enjoying a leisurely breakfast at our hotel. And then we were off to catch a ferry to spend 4 days in Crete.

Other Things To Do in Santorini

Cruise the caldera

What we missed on our Santorini Itinerary was to take a cruise in the caldera. There are options for both day time cruises to the nearby islands and sunset cruises. The classic route takes in the caldera’s volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palia Kameni, including a stop at the former’s crater and the latter’s hot springs.

Check out some of the cruise options here –

Beaches

On the south coast, there’s a string of beaches famed for their multi-colored sand: Read Beach, White Beach, and the Black Beach. As I mentioned before, I would recommend taking a cruise to visit these beaches.

The east coast’s beaches are lined with black sand. Perissa and Kamari are popular black sand beaches on the east coast of the island. You can stay at the resorts here or do a day trip to enjoy a beach day.

None of the beaches in Santorini come close to the white sandy beaches in Crete. For sandy beaches, varied landscape, gorgeous mountains and plateaus, and serious hiking, consider Crete as opposed to Santorini.

Enjoy the local cuisine and wine

We had excellent meals in Santorini. I have already mentioned the lovely lunch at Ammoudi Fish Restaurant. The restaurants in Oa, while pricey, are all good. A fabulous restaurant in Oia is Kastro, their terrace has excellent sunset views as well. We enjoyed our food at Flora and Skiza on the main street. The Lolita gelato is popular, though the ones in Athens are superior, according to me. We had a pleasant dinner at Tannifanos restaurant in Akrotiri village.

You can consider a food tour with wine tastings or a local cooking class in Santorini. This island also is famous for producing Assyrtiko, a local wine, and you can buy a bottle as a Greek souvenir.

Where to stay in Santorini

Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia all have hotels and villas with whitewashed interiors, terraces and infinity pools. But caldera-view accommodations are expensive. Between Fira and Oia, Oia is even more expensive. Fira fits the bill for more party options. 

If budget is not an issue and you want a laid-back peacefulness, then Oia is ideal. We stayed at Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Oia, for our 3 days in Santorini. Amazing cave room with a private jacuzzi, decadent food and service, panoramic views, all that one wants from a lulxury hotel in Oia.

If you’re more interested in a beach break, stay in Perissa or Kamari. East coast resorts such as Perissa and Kamari have a more traditional and more affordable island-holiday appeal.

Planning a trip to Greece? Check out –

Itinerary Suggestions: Greece in 2 weeks, Greece 10-day Itinerary with kids, Greece mainland itinerary

Greece posts: 3 days in Athens, Visiting Meteora, Best day trips from Athens, Athens One Day Itinerary, Best hikes in Greece, What to buy in Greece

Greek Islands: Crete Itinerary, Mykonos Itinerary, Crete vs Santorini, Santorini vs Mykonos, Beautiful Greek islands for a family holiday, Best Hotels on Greek Islands

And finally, the Famous Greek Landmarks and a packing list for Greece

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