Santorini had lived in my imagination long before I landed on this volcanic island in Greece, and my first glimpse of its whitewashed buildings spilling over the cliffs felt surreal. With a relaxed 3-day itinerary, I immersed myself in Santorini’s beautiful scenery—from red sand beaches to colorful sunsets and the sweeping panoramas along the famous Fira to Oia walk.
Santorini was my second stop while island-hopping in Greece. After five days of exploring Rhodes, I flew about one hour west to Santorini Airport (JTR). It was late afternoon, and the daylight faded as we passed over the caldera.
On the ground, I grabbed a taxi to the highly-rated Hotel Kykladonisia, a budget-friendly accommodation in central Fira, the island’s capital. The following 3-day itinerary for Santorini is based on my stay in July, the peak season for tourists (and hot weather).
Day 1
Spend your first day morning in Santorini acclimatizing to this unique island environment. Volcanic activity thousands of years ago sculpted the dramatic landscape.
Once a single volcano, a massive eruption around 1600 B.C. caused its center to collapse, forming today’s caldera. The explosion shaped the island’s cliffs and beaches, layering them with volcanic ash and pumice stone.
Wander around Fira in the morning is a good place to start. Grab a coffee at one of the local cafes, go window shopping, check out the caldera, and feast on a traditional Greek lunch.
Buy a ticket for an afternoon Santorini boat tour departing from the Old Port. I departed on one at 3:30 p.m., and the first stop was Nea Kameni Island in the caldera’s center. There, we disembarked and walked around the black lava rocks of Tholos Naftilos volcano.
In addition to walking around an active volcano, the island offered another excellent vantage point from which to see the whitewashed villages of Santorini.
The remainder of our boat tour was spent visiting hot springs at Palea Kameni (for swimming) and cruising past the island of Therasia toward the northwestern corner of Santorini.
As the sun slowly set over the Aegean Sea, the Amoudi Bay Port, the cliffs above it, and the town of Oia glowed with orange and red light. The tour concluded back at the Old Port in Fira around 8:30 p.m.
Day 2
After spending most of your first day at sea, switch gears and take an inexpensive…
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