Santorini, a wonderful volcanic island in the middle of the Ägäis is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece. If you travel to Santorini, you’ll be overwhelmed by the view to the ocean, the beaches and the traditional Greek architecture. Santorini is known worldwide and a lots of tourists come here. Santorini is a charming and beautiful island and an unforgettable holiday awaits.

In addition to my expenses blog post, I put together a bpost about tips for Santorini in general. Since a lot of my readers planned a Santorini holiday, this will be helpful for your planning as well. If you still have questions, leave a comment.

Things to do on Santorini
Santorini Travel Guide

Santorini has a lot of vineyards. The soil is fertile and ideal for grapes. You can find a lot of information in hotels and in the city on where to go for a wine tour. A wine tour takes about half a day.

Santorini has beautiful cliffs and beaches. There is a black sand beach as well as the Red Beach. This is one of the most extraordinary beaches in all of the Cyclades. The red rock face is so beautiful.

The surroundings around the harbor are ideal for wreck diving. You can dive up to 14 meters and check out ancient Greek ships. The view is very bad and there are not many fish, but the main attraction is the wreck.

There’s a big boat tour starting at the Ammoudi Bay. It’s the most popular tour. You visit the volcano island, the hot springs, and Thirassia. This is a day trip although the boat trip only takes a few hours. The lunch is not included in this tour, but you can stop at a taverna.

Although it’s exhausting and it’s more like climbing than walking, the ascent is worth it. The view is incredible. The best view from the city will in in Oia.

The Akrotiri is an archaeologic site in the south of the island. In the year 1967 an archaeogist found a city of the cyacladic culture with minoistic influence. The 3,500 year old minoic city was preserved in the volcanic ash (like Pompeii). The ruins are well preserved. Streets, buildings, stairs and two level buildings are to be seen.

The best trave ltime for Santorini

The mains eason begins in May/June and ends at the end of September. The hote lstaff said that in May there is less acitivity (by our standards it was still a lot). In summer – June, July and August it’s really full. It’s also really hot then – too hot for sightseing. If you just want to go to the beach you can do so during this time, but if you plan a little sightseeing, you should come earlier. May was perfect for us. In the evening you will need long pants and a vest, because it can get windy and cold.

Costs on Santorini

If you’re visiting in the main season and you want a beautiful and luxurious hotel with your own pool, you’d maybe pay 350-400 Euro at least per Night/Room. If you book an apartment you can get one for 80 Euro per night.

Taxis on the island: The taxi costs are relatively high if you compare it to renting a car, although the island is tiny. If you take a taxi from the airport to our hotel, (ca. 17km, 30 min.) you have to pay about 20 euros each time.

Costs for a rental car: Rental cars are relatively cheap, because you only need a tiny car. We had a Smart Car. Every other car there is a Smart Car. The streets are very narrow, so it’s perfect. We only paid 80€ for a whole week.

Costs for Ferries: If you stay on another island and just come to visit Santorini, you have to pay 30-50 Euro. You can also book the ticket online.

The food is relatively expensive, especially at the cliff side, because there are a lot of tourists. If you’re on the main street or on the other side of the island, it will be much cheaper, but still good. You’ll pay 19-23 Euro for seafood pasta.

As mentioned above, you can get a rental car for little money. Be flexible and you can save money. The local bus is not really super cheap. The cheapest option is a rental car. For 80€ a week.

Since Oia is a tourist magnet, the prices are really high. It’s much cheaper in the other cities. We found a nice tavern on the main street where you can eat very well for 20€.

The most expensive restaurants are up in the cliffs. Try find one on the main street.

Nearly every restaurant/bar has info about their Happy Hour. That means at a certain time you get the food and beverages for a cheaper price.