Start from 50 curated places around Santorini, GR, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Metaxi Mas
A terrace taverna in Exo Gonia village, inland from the coast, that consistently tops locals' lists for the best everyday cooking on the island. The menu leans Cretan and Santorinian, with fava bean puree, white aubergine salad, tomato fritters, and lamb dishes cooked without any concession to tourist expectations. Live music on most evenings adds to an atmosphere that feels like a neighborhood gathering rather than a dining destination. Significantly less expensive than caldera-view competitors of comparable quality.
To Psaraki
A seafood taverna perched above Vlychada marina on the island's southern coast, where the daily fish selection is displayed in a case at the entrance and priced by weight in the traditional way. Two friends run the kitchen with a philosophy of doing almost nothing to the fish beyond grilling it, which means quality of catch matters entirely. The marina setting is quieter and more local-feeling than Ammoudi Bay's tourist-facing waterfront.
Trails & outdoors
Fira to Oia Caldera Trail
The island's defining walk, 10 kilometers along the caldera rim from the capital to Oia, passing through Firostefani and Imerovigli and offering constant views of the submerged volcano, the Aegean, and the island's southern arc. The terrain mixes paved pedestrian walkways, cobblestone paths, and natural volcanic rock, with moderate elevation changes and a few steep sections. The full route takes three to four hours at a reasonable pace with stops. Most people choose the Oia-to-Fira direction for the final caldera approach into the famous village.
Skaros Rock Trail
A short extension from the Fira-Oia path near Imerovigli, dropping 650 meters along a narrow ridge to the Theoshepasti Chapel perched at the tip of Skaros, a fortified medieval promontory that was once Santorini's most important settlement. The trail descends sharply before leveling onto the rock, where 360-degree views take in the full caldera bowl, the active volcano, and both coasts of the island. A detour of 30 to 40 minutes each way from the main caldera path.
Things to do
Santo Wines
The island's largest wine cooperative, occupying a dramatic caldera-edge terrace above Pyrgos with the most unobstructed views of the sunset over the volcano of any established tasting venue. The wines range from dry Assyrtiko to Vinsanto, the island's signature sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes, and the terrace setting is genuinely theatrical. A preferred destination for people who want the full Santorini sunset experience without the complications of the Oia castle crowd.
Venetsanos Winery
Santorini's first industrial winery, built into the cliffs above the Athinios ferry port, offers caldera views toward Fira and Oia from a terrace that looks back along the island's full caldera arc. The winery focuses on small-production Assyrtiko and is known for its wine-paired lunch menu, which makes it more of a dining destination than a quick tasting stop. The industrial building has a muscular mid-century character that contrasts pleasantly with the cave-house aesthetic of the villages above.
Landmarks & sights
Oia Village
The island's northern crown, a clutch of cave houses and sugar-cube mansions perched above the caldera 300 meters below. The three blue-domed churches near the main pedestrian street are the most reproduced image in all of Greece, and the winding alleys behind them lead to castle ruins that command 270-degree views of the volcano, Thirassia, and the open Aegean. Come at dawn, when the cruise-ship daytrippers haven't arrived yet, and the light on the white walls is extraordinary.
Akrotiri Archaeological Site
A Bronze Age city buried by volcanic ash around 1600 B.C. and so well preserved it's called the Greek Pompeii. Three-story buildings, painted frescoes, drainage systems, and sophisticated streets all survived beneath the pumice for over 3,600 years. Only about a third of the site has been excavated, which gives the place an active, living-dig atmosphere unlike most ancient ruins. The modern protective roof keeps the whole site shaded and walkable even in July heat.