How to Do Santorini Your Way: Sunset Spots, Secret Beaches & Travel Tips 🌋🏖️
Santorini isn’t a one-size-fits-all destination—just like Mykonos, it can be experienced through very different lenses. You might come for the serenity and beaches, or for happy hours, nightlife, and iconic sunset selfies. Either way, this post isn’t meant to be a standard travel guide. Instead, here’s a collection of quick personal recommendations from our time on the island—designed to help you discover your own version of Santorini.
🏙️ Fira: The Heart of the Island
The largest town in Santorini, Fira (also spelled Thira), is perched along the volcanic caldera cliffs with incredible views. This is where you'll find the most action—sunset dinners, shopping, mezze spreads, and nightlife.
If you’re arriving by cruise, you’ll either take:
A cable car (€6) straight up to Fira
Or walk up the 600 steps (prepare for a serious leg workout)
🧿 Tip: For an authentic, charming dinner with mezze and seafood, check out Niki's Restaurant in Fira. We stumbled upon it by chance—and turns out, the owner was the uncle of our Greek tour guide. You never know who you’ll meet!
🌅 Oia: Quieter, Dreamier Santorini
Oia (pronounced ee-ah) is the Santorini you see in postcards—whitewashed homes with blue domes, carved into cliffs above the Aegean. It’s a bit quieter than Fira, perfect for couples or travelers looking to slow down and soak up the local feel.
It’s also home to the most famous sunset viewpoint on the island—but be warned: it gets crowded. Get there early or find a restaurant terrace to watch in comfort.
🛥️ Skala Port & Volcano Tours
From Skala Port, you can hop on boat tours to explore Santorini’s volcanic side and neighboring islets.
Here are a few options:
Nea Kameni: Known for its healing thermal mud baths
Hot Springs & Volcano Cruise: A combo tour where you hike a crater and swim in mineral-rich waters
Multi-island boat tours: Depart daily and can be booked on-site at the port
🪨 These tours offer a totally different view of the island—literally.
🏖️ Perissa Beach: Black Sand, Good Vibes, Better Prices
When you Google Santorini beaches, you'll see a long list—but let me save you the scroll: go to Perissa Beach.
Why we loved it:
Chill music and atmosphere
Great food and drinks from the beach bars
Super affordable sunbeds and umbrellas
💸 Our tip: Don’t worry about getting a front-row seat. We sat in the 4th or 5th row, and it was cheaper without sacrificing the view. Also, if you're going with friends, negotiate—we did and got our beds for just €5 per person.
🎒 Bonus: Though Perissa is farther from Oia or Fira, transportation is easy, and accommodations here are much more affordable. With early booking, you can find stays for €40–€50 per night for two people.
⛴️ Island Hopping Made Easy
Getting from Santorini to other Greek islands is super simple. Ferries run daily, and you can plan a mini island-hop itinerary starting from:
Santorini → Mykonos → Paros → Naxos
Or even come from Turkey via Chios or Rhodes, then ferry into the Cyclades
Check schedules ahead of time, especially in low season.
⛪ Did You Know?
There are 565 blue-domed chapels on the island. Yes, really. You’ll spot them everywhere, especially in Oia and Imerovigli—and they make for some of the most iconic photos in all of Greece.
đź“Ś The Vesper Must-Do List
If you only remember one thing from this post, let it be this:
Don’t leave Santorini without…
Spending time in both Fira and Oia
Swimming at a beautiful beach (we say Perissa!)
Eating Greek mezze and fresh seafood
Watching a jaw-dropping sunset over the caldera
Which kind of Santorini traveler are you—sunset seeker, beach bum, or mezze hunter? Tag @studio.vesper in your pics or drop your favorite island recs in the comments.
