The 18 Very Best Things to Do in Santorini

Santorini is one of the most famous, popular and remarkable Greek islands, so much so that we returned for a second visit. You already know it’s beautiful because you’ve seen all the Instagram pictures. You already know it’s famous for its sunset in Oia and the beautiful whitewashed buildings carved into the side of the volcanic island, but what do you not already know about Santorini?

The most surprising thing about Santorini is that there is much more to do on the island than you think.

The island sits in the Aegean Sea and is part of the Cyclades Islands. It’s full of wonders, from wine to windmills and everything in between. Santorini resulted from one of the most significant recorded volcanic eruptions in human history, the Minoan eruption, which resulted in a unique and impressive landscape known as a caldera.

If you didn’t know, a caldera is a significant depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses, which is why there are two islands (Santorini and Thirasia) surrounding Nea Kameni, the volcano island, which we’ll discuss a little later.

1 | Watch the Sunset at Oia

First up on our list of things to do in Santorini is to watch the sunset in Oia. Undoubtedly, the sunset at Oia is one of the most beautiful on the planet.

Head to the Castle of Oia for the best sunset view, but don’t forget to hang around a little longer. Everyone will disappear, and you’ll be left with the rich colours of the skyline while the hillside comes alive as the ambient light falls. Oia is the perfect place to capture the amazing sunset, so why not check out our travel photography tips to make the most of your camera? But there’s more to discover in Santorini than Oia and its sunset, so carry on reading our list of things to do in Santorini to find out what else there is to discover on this volcanic island!

2 | Wander the Streets of Thira

Thira is the capital of Santorini and the island’s hub. Because of this and its relatively small size, it gets pretty busy. While in Thira, a trip down to Santorini Old Harbour is worth it. You can walk via the Karavolades Stairs (this isn’t for the faint-hearted!) or take the cable car. You can also take a donkey, but we recommend you avoid that! There’s also the famous Three Bells of Fira, in the north of Thira. Although Oia’s sunset is better known, Thira offers another beautiful sunset you should witness if you have time.

3 | Hike From Thira to Oia

A bumper crew trip wouldn’t be complete without a hike, would it?

The Thira to Oia hike is about 10km and will take approximately 2.5 hours at a decent pace. And it’s worth every minute, even in the heat! Despite the distance and heat, the Thira-to-Oia hike is popular and surprisingly peaceful once you leave Thira and Imerovigli. You’ll pass a snack shop around halfway, a few lovely churches and some epic views!

We recommend walking from Thira to Oia, enjoying the sunset and catching the bus back. If you haven’t already explored Oia when you visit for the sunset, plan to complete the Thira to Oia hike in time for sunset. You can spend a bit of time wandering the narrow streets of Oia and getting all your pictures for Instagram if you need to pass the time!

And if you’re interested in our other hikes, check out our National Three Peaks Challenge and Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge posts.

4 | Hire a Quad

Hiring a quad might seem strange to see on a list of things to do in Santorini, but hear us out. A quad is a mode of transport, but it’s so much more than that! It’s a way to have a ton of fun while you’re getting from one place to another, and that’s why it’s high up on our list of things to do in Santorini, because you need to get around, right?

Hiring a quad to get around Santorini is a safe and cost-effective way to see our list of things to do. And with only 65 days of rain per year in Santorini, you don’t have to worry about getting wet! But remember your lip balm – the wind across your face will be sure to dry your lips out! Ha! Given the intense Mediterranean sun, you should cream up to protect your skin! Alternatives to quad hire are car hire and scooter hire. A quad is a cheaper alternative to a car and a safer alternative to a scooter, and you can park them almost anywhere.

And if you head to some of the places we mention below, like SAWA and Ancient Thira, you’ll be sure to drive along some fun roads. We hired ours from the awesome guys at Moto Empire in Perissa. It’s a family-run business, and Martha will be sure to look after you as they did us. Click here to visit their website for more information.

5 | Visit a Tomato Factory

Of the 500,000 tons of tomato paste produced in Greece each year, 300,000 are produced by D. Nomikos. You can also take a tour of their former tomato factory in Santorini.

We’re sure you will leave the museum with a new appreciation of tomatoes! At the end of the audio tour, you can press your own can and taste the tomato paste and tomato juice. Who knew tomato juice would be so tasty? According to the host, salt, pepper, and lemon juice are the key!

The tour is a good length. It’s informative and engaging without running too long, and you get an audio guide that takes you through the story of the tomato factory. There is an entrance fee, and for up-to-date prices and more information, click here.

Finally, did you know that a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable?

6 | Bathe on Paralia Vlichada Beach

Once you’ve visited the Tomato Industrial Museum, head down to the sea and turn right onto Paralia Vlichada Beach. Beaches are definitely more Stacey’s thing than mine (Joel), but this one is a bit different – where volcanic sand meets an incredible cliff face. The landscape is stunning, with soft sandstone banks and naturally formed patterns. Paralia Vlichada Beach is also relatively quiet because it’s not a popular tourist spot, but be aware that part of the beach is for naturists, so if this is a concern, don’t wander too far down.

7 | Visit Pyrgos

Oia and Thira steal the thunder from the other towns and villages around Santorini. Still, if there is one other you should try to visit, it’s Pyrgos, our favourite village in Santorini. You will get lost in the maze of little streets, and don’t forget to head up to Pyrgos Callisti’s Castle for some fantastic views before wandering back down. Keep an eye out for Loupa, the little dog and the musicians in the little tunnel near Franco’s Cafè, too!

8 | Visit Megalochori

Megalochori is another lovely little village of Santorini that’s worth a visit. It’s famous for its bell tower, and there’s a beautiful little square with a taverna, perfect for a spot of lunch after a little wander. There’s also a nifty little leather shop where Stelios makes all his leather goods. But the best part about Megalochori is its proximity to the Heart of Santorini.

9 | Visit the Heart of Santorini

No, this isn’t the middle of Santorini, but a rock formation, much to our surprise!

It’s a great place to visit during the day and is also home to the Church of Agios Nikolaos, a cute little church carved into the rock.

The Heart of Santorini also offers a beautiful alternative to the sunsets of Oia and Thira, where you get to see the Mediterranean sunset over Plaka Bay and the neighbouring islands of Nea Kameni and Thirasia.

10 | Get Lost in a Venetian Settlement

Emporio is another gem of Santorini and somewhat off the tourist radar. We passed through numerous times before finally deciding to stop, and we are so glad we did! Emporio is home to Kasteli, which is the heart of the village. It’s an old Venetian settlement and castle, and it’s a rabbit warren of tiny little streets lined with small steps and doors. The ruin of the Tower of Nimborio, also known as Goulas, is also interesting. While you’re there, you can see the windmills at Gavrilos Hill.

11 | Go Beer Tasting

If you’re a beer lover, this is one of the things to do in Santorini you can’t miss! But it’s not just beer tasting anywhere; it’s at the Santorini Brewing Company. You’ll find their donkey logo all over the island, but they brew the beer in the middle of the island, just outside Kamari. It’s a small brewery where you can’t look around; head up to the bar to taste the beers and pick up merch if you’d like. You can get a free sticker and pin badge; ask for it! We recommend the Weissbier, an unfiltered wheat beer – it was our favourite!

12 | Visit Akrotiri

Akrotiri is Santorini’s equivalent of Italy’s Pompeii – a town covered in volcanic ash from an eruption in the 17th century BC. It’s a remarkable, fully underground site and one of Greece’s most important archaeological sites, thanks to the exceptional preservation of the volcanic ash. Can you believe the eruption occurred over 3,000 years ago, yet the inhabitants of Akrotiri had sophisticated drainage systems and multi-storey houses?

13 | Visit the Coloured Beaches

There are three coloured beaches on Santorini: Black, Red, and White.

They are all located in the same area of the island, although you’ll find other black beaches on the island, such as Paralia Vlichada Beach, which we mentioned above. To get to the white beach, you’re best off getting the boat. The boat operates a hop-on, hop-off service at each beach and departs from the port near the tomato museum.

14 | Wander Ancient Thera

Ancient Thera sits at the very top of a mountain and is accessible via two towns – Perissa and Kamari, which sit on either side of this massive hill. We paid 6 Euros to enter, and we can’t find an official website with accurate pricing, so you’ll have to arrive and see what it costs on the day.

The ruins aren’t much more than piles of stones, but it’s the wonder of a world that went before us that piqued our interest. We wander the ruins, intrigued by who walked the paths before us and what they did to fill their days. It’s also fascinating how advanced these people were. It’s also remarkable that they got stuff up and down the sides of that mountain! Ha! The road from Kamari is a fun drive up, too, and there is parking, although it’s limited. There’s also a little snack bar at the top to take on some fluids, which you should do because it’s hot at the top!

15 | Volunteer at SAWA

One of the unique things to do in Santorini is to volunteer. Who would have considered volunteering while on holiday on a beautiful Greek island? Well, read on if this piqued your interest! SAWA stands for the Santorini Animal Welfare Association, a non-government and not-for-profit organisation that maintains a no-kill policy.

They care for unwanted animals on Santorini, including dogs and donkeys.

There are quite a few donkeys at SAWA, probably because of their use around the island as a tourist attraction to get people up and down hills. At thebumpercrew.com, we believe in honesty and authenticity, and that’s why ‘riding a donkey’ isn’t on our list of things to do in Santorini. We don’t support the idea of exploiting animals for tourism.

Visit SAWA if you have the time and want to give something back. You can always donate through their website if that’s not your thing. We’re sure they would appreciate any support you can give. Failing that, don’t take a donkey ride.

16 | Go Wine Tasting

We’re not big into wine, but visiting Santorini and not going wine tasting would, quite frankly, be an offence! Ha! Santorini is regarded worldwide for the wine it produces. It is home to the only museum of its kind in Greece, the Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum, nestled in a 300-metre-long cave 8 metres below ground, which took the family 21 years to build.

The museum is interesting – it explains all you need to know about wine production in Santorini (which is surprisingly enjoyable!) and ends with some wine tasting, which is what we are all in it for, right?! Wait until you get the dessert wine with the chocolate – it will blow your mind!

17 | Eat Gyros

Did you even go to Greece if you didn’t eat gyros? If you want to avoid eating at a restaurant one evening, then grabbing yourself a gyros on the go and casually watching a sunset is a must. A Gyros is a taste of modern Greece and a cheaper alternative to a sit-down meal. Plenty of places do take-away, so grab that gyros and a bottle of White Donkey and find your spot to watch one of the best sunsets in the Mediterranean.

18 | Visit an Active Volcano

The last one on our list is to visit an active volcano. On any other list of things to do in Santorini, you might expect this to be a little higher up, but not on this one. It’s worth a visit if you have time; if you don’t, explore the rest of what Santorini has to offer. A trip to Nea Kameni will consume most of your day, if not all of it. But if you make it, you can hike around the volcano and, depending on which boat tour you’re on, bathe in some hot springs.

Is Santorini worth visiting?

Yes! Santorini is worth visiting. Santorini is one of the best Greek islands to visit and offers much more than just one of the world’s best sunsets. There are so many amazing things to do on this relatively small island.

Is Santorini better than Kos?

Yes, Santorini is better than Kos, but only just. Both islands are excellent choices for anyone seeking a break on a Greek island, but Santorini has the edge with its beautiful sunsets, landscapes, and range of activities.

Is Santorini better than Mykonos?

Yes, Santorini is better than Mykonos. Mykonos is a bit of a one-trick pony when compared to Santorini. Although Mykonos Town is lovely and an iconic destination in Greece, Santorini has far more things to do, with a more interesting and diverse landscape to explore.

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