There are about 20 villages in Santorini, Greece, raging from busy tourist attractions like Fira, Oia and Kamari, to traditional settlements like Exo Gonia and Vothonas that only occasional tourists visit.
Main busy tourist resorts in Santorini are:
Santorini Fira: is the capital city of Santorini, the most important and popular town of the island. It boasts a lively nightlife, shops, restaurants and cafes. It clings to the edge of the Caldera rim, 260 meters over the sea level, enjoying stunning views of the sunken volcano and the opposite islands [...] read
Santorini Oia: it's one of the most charming, glamorous and exclusive village in the north end of Santorini, built right on the cliff's edge of the volcano rim, boasting a spectacular and unfogettable view of the Caldera, especially at sunset. It recalls the Nativity scene with its white-washed houses carved in the rock and clinging to the edge of the cliff. Enjoy the worldwide famous Oia sunset [...] read
Santorini Imerovigli: a charming and exclusive village, located 2km north of Fira, built on the highest part of the Caldera, Imerovigli offers breathtaking views of the volcano, a relaxing atmosphere, small gourmet restaurants and luxury accommodation [...] read
Santorini Kamari: black sand beach, mass tourism with lots of hotels and studios, well-organized beach offering water sports, campings, restaurants and taverns, nightclubs, shops and cinema. Kamari is the product of the rapid tourist development of Santorini [...] read
Santorini Akrotiri: it's a small traditional settlement located south of the island close to the lighthouse. This village offers several tourist attractions featuring views of the Caldera from many panoramic terraces, the Archaeological museum (excavation site) with the remains of Minoan civilization, Santorini Red Beach and more [...] read
Santorini Perissa e Perivolos: Perissa is another popular costal village on the south part of Santorini offering a long black sand beach that continues with the beach of Perivolos. Both offer a well-organized beach with water sports, night clubs, fishing taverns, beach bars and dico-bars on the beach [...] read
Other traditional settlements in Santorini are:
Santorini Emborio: it takes its name from the greek word for "trade" (Emporeio), being for centuries the traditional trade centre of Santorini. It's the largest village of the island boasting wonderful windmills on the top of the hills, narrow streets painted in white, blue domed churches, a Cathedral, a medieval castle and a pagan church dating back to the 3rd century b.C.
Santorini Megalochori: this village is famous for the largest Santo Wines and Boutari vineyards attracting visitors for wine tours and the beautiful views of the island and the Caldera. This village also impresses for the traditional scenery, the white washed houses, the bell tower which formed an arch so as to pass underneath it and the central square with the few taverns. The main church of Megalochori impresses for its icons and the "calendar of saints" including 365 miniature figures sanctified by the Greek Orthodox Church.
Santorini Karterados: it's another traditional village of Santorini very close to Fira (1,5 km). What impresses here is the fact that houses were built in a ravine, so most of them look like they’re sunken into the ground. A walk through the narrow streets will definitely give you an idea of the village’s glorious past, when some of the best captains lived there with their families. There are a lot of impressing chapels, churches and an old windmill.
Santorini Vothonas: is one of the most pictoresque villages in Santorini. Located right in the centre of the island, just 5km from Fira, Vothonas will enchant you for its relaxing and quite life style. It's a traditional village carved in the roc where you can visit St Ann's Church (the oldest church of Santorini), built in 1827, and boasting a carved wooden door depicting scenes from the Old Testament.
Santorini Monolithos: the sea and wind erosion of rocks, forging deep craters, create a lunar landscape in this Santorini black sandy beach. Monolithos is a small traditional fishermen village with a quiet organised beach located south-est only 3km from Kamari and Karterados. The small harbour with fishing boats and the only two fish taverns offer an extremely high quality food at reasonable price.
Santorini Pyrgos: this village is located in the central part of the island towards south and it's built on the highest hill of Santorini offering a complete view of the island and the surrounding ocean. Pyrgos is well-know for its churches and monasteiesFamoso per le sue chiese e monasteri (the most important one is the Monastery of Profitis Ilia), narrow street and cafes with views, Pyrgos has been the capital of Santorini until the early years of the 19th century.
