7 (plus a secret one…) Best Beaches of Santorini

If you are looking for the Best Beaches of Santorini….look no further! Here’s the only list you need.

Black pebbles, white pebbles, gold sand, white sand, red rocks…and crystal clear turquoise waters where you can swim or relax.

I have collected the Best Beaches of Santorini (in random order)  that you definitely have to visit while on the island.

READ ALSO: Where to Stay in Santorini?

To be 100% honest with you, Santorini is not a greek island famous for its beaches, as I truly believe other greek islands (e.g. Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Naxos, Paros, Ios etc) have much better golden sand tropical beaches. If you are wondering which one is better Mykonos or Santorini , then as far as beaches are concerned, then Mykonos beaches are 100 times better.

But Santorini’s beaches have their own charm with the unique geological formations and characteristics.

READ ALSO: Best Beaches in Mykonos

REAL QUICK:

• Best Beach of Santorini: Perivolos / Perissa (basically the same long 4km beach) – also known as Black Beach

• Best Beach for Families: Kamari (with lots of amenities for kids) – also a black pebbles beach

• Most unique Beach of Santorini: Red Beach (but not ideal for swimming cause it’s very narrow and it can be very crowded)

• Best Nudist Beach of Santorini: Koloumbos

• Most Romantic Beach of Santorini: Vlychada and Eros Beach

• Best Party Beach of Santorini: Perissa / Perivolos

• Best Hotel close to a beach: Anastasia Princess (Perissa)

• Best Villa close to a beach: Eolia Villa (at Kamari)

 

Keep reading...there's more!

So…let’s see the famous Santorini beaches, shall we?

1. Red Beach

Why You Should Visit the Red Beach in Santorini

Red Beach is arguably the most famous and unique beach in Santorini. It’s pretty obvious why it is called “The Red Beach”.

The volcanic lava red rocks, pebbles and red sand that surround crystal clear waters, create an amazing scenery that you won’t find anywhere in the world.

However, it’s a very narrow beach and if you will be there in July or August expect it to be crowded. It is indeed a unique landscape with amazing colors but not a terrain for slippers…:)

Here is a great video showing the Red Beach and the path to reach it:

Where is the Red Beach in Santorini?

How can you get to the Red Beach in Santorini?

We’ll be honest with you (remember: we are giving away secrets….):

Prepare yourself for some climbing/hiking through the rocks that lead to the beach if you want to go by car.

When reaching the archaeological site of Akrotiri, turn on the right, park in front of the chapel of Agios Nikolaos and continue on foot (no slippers!!).

You can also take a boat from the archaeological site Rahidi to the Red Beach, that runs every half an hour and costs 5€. Of course, you can also take the local bus from Fira.

Where to stay if you want to be close to the Red Beach:

If you want to be close to the Red Beach in Santorini, you have to stay in Akrotiri (but to be honest there is absoulutely no reason to stay close to the Red Beach…all the buzz and the great views are at Fira, Oia, Imerovigli and Firostefani)

The Best Hotel in Akrotiri is :  Acroterra Rossa

Our Secret for the Red Beach

This is the perfect place for snorkeling !

The geological formations provide an amazing and colorful sea bottom…

BUT prepare yourself for high temperatures (especially in the summer) and it would be very wise to have lots of sun lotion, hats, plenty of water (you’d better buy a couple of frozen bottles from a mini market in the mainland because the only chance you’ll have is the canteens at the parking where the water might be a bit more expensive than usual) and also fruits (for some extra hydration!) while on the beach!

 

2. Perissa / Perivolos Beach (aka “black beach”)

Why You Should Visit the Black Beach of Santorini?

Perissa and Perivolos (Agios Georgios)  is basically the same long beach.

Perissa is basically the end of the long black sand beach of Perivolos. It’s undoubtedly the busiest and the most organised beach of Santorini.

Crystal clear waters, black pebbles, amazing atmosphere, relaxing couches, long music and sun-beds.

Perivolos is also the place to be if you want to listen live some famous DJs from all over the world, it’s the beach to play beach volleyball and definitely the place to drink some amazing cocktails by the beach.

In Perivolos you can also do all the wet-sports you can imagine (jet ski, sea-ski, sea-bananas etc). These are also the beaches where you will find the most locals, Greek tourists and even celebrities hanging out.

Here is an amazing video showing how Perissa and Perivolos beach look like:

 

Where is the Black Beach in Santorini (a.k.a Perissa or Perivolos)?

How can you get to the Black Beach (a.k.a Perivolos or Perissa)?

It’s really simple to go to Perissa and Perivolos.

It’s about 15km from Fira and there is also a regular bus service. If you have a car, just take the road to Emporio village and follow the signs!

Where to stay if you want to be close to Perissa and Perivolos Beaches:

If you want to be close to Perissa and Perivolos Beach in Santorini, you have to stay in…Perissa or Perivolos ! (which is also significantly cheaper than any other area of the island)

The Best Hotel in Perissa is :  Kouros by Meltemi Hotels 

The Best Hotel in Perivolos is: Orabel Suites Santorini

Our Secret for the Black Beach:

You can have a great full day in Perissa and Perivolos.

The place has everything you would expect to find:

Great beach bars with crazy cocktails, delicious food and some serious party atmosphere but at the same time you can also just relax on a sun-bed!

BUT be careful of the black sand…it can seriously burn your feet in the summer!

 

3. Vlychada Beach (aka “White Beach”)

Why You Should Visit the White Beach of Santorini (a.k.a Vlychada)?

Vlychada beach is a unique landscape with massive white rocks and a really relaxing atmosphere.

You won’t find any noisy beach bars or wet sports here though. The beach itself is organised with umbrellas and sun-beds (not free though…).

At the end of the beach you will notice the chimneys of an old factory (a really good spot for photography lovers…set these DSLRs on fire!)

Here is a great video showing Vlychada Beach and its raw beauty:

Where is the White Beach in Santorini?

How can you get to the White Beach in Santorini?

Take the road to Akrotiri from Fira.

Once there, you will find a sign to Vlychada (Bλυχάδα in Greek).

Unfortunately there are no buses to go there but these things change so you’d better ask some locals because they may have introduced some new bus routes.

This is not moon. It is the amazing white volcanic rock formations in Vlychada!

Where to stay if you want to be close to Vlychada White Beach:

If you want to be really close to Vlychada Beach in Santorini, you can either stay in Vlychada (which has limited hotels options to be honest) or you can stay at Emporio or Perissa/Agios Georgios:

The Best Hotel in Vlychada is: Notos Therme and Spa

The Best Hotel in Perissa/Agios Georgios (closer to Vlychada than the above option for Perissa) is: Sea Sound White Katikies

Our Secret for the White Beach in Santorini:

In Vlychada, you need to take hundreds of pictures of the amazing and unique white rock formations.

It is the perfect beach for relaxing and read a book while sunbathing…

Even though there are no fancy beach bars there is only  this one that you have to visit!

But don’t tell anybody…

 

4.Kamari Beach (a.k.a Black Beach no.2 !)

Crystal blue waters of Kamari beach

The amazing moon landscape of Vlychada beach

Why You Should Visit Kamari Beach ?

Kamari is one of the most famous and easily accessible beaches of Santorini.

It is again a pretty long beach close to the airport.

It is very well organised and pretty touristic.

You will find all sorts of beach bars, tavernas, restaurants and cafes.

Here is a great video showing Kamari Beach:

Where is Kamari Beach?

How can you get to Kamari Beach?

Follow the signs from Fira. It’s very easily accessible by car and by local bus (the local buses are called KTEL).

Where to stay if you want to be close to Kamari Beach:

If you want to be really close to Kamari Beach in Santorini, you have to stay in Kamari where there are literally hundreds of hotels options to choose from. However there are a few hotels that really stand out:

The Best Hotels in Kamari are: Santorini Crystal Blue , Cavo Bianco and Tamarix Del Mar Suites

Actually the great thing at Kamari is that you have plenty of options to book a great villa or a whole house.

The Best Villa in Kamari is: Eolia Kamari Villa  (seriously…wow!!)

Our Secret for Kamari Beach:

We have an interesting secret for you while in Kamari.

You can obviously spend the whole day at the beach drinking cocktails, relaxing, sunbathing and swimming.

But when the sun sets, you will start feeling the romance in the air and it is probably the time for you and your other half to enjoy a movie under the stars of Santorini in one of the most romantic and cosiest cinemas in the world.

Trust me on that!

You can thank me later…

 

5.Koloumbos Beach (or Columbos Beach or Kolumbo Beach)

Why You Should Visit Kolumbo Beach?

Koloumbos Beach is one of the longest, most seclusive and quiet beaches in Santorini. It is also the only nudist friendly beach in Santorini , where you can literally have a big part of the beach by yourself.

So, it’s gonna be you, the rocks, the black pebbles and the amazing blue water, as not many people actually swim at Koloumbos beach (even during the high season).

As the beach is massive, there is also a few cafes and beach bars but we cannot guarantee they will be open…

Here is a video showing the beauty of Koloumbos or Columbos (and Cambia, a nearby beach):

Where is Kolumbo Beach?

How can you get to Kolumbos Beach?

You can reach Koloumbos beach mainly by car, bike or ATV as there are no buses to take you there.

 

Where to stay if you want to be close to Kolumbos Beach:

If you want to be really close to Kolumbos Beach, then you literaly have no options, as it’s an area without any hotels. If you really want to stay close to that area you’d better stay in Oia that has hundreds of hotels options (and some of them are literally stunning…)

The Best Hotel in Oia: Canaves Oia Hotel

 

Our Secret for Kolumbo Beach:

If you literally want a massive beach for yourself or if you are interested in nudism then Koloumbos Beach is your best option!

 

6.Katharos Beach

Why You Should Visit it?

Katharos Beach is a small narrow beach with black and white pebbles under some massive white volcanic rocks. It’s a beach with wild beauty and raw charm.

Where is Katharos Beach?

How can you get to Katharos Beach?

You can reach Katharos beach mainly by car, bike or ATV from Oia (it’s a 5 mins drive) but you can even walk from Oia. It’s about 30mins walking distance from Oia.

Where to stay if you want to be close to Katharos Beach:

If you want to be really close to Katharos beach, you can actually stay in Oia (where you have hundreds of hotels options) but there is also another amazing option with stunning views to the Katharos Beach (which is really seclusive too):

The Best Hotel/Villa close to Katharos Beach: Ode Villa  (this one is also an amazing option if you want to stay in Oia but be more seclusive and away from the tourists eyes)

Our Secret for Katharos Beach:

We won’t lie to you: this is a small beach and sometimes it can be very windy. It mainly has black and white pebbles (so no sand here).

But here is the thing at Katharos Beach:

Do not forget to visit the amazing Katharos Lounge Cafe for some of the most amazing sunsets of the island !

7. Monolithos Beach

Why You Should Visit Monolithos Beach?

Monolithos is again a very long and wide beach which is pretty close to the airport (don’t worry…you won’t be disrupted by the airplanes).

It is a very kids and family-friendly beach with sunbeds and umbrellas and with a few tavernas and restaurants mainly with fresh fish. The sand at Monolithos beach is possibly the best on the island!

Where is Monolithos Beach?

How can you get to Monolithos Beach?

You can reach Monolithos beach mainly by car, bike or ATV from from Fira, Kamari or even from Pyrgos. You can also take the bus to the airport and then walk from the airport. It’s not more than 20-25 mins walking distance from the airport.

Where to stay if you want to be close to Monolithos Beach:

You don’t really have to stay at Monolithos Beach because there are other much better areas of Santorini to stay at. It’s much better to stay at Kamari, in our opinion.

The Best Hotels in Kamari are: Santorini Crystal Blue , Cavo Bianco and Tamarix Del Mar Suites

The Best Villa in Kamari is: Eolia Kamari Villa  (seriously…wow!!)

Our Secret for Monolithos Beach:

Monolithos is great for water sports. These guys here offer the best kite-surfing on the island !

I left the last “secret beach” for the end :

8. Ammoudi Bay

Why You Should Visit Ammoudi Bay?

Ammoudi is the small bay below Oia (where the donkeys path is) but it is not really a beach.

Ammoudi is more like an area of volcanic rocks by the sea.

Hands down this is the best swimming location in Santorini and the most crystal clear waters you will ever see in your life!

Here is an amazing video showing how diving from Ammoudi Bay looks like (and there is also an awesome small island that you can swim to):

Where is Ammoudi Bay?

How can you get to Ammoudi Bay?

Just follow the donkey path from Oia to the sea and restaurants level (you won’t miss it…everyone is doing that…). Once at the small port turn left and then follow the edge till you find the spot with the rocks where others dive.

Yaaaaaaaaay![/caption]

Where to stay if you want to be close to Ammoudi Bay:

You don’t really have to stay at Ammoudi as it’s literally a 10 minutes walk distance from Oia.

You can stay in Oia where you’ll have much many hotels options to choose from. However, there are 2 amazing villas very close to Ammoudi:

The Best Villa at Ammoudi Bay: Villa Kamara

The Best Villa in Oia: Domus Solis Luxury Villa

Our Secret for Ammoudi Bay:

These are the most clear sea waters you will ever see.

But after swimming you will be super hungry so your best bet would be Katina’s Fish Taverna .

The best seafood and fish of the island!

So, there are the Best Beaches of Santorini. Where will you go swimming today? 🙂

READ ALSO: Best Beaches in Mykonos

READ ALSO: Best Beach Hotels in Mykonos

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