Santorini - tips by travel authority Howard Hillman

Santorini

travel wonder in Greece

Why
Santorini in Greece
is special

Yes, Santorini swarms with summer tourists, but the setting of this Greek Isle is so picturesque and geologically striking that you should visit Santorini on your first trip to Greece.

The white-washed villages are perched on Santorini’s high steep volcano rims and the views of the sheer cliffs and deep-blue bay are breathtaking. Together, they make Santorini a jewel of Greece.

Santorini has

dual meanings

Santorini is the group name of all the islands you see on the map below. It is also the name of the largest of those islands. This creates confusion among travelers.

Santorini was named by the Venetians in the 13th century to honor Saint Irene.

Volcano

The Santorini landscape was fashioned by a colossal volcano eruption some 3500 years ago. Click my "Santorini volcano" button below to learn the fascinating story and the geological definition of "caldera".

The most popular

cliff-perched villages
of Santorini

All are spectacularly perched on high cliffs overlooking the caldera bay.

Fira is the biggest, busiest and most touristed. Still, it has retained some of its alluring qualities.

Oia is in northern Santorini. It appeals to those seeking a more peaceful and laid-back ambiance for their vacation in Greece.

Imeroviglia and Firostefani are also popular. They are located between Fira and Oia.

The most popular

seaside villages
of Santorini

Kamari and Perissa are moderate sized sea resort villages. They are less charming than the cliff-perching towns, but have wide beaches directly on the Aegean Sea.

Cruise tourists

Many visitors are cruise passengers. Their giant ships can sail into the caldera bay because it's quite deep.

Cruise tourists land at a wharf at the base of the caldera's cliff. Fira is directly above, but a long way up the cliff.

You can walk up a zigzagging pathway, but its exhaustingly steep and long. On my first visit to Santorini, the only other option was to ride a donkey up that footpath. It was fun. There is now a new option: modern cablecars. For those who want to make the ascent the old way, the donkeys are still around. They have been unofficially dubbed the taxi of Greece.

Dining, reveling

and sleeping

Santorini has many interesting restaurants. Some have outdoor terraces overlooking the caldera bay. They are great spots for viewing the celebrated Santorini sunsets. The experience will be one of your most treasured memories of Greece.

Nightlife in Santorina is lively, especially in the village of Fira. For the young, the clubbing-till-dawn culture is well entrenched.

There are hotels for all budgets. However, whatever the rate, late-made hotel reservations are hard to come by for July and August. This is more true here than anywhere else in Greece.

More Santorini

tips & insights

Click the blue button below to view many helpful pointers.