Best Things to Do in Santorini

Watch the sunset in Oia. The most talked-about thing to do on the island, and it holds up even once you know what to expect — see our full Oia sunset guide for how to actually enjoy it rather than fight for a viewpoint.

Walk the caldera path between Fira and Oia. A roughly 10km trail along the cliff edge connecting Fira, Imerovigli, and Oia, with some of the best views on the island and considerably fewer crowds than either town center.

Take a boat tour to the volcano. Boats run from Fira's old port or Ammoudi Bay out to the volcanic islet of Nea Kameni, still considered active though it hasn't erupted since 1950, often combined with a stop at hot springs and the nearby island of Thirasia.

Visit a winery. Santorini's volcanic soil produces wine unlike anywhere else in Greece — see our wine tasting guide for which wineries are worth the visit.

Spend a day at a black or red sand beach. Perissa, Kamari, and Red Beach near Akrotiri all offer a completely different side of the island from the caldera villages — see our beaches guide for which suits you.

Explore the Akrotiri excavation site. A Bronze Age settlement buried by the same eruption that shaped the island, remarkably preserved and often compared to a Greek Pompeii.

Skaros Rock

A dramatic rock formation near Imerovigli, once home to a medieval castle, now a short, free hike offering a wide sunset view over the caldera without Oia's crowds.

Fira to Skala Steps cable car or donkey ride

Connecting Fira to its old port, roughly 600 steps down (or up), a cable car covers the same route in a couple of minutes, while donkey rides remain available though increasingly discouraged on animal welfare grounds — most visitors now take the cable car.

Ammoudi Bay

A small fishing harbor at the base of Oia, reachable by a few hundred steps down from the village, with excellent seafood tavernas right on the water — a quieter, more local counterpoint to Oia's main streets above.

Pyrgos village

A hilltop village in the island's interior, less visited than Fira or Oia, with its own castle ruins and views that rival the caldera towns without the crowds — a good half-day addition for travelers who've already covered the main sights.

Most of these activities can be mixed and matched across your stay rather than following a fixed order, since Santorini's small size keeps everything within a manageable drive or bus ride of everything else.