Things to do in Santorini, Greece

What exists of the island of Santorini is the very top of a submerged caldera, which is thought to have first erupted in 1610BC. The volcano last erupted in 1950. So, if you’re interested in geology or volcanology – or even if you’re not – there’s plenty to be learned about Santorini’s fascinating and explosive history while you’re here.

And before you start exploring, make sure you have cash! We use our Monzo cards a lot when travelling thanks to the low exchange rates. But in Santorini a few places, and most public transport, still required cash payments.

The best things to do in Santorini

Oia sunsets boat tour

Oia boat tours leave from Ammoudi Bay twice a day. You can walk down if you’re staying in Oia, though the hill is very steep! But a bus service runs for most tours from almost any town on the island as part of your booking. There are lunchtime trips and sunset trips available with free food and alcohol. We chose the sunset trip and it did not disappoint.

We booked our boat tour with Sunset Oia. There are many similar tours available, but on ours we visited some hot springs in the ocean. We also stopped by the white beach and the red beach where we could jump into the sea and swim around the boat, but we were a bit far from the shore to go onto the beaches. And finally we were back at the harbour in time to watch the sunset over Oia.

We were on a boat with 15-20 other people (some tours carry up to 40 people), but that didn't make it feel too busy and actually created a great vibe as everyone was fun and friendly. The food was amazing (I still think about it!) and catered well to vegetarians, and there was free beer and wine all day.

The tour lasted around 5 hours, cost about €100 per person (in September 2020) including food and unlimited drinks. And the bus to and from our accommodation was an easy way to get there and back.

Watching the sunset over Oia

If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, there are plenty of places to watch the sunset from town. There is one very popular street that runs through the centre and has a very busy sunset viewing spot. But since it's absolutely packed with tourists, you’ll need to get there early to find a good space.

If you prefer something more relaxed, we enjoyed watching it from the Sun Spirit bar with a cocktail and views of the old windmill.

The Santorini blue domes

Have you been to Santorini if you’ve not got a photo of the blue domes? For me, this was a box-ticking exercise that was easy to fulfil, as our Oia apartment was less than 5 minutes walk from the view point. However, the view did impress me more than I expected (despite the queue).

It’s no longer signposted due to its popularity, so you’ll need to find the spot on Google Maps. And be sure to go there as early as possible to avoid overcrowding.

Even as early as 6am photoshoots are happening up there. But getting up that early was a great opportunity to stumble across a traditional Greek bakery (and make use of our mild jet lag).

Katharos Beach

Santorini has a few stunning beaches. But due to being a volcanic island, it’s not a top destination for those who want a white-sand-and-palm-trees style of paradise. From Oia, we walked down another very steep hill to the pebble beach of Karathos.

I’m not a huge fan of stone beaches, but a stone beach is better than no beach. And it was a lovely, quiet place to sunbathe and swim in the sea. We also stopped for snacks and sangria at Katharos Lounge Vegan Meze Bar on the way. But sadly, this is now closed as of 2022.

Perissa Beach

We took the public bus from Oia to Perissa to visit the black sand beach. This took about 45 minutes (the longest of my life thanks to my post-birthday hangover!) and cost about €3 each. It was worth the bumpy ride along winding island roads for a relaxing afternoon at Perissa – a beautiful Greek town with a volcanic beach lined with traditional bars and restaurants.

We spent a few hours here and ate and drank at one of the beachside restaurants. It was easy to fit this trip into one day from Oia, without feeling rushed.

Explore Santorini's old towns

Spend a few hours getting wandering the romantic, winding streets of Oia and Fira's old towns. They’re mostly filled with souvenir shops. But there are a lot of good bars and restaurants to relax in too.

In Fira, one of the main attractions is a huge hill (sensing a trend?) called the Karavolades stairs. It's better known as Donkey Way due to the fleet of donkeys that carries tourists from the cruise ships in the harbour up to the town.

We were lucky that, since we travelled to Santorini right after Covid, the waters around the town were uncharacteristically empty. Usually, they’re full of cruise ships which also makes the town busier with the tourists they bring in.

As the capital of the island, Fira has more of a party vibe than sleepy yet busier Oia. We spent a couple of evenings hopping between the bars. But during peak season, the island also has a number of beach clubs and parties.

Eat out!

There are so many amazing places to sample authentic Greek cooking and global cuisine in Santorini.

Find out where we went in our blog: The best places to eat and drink in Santorini.

Want to know more? Find out how we spent a week in Santorini.