Where to Stay in Santorini: Villages and Beaches Compared

The big decision is simple: do you want the caldera view, or do you want to be near a beach? You rarely get both. The caldera side has the cliffs, the sunsets and the famous cave rooms, with lots of steps and higher prices. The east and south have the beaches, flat streets and far better value.

Fira

The main town and the bus hub, so the most practical base without a car. It has the widest range of hotels, restaurants and bars, and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera. It's also the busiest, especially when cruise passengers come up from the Old Port, and parts of it are loud at night. Pick a hotel on the northern edge towards Firostefani for a quieter night.

Firostefani and Imerovigli

A short walk north of Fira along the caldera path. Firostefani is ten minutes from Fira's centre on foot, with the same views and much less noise. Imerovigli sits higher, on the highest point of the caldera rim, looking at Skaros Rock. It's the honeymoon favourite: quiet evenings, spectacular sunsets and fewer restaurants. You'll walk or take a taxi to Fira for more choice.

Oia

The most photographed village and the most expensive. Staying here means you can see the lanes early in the morning and late at night, when they're lovely and almost empty, and you don't have to fight for a bus after sunset. The downside is the daytime crowds and the distance from everything else. Good for one or two nights at the end of a trip.

Kamari

A relaxed beach village on the east coast with a long promenade, black-sand beach and plenty of mid-range hotels. Close to the airport and linked to Fira by bus. It suits families, and anyone who would rather swim every day than look at the caldera every evening.

Perissa and Perivolos

The budget option, with hostels, apartments and beach bars along one long stretch of sand. Livelier in summer. It's further from the caldera, so sunset trips mean a bus or a car.

Pyrgos and Megalochori

Inland villages with boutique hotels in old houses, near the wineries. Quiet, authentic, and central for drives in every direction. You'll want a car.

Before you book a caldera room, ask about steps and porters, check whether "caldera view" means your own terrace or a shared one, and read the fine print on the plunge pool. Many are heated, many aren't. For July and August, book months ahead.