Where to stay in Santorini: choose views, beaches or easy connections

Find your base

The western caldera rim is the place for volcanic panoramas. Kamari and the Perissa–Perivolos coast put the beach at the centre of the day. The inland villages offer another rhythm, with meals, village walks and time at the hotel.

If sunset from your accommodation is a priority, compare the named caldera-facing category and terrace orientation. For a stay in Kamari or Perissa–Perivolos, plan the caldera as a separate outing.

Before booking: Check the named room’s outlook, occupancy and route from the road. For essential step-free access, request written confirmation covering the entrance, room, bathroom and facilities you need.

1. Oia — make the village part of the occasion

Choose Oia when its whitewashed lanes and caldera-side terraces are part of the reason for travelling. It works especially well for a honeymoon or a stay built around the hotel; daily trips across the island take more planning than from Fira.

Cave-style suites sit at different levels along the slope. Check the room category’s outlook and the space around its terrace.

Illustrative layouts. Ask the hotel about the terrace of your booked room.

If you stay in Oia, leave time for village walks early and late in the day, as well as for the hotel. To widen the Oia-area search, include Finikia and compare the actual route into Oia and the room’s outlook.

Private plunge pool

Honeymoon stay

Canaves Oia Suites

Caldera-facing Honeymoon Suites for two; a lift serves almost all levels.View on Booking ↗

The Honeymoon Suite Plunge Pool Caldera Sea View accommodates two, with a private heated plunge pool and a veranda facing the caldera and Aegean. The selected photograph shows this category’s terrace.

A lift from street level serves the main facilities and almost all room levels; porter assistance is available. Agree the remaining route to your suite. Children under 13 are excluded, and the hotel’s official pages differ on acceptance at exactly 13: obtain written confirmation for that age.

2. Imerovigli and Firostefani — choose your caldera setting

Choose Imerovigli for time around a caldera hotel and its terrace. Choose Firostefani, nearer Fira, when you also want the capital’s restaurants and transport close by. These are separate settlements along the rim.

Superior Double

Caldera near Fira

Belvedere Suites

A caldera-side Firostefani base; Superior Doubles take two and exclude children.View on Booking ↗

Belvedere is the Firostefani choice in this group, beside the caldera and nearer Fira than Imerovigli. The pictured Superior Double accommodates two and excludes children in the official booking engine.

The room collection includes an Economy Room Without View. For the Superior Double, ask the hotel to confirm the actual outlook and access route before booking for a particular panorama.

3. Fira — start here for a car-free trip

Choose Fira for a trip mixing caldera walks, museums, shopping and evenings out. You can return from a beach day to restaurants and bars in town. The island’s main bus interchange is here, with services towards Oia, the beaches and the south.

The inland bus-station streets and the cliffside offer different stays. A central address can be convenient without a view; a caldera suite can involve a substantial pedestrian approach. For quieter nights, ask about the room’s position relative to nearby venues.

Also compare Karterados, a separate village near Fira; include the route to Fira’s bus hub when comparing addresses.

Junior Suite

Car-free caldera

Athina Luxury Suites

Caldera balcony in Fira; shortest arrival has about 90 steps.View on Booking ↗

Athina’s Junior Suite accommodates two and has a private balcony with volcano, caldera and sunset views.

Plan the arrival before setting off: the hotel’s shortest approach, below the Metropolitan Cathedral, has about 90 steps. Longer approaches have fewer steps. Arrange the meeting point and luggage assistance with staff, giving your arrival time.

4. Megalochori, Pyrgos and Akrotiri — choose the particular village

Choose Megalochori for its square, cobbled lanes and vineyard surroundings. Choose Pyrgos for a hill village with uphill lanes and steps. Choose Akrotiri for a southern base, checking how far the hotel lies beyond the village towards the caldera.

Some Megalochori properties also face the caldera; an inland village label alone does not settle the outlook. A car makes a scattered itinerary easier, while booked rides can suit a hotel-focused stay. For buses, check the actual timetable and walk from the stop to your property.

Deluxe lounge

Village retreat

Apikia Santorini

Private-pool Deluxe at Pyrgos for two; guests must be aged 12+.View on Booking ↗

At the foot of Pyrgos, Apikia’s Deluxe Suite with Outdoor Private Plunge Pool and Sea View accommodates two adults; its lounge is pictured here. The property welcomes guests aged 12 and above.

The suite has its own heated plunge pool and panoramic sea outlook. Heating is described relative to the surrounding water temperature, so ask what to expect if pool warmth will decide your dates. Exploring the village involves uphill walking.

Prestige pool terrace

Secluded caldera stay

Phōs The Boutique

Caldera pool terrace for two; the Prestige Suite excludes children.View on Booking ↗

Phōs is the more secluded choice, on the southwestern caldera beyond Akrotiri village. The Prestige Suite with Heated Infinity Pool – Caldera Sea View accommodates two, excludes children and has a private heated infinity pool.

Arrange a car or transfers for meals and outings at Phōs, including the meeting point and route to the suite.

5. Kamari — organise the holiday around the beach

Choose Kamari when swimming, pool time and seaside meals are the daily priorities. Its dark beach is on the eastern side of Santorini, with the caldera forming a separate outing.

Standard Studio

Family beach stay

Costa Grand Resort & Spa

Kitchenette studio for up to four; internal view and open-plan layout.View on Booking ↗

Compare the Standard Studio for a family stay: it accommodates up to four in approximately 28 m², with double or twin beds, a sofa bed, kitchenette and open-plan living area. It has an internal view and a balcony or terrace.

The resort also lists a children’s pool. Confirm children’s ages, sofa-bed arrangements, any cot and the allocated floor. This studio keeps the sleeping and living space together, which matters if children go to bed before the adults.

6. Perissa and Perivolos — put the long beach first

Choose this coast for long beach days with cafés, restaurants and watersports along the shore, keeping caldera visits as separate outings. Perissa and Perivolos continue along the same beach: compare the stretch around your hotel with the places you expect to eat, spend the day and catch the bus.

For a tighter budget, begin by comparing simple rooms here and in Kamari, then add the transport your itinerary requires. A beach base earns its convenience when you intend to spend time on that side of the island.

Standard Room

Beach days for two

Smaragdi Hotel

Perivolos pool base for two; Standard rooms have no view or cot.View on Booking ↗

At Smaragdi in Perivolos, the Standard Room takes two, with a patio, fridge and kettle. It has no view and cannot accommodate a cot.

Children aged two and above count towards the two-person room limit; extra beds are unavailable. An under-two cot is possible only in a Deluxe Room, on request. The property has steps and limited ground-floor rooms, so agree any essential access requirements with Reservations.

Arriving and getting around

From Santorini Airport, JTR: KTEL publishes an airport–Fira service. For a stay elsewhere, check the onward connection through Fira against your arrival time, or arrange a pickup. An airport-area hotel still needs a suitable final route from the road.

From a ferry: plan from Athinios ferry port, which is separate from Fira’s old port below the cliff. Confirm the ferry’s arrival and your onward bus or transfer. Give the hotel the actual arrival port and agree luggage help for any pedestrian approach.

Between bases: Fira is the main bus interchange. A beach-to-Oia outing can involve separate bus legs and a wait, so check both the outward journey and evening return. Kamari and Perissa sit on opposite sides of Mesa Vouno; do not treat their beach addresses as a direct bus connection.

For a late arrival: check the last usable connection for the particular date. If it does not fit, arrange the pickup, check-in and hotel meeting point before departure.

Bus fares at a glance

KTEL’s fare table and printable timetable, the latter updated 15 October 2026, give these one-way daytime fares per passenger:⁴

Departure times change with the season, and a separate night tariff applies 00:30–05:00. Check KTEL’s current timetable and the fare for your actual departure.⁵

Check opening dates before choosing the season

For a beach-led holiday, confirm that your hotel, pool and the facilities you need will operate for the whole stay. October closing dates vary between properties.

For a winter visit, start by checking accommodation, dining and transport together in Fira. Confirm Athina is open for your winter dates before arranging the rest of the trip.

Accommodation fees and the separate cruise charge

Greece’s climate crisis resilience fee is charged per room or apartment, per daily use, rather than per person. For hotels, the seasonal rates are:

Licensed furnished rooms/apartments use €2 / €0.50 for the same two periods. Ordinary short-term rentals use €8 / €2, with different rules for certain houses and villas. Ask which legal category applies to your booking and check the fee breakdown. The property issues a separate receipt and collects the fee before departure.⁷

Ordinary ferry arrivals do not attract the separate cruise-disembarkation charge.

Questions that help you choose