Where to Stay

Santorini is built around a flooded volcanic crater, and the single biggest decision when choosing where to stay is whether you want the famous caldera view or a beach, because the two are on opposite sides of the island. The caldera edge villages of Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia give you the clifftop views and the sunsets that Santorini is famous for, at the highest prices on the island. The beach resorts on the east and south coasts, like Kamari and Perissa, give you the volcanic black sand beaches and much better value. The quieter inland villages like Pyrgos and Megalochori offer character and value away from both. For most first-time visitors, the caldera view is the whole point of Santorini, and Fira is the most practical base to experience it.

Best areas to stay in Santorini at a glance

• Best for first-timers: Fira, the caldera capital with views, restaurants and the best transport connections
• Best for the famous sunset and romance: Oia, the most beautiful and most expensive village
• Best for couples wanting quiet caldera views: Imerovigli or Firostefani
• Best for families and beaches: Kamari or Perissa, the black sand beach resorts
• Best for value and character: the inland villages of Pyrgos and Megalochori
• Best without a car: Fira, the hub of the bus network
• Best for a budget beach stay: Perissa and Perivolos

The best areas to stay in Santorini

Fira

Fira is the best base for most first-time visitors to Santorini and the most practical caldera village. As the capital, it has the caldera views, the widest range of restaurants and accommodation, the cable car down to the Old Port, and it is the hub of the island’s bus network, which means you can reach every other part of Santorini from here without a car. For a first visit where you want the views but also convenience and choice, Fira is the sensible choice.

The village has caldera-edge hotels at the top end, plus a good range of mid-range and even some budget accommodation set back from the rim, which is not something you find in Oia. This makes Fira the most flexible caldera base for different budgets. The landmark Three Bells of Fira church is one of the most photographed spots on the island.

The trade-off is that Fira is the busiest and most commercial of the caldera villages, and in peak season the main lanes are crowded and the nightlife area can be loud at night. For caldera views with more peace, Firostefani and Imerovigli just to the north are quieter while still walkable to Fira.

Best for: first-time visitors, those who want caldera views with the best transport and restaurant choice, no-car trips, travellers on a range of budgets who still want the view.

Not ideal for: those who want a quiet romantic base, light sleepers near the nightlife area, or budget travellers who would get far better value at the beach resorts.

Oia

Oia is the most beautiful village on Santorini and the most sought-after place to stay, at the highest prices anywhere in the Cyclades. This is the Santorini of the postcards: the blue-domed churches, the white cave houses cascading down the cliff, and the world-famous sunset. Staying in Oia means waking up to that view and being there for the sunset after the day-trip crowds have left, which is one of the great luxuries of a Santorini trip.

The accommodation in Oia is almost entirely at the luxury end, boutique cave hotels and suites with private terraces and plunge pools. This is where honeymooners and couples celebrating special occasions come, and the prices reflect it. There is very little budget or even mid-range accommodation in Oia itself.

Below Oia is Amoudi Bay, the little harbour famous for its seafood tavernas, reached down a steep flight of steps. Oia is at the far northern tip of the island, around 20 to 30 minutes from Fira, and while the bus connects them, staying in Oia is more remote from the island’s other attractions.

Best for: couples, honeymooners, special occasions, those who want the most beautiful village and the famous sunset, luxury travellers.

Not ideal for: budget and mid-range travellers, families with young children, those who want to be central for exploring the whole island, or anyone who finds steps difficult.

Imerovigli and Firostefani

Imerovigli and Firostefani are the best caldera bases for couples who want the views without the crowds of Fira and the prices of Oia. These two villages sit on the caldera rim just north of Fira, linked by a clifftop walking path, and they are quieter and more peaceful while still offering the spectacular views. Imerovigli is the highest point on the caldera and is known as the balcony of Santorini for its views. Firostefani is closer to Fira and slightly more affordable.

Both villages are walkable to Fira along the caldera path, which means you get the peace of a quieter base with the restaurants and services of the capital a short walk away. This combination makes them ideal for couples who want romance and views without the full expense of Oia or the bustle of Fira.

The accommodation here is mostly boutique and upmarket, similar in style to Oia but generally a little more reasonable. There is little budget accommodation directly on the rim in either village.

Best for: couples, those who want caldera views with peace and quiet, walkers who want the clifftop path, travellers who want an alternative to the crowds of Fira and the prices of Oia.

Not ideal for: budget travellers, families with young children, or those who want to be in the middle of the action.

Kamari

Kamari is the best base for a beach holiday on Santorini and much better value than the caldera villages. It is a long black sand and pebble beach resort on the east coast, with a beachfront promenade, plenty of tavernas, hotels and a relaxed resort atmosphere. The beach is organised with sunbeds and watersports, and the whole area is far more suited to families and beach-first travellers than the clifftop villages.

The trade-off is obvious: Kamari does not have the caldera view. What it has instead is a proper beach, better value accommodation, a flat and walkable resort layout that suits families and those with mobility concerns, and a genuinely relaxing atmosphere. It is well connected to Fira by bus, so you can base yourself here and visit the caldera villages on day trips.

Best for: families, beach-first travellers, those who want better value than the caldera, travellers who want a flat and walkable resort base, anyone who wants a relaxing beach holiday.

Not ideal for: those for whom the caldera view is the main reason to visit Santorini, or couples wanting a romantic clifftop base.

Perissa and Perivolos

Perissa and the adjoining Perivolos form a long black sand beach on the south east coast, and they are the best-value beach base on Santorini. The atmosphere is younger and more relaxed than Kamari, with beach bars, watersports and a good range of budget and mid-range accommodation. This is the base for travellers who want a beach holiday on Santorini without the caldera prices.

The beaches at Perissa and Perivolos are long enough to have both lively and quieter stretches, and the black volcanic sand gets very hot in summer, so sunbeds are worth it. The area is connected to Fira by bus for day trips to the caldera.

Best for: budget and mid-range beach travellers, younger visitors, those who want a relaxed beach base with good value, anyone who wants beach bars and a lively but not wild scene.

Not ideal for: those who want the caldera view, families who prefer a quieter beach than the beach bar scene, or travellers wanting an upmarket resort.

The inland villages: Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio

For value and character away from both the caldera and the beach, the inland villages are an increasingly popular choice. Pyrgos is a beautiful hilltop village, once the island’s capital, with a castle, churches and panoramic views across the whole island. Megalochori is a quiet, traditional wine village with an authentic atmosphere. Emporio is the island’s largest inland village with a medieval castle quarter.

Staying inland gives you better value, a more authentic sense of Santorini away from the tourist crowds, and a central position for reaching both the caldera and the beaches. The trade-off is that you do not have the caldera view or beach access directly, and a car is more useful here than in the caldera villages. These are increasingly chosen by repeat visitors and those who want to experience the real Santorini.

Best for: repeat visitors, those who want value and authenticity, couples wanting a quiet traditional base, travellers with a car, wine lovers.
Not ideal for: first-timers who want the caldera view, those without a car, or beach-first travellers.

Best area in Santorini for…

Couples and honeymooners

Oia is the ultimate romantic base with the famous sunset, for those with the budget. Imerovigli and Firostefani offer the same caldera romance with more peace and slightly better value. All three give you the views and the sunsets that make Santorini one of the world’s great honeymoon destinations.

Families

Kamari is the best family base, with a proper beach, flat walkable streets and family-friendly resort accommodation. Perissa is the better-value alternative. Both are far more practical for families with young children than the caldera villages, where the steps, the cliffs and the crowds make life harder with a pushchair. Check the Santorini weather page before travelling.

Views and sunsets

The caldera villages are the only bases with the views: Oia for the famous sunset, Imerovigli for the highest and most dramatic setting, and Fira for views with the best convenience. The Santorini photography guide covers the best sunset spots across all of them.

Value and budget

Perissa and Perivolos are the best-value beach bases, and the inland villages like Megalochori offer value with character. Fira has some budget accommodation set back from the rim, which is the cheapest way to stay in a caldera village.

First-time visitors

Fira is the best first-visit base, giving you the caldera view, the best transport connections and the widest choice of restaurants and accommodation across budgets. From Fira you can day trip to Oia for the sunset and to the beaches at Kamari or Perissa, and come back to the caldera in the evening.

Without a car

Fira is the best no-car base, as the hub of the bus network that reaches every other part of the island. Oia, Kamari and Perissa are also well connected by bus. The inland villages are more dependent on a car. See the Santorini bus timetable for what the bus covers.

Getting around Santorini

Santorini has a bus network running from Fira, the hub, out to Oia, Kamari, Perissa and the main villages, though it gets very busy in high season and most routes go via Fira, meaning cross-island journeys require a change. Many visitors hire a car or quad, but the caldera villages have narrow lanes and very limited parking, so it is worth planning around that. See getting around Santorini, the Santorini bus timetable and Santorini taxi and car hire for full details. Taxis on Santorini are famously limited and expensive, so pre-book important transfers. For your arrival, see how to get to Santorini.

When to visit and booking tips

June and September are the best months for most visitors to Santorini, with warm weather and slightly smaller crowds than the peak. July and August are the busiest and most expensive, when the caldera villages are extremely crowded, particularly Oia at sunset. May and October are quieter and cheaper, and still pleasant, though the sea is cooler for swimming. Check the Santorini weather page for the monthly breakdown.

Santorini is one of the most expensive islands in Greece, and the caldera-view accommodation in particular books up months, sometimes a year, in advance for peak summer. Book as early as you possibly can if a caldera view is your priority. The beach resorts and inland villages offer far better value and book up less far ahead. The private villas with pools and the famous wineries and wine tastings are worth building into a stay. One practical point worth knowing: caldera-view hotels involve a lot of steps, as the villages cascade down the cliff, so check accessibility carefully if this is a concern.

Explore more of Santorini

Now that you know where to base yourself, read the full Santorini guide for the villages, beaches and the caldera. Browse the beaches and villages, and use the Santorini map to see how the island fits together. Plan your arrival on the ferry page and see how Santorini connects to the rest of the Cyclades on the Greek islands map.