Santorini General Information

 

Santorini is the southernmost island of Cyclades and is located between Ios and Anafi. It is 128 nautical miles away from the port of Piraeus and 63 nautical miles away from Crete.Its size is 76 square km and the length of its shores is 69 km. The perimeter is approximately 36 nautical miles.

Thera, Therassia, Aspronisi, and the volcanoes (Palaia Kameni and Nea Kameni where the crater of the volcano exists) form the cluster of islands which is called Santorini. It is one of the most active of volcanoes in Greece.

 

The great crater formed by the volcanic eruption of around 1600 BC, adds to its distinct atmosphere: settlements are built on the edge of the crater's inner walls and not on the sea level, as in other islands. In addition, Santorini is one of the few places worldwide where architectural complexes of underground rock-hewn houses still survive inside the volcanic soil.

The Caldera and the whole cluster of the Santorini islands have been characterized as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

 

There are 14 villages and the capital on Santorini island is Fira full of motion and night life. Each one of the villages has its own character, while all together create the unique Santorini atmosphere. On the western side where the volcano is located, the sheer cliffs, 300 meters high, are multi-colored strata of black, red, grey, and brown.

Santorini Beaches
Many visitors choose Santorini Greece for its beautiful beaches, some of which have colorful sand and dramatic cliffs. The most popular Santorini beaches are White Beach and Red Beach near Akrotiri, as well as the black and grey beaches in Perissa, Kamari, Monolithos, and Perivolos. Near the town of Oia, one can spend leisurely hours at the beaches of Armeni, Ammoudi, Paradissos, Baxedes and Kolumbos, while the Santorini beaches of Pori and Vourvoulos on the northeastern coast are also lovely.

Santorini Sightseeing
Sightseeing on Santorini Island is a marvelous experience, as it offers visitors the opportunity to see monuments and ancient sites from various eras of the island’s history. Ancient Thira, an important city that dates back to the 9th century BC, is located on a hill between the villages of Perissa and Kamari. Here, visitors can admire ruins of sanctuaries, homes, an agora, a gymnasium, a theater, a graveyard, and a stoa. The Prehistoric Settlement of Akrotiri is a gem of Ancient Greece. It was literally covered in ash and lava for centuries, therefore preserving it so we can marvel at it today. The settlement of Akrotiri includes, multi-leveled houses, stone-paved streets, squares, and a very sophisticated sewage system. Many of the findings from the area are on display in the Museum of Prehistoric Santorini in Fira and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Apart from these wonderful ancient sites, we also recommend visiting the Archaeological and Folklore Museums in Fira and the Maritime Museum in Oia, admiring the sunset view from Imerovigli -  which is considered the best location on the island to ‘take in’ the view - and strolling through the quaint villages of Oia and Fira. Lastly, a boat trip to the volcanic isles located in the Caldera region, opposite Santorini, is a must.

 

Santorini Water Taxi: All of these years we are honoured to have a clientele that uses our services anytime they need us and that means all year round. If for any reason you need to go to the nearby islands without spending a fortune with the airplanes and connecting flights, if there is a strike or just not a day without a scheduled route for the ferry boat, if you wish to go one day tour to these islands and return the next day now there is a way to do it!

 

We can organize it and take you anywhere safe and fast. Paros, Naxos, Ios, Mykonos, Anafi, Sifnos, Amorgos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Rhodes, Iraklia, Sxinousa, Koyfonisi, Donousa are some of the islands we go very frequently. With 40 knots maximum speed  it makes the tour enjoyable and fun from 1 up to 10 persons. We accept cash or credit card.

 

Our mission is to provide entertaining, stimulating, and enlightening ways to see Santorini beauties while maintaining a community-conscious fleet that honours our cherished waterways. Our professional crew and staff provide the best customer service by maintaining only the highest standards for ourselves and our customers.  Enjoy the rides and our tours! 

We provide to our clients Private Boat Tours around Santorini and Private day excursions or Transfers to the nearby Cycladic islands such us Paros, Naxos, Ios, Mykonos, Anafi, Sifnos, Amorgos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Rhodes, Iraklia, Sxinousa, Koyfonisi, Donousa, etc. If it's a romantic time with your special loved one or an exciting day cruising with family or good friends that you are looking for its us! We can customize all of our tours! Contact us: santorinitourstransfers@gmail.com

 

 

SANTORINI AIRPORT

Santorini Airport, located near Kamari village and next to Monolithos area, with regular flights from Athens by Olympic Airways and, Aegean Airlines as well as charters from many European towns. Flight duration from Athens to Santorini is about 30 minutes.

 

SANTORINI PORT - ATHINIOS PORT - OLD PORT

Santorini has two ports. Athinios port that is for ferry and commercial boats and the Old port that is only for cruise ship travelers. Athinios port is located in the area of Pyrgos where there is a car access and the Old port in Fira where the only way up and down to the town is the donkeys,  the cable car or to walk although we don't recommend walking.

All those people who take a ferry boat individually from the other islands or Piraeus, it is certain that they will dock in Athinios port and they are connections from Piraeus port (Athens), Ios, Naxos, Paros, Crete, Mykonos, Tinos and Syros islands.

Please note that all cruise ships that arrive in our island dock in the open almost next to our Volcano and from there, tender boats bring the guests either to the Athinios port or to the Old port.

You basically have to options: Either take the tender boat and come out to the old port, then the cable car or donkey and reach the top of Fira where representatives are waiting for you if you have booked a private tour (Usually it doesnt take to long if you have arranged it in advance from the previous night with the cruise ship crew to give you tickets for the tenders).

Or follow an organized tour with the cruise lines, take the tender boats with thousands other people that have booked the same excursion and reach Athinios port to start your tour with the buses.

 

How To Arrive in Santorini:

You can reach Santorini Island easily by ferry boat, high speed boat or airplane from Athens and Thessaloniki:

 

Athens to Santorini:By Ferry Boat or High Speed Boat from Piraeus Port

·         Piraeus Port: Tel. +30 210 414-7800

·         Hellenic Seaways Piraeus: Tel +30 210 419-9000

·         Blue Star Ferries: +30-210-8919800

·         Super Jet: Tel. +30 210 412-1001

By Airplane from the Athens Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos"

·         Athens Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos": Tel. +30 210 353-1000

·         Olympic Airways: Tel. +30 210 966-6666 and 801-11-44444

·         Aegean Airlines: Tel. +30 210 626-1000 and 801-11-20000

From Thessaloniki to Santorini:
By Airplane from the "Macedonia" (Thessaloniki) Airport

·         "Macedonia" (Thessaloniki) Airport: Tel. +30 2310 473-212

·         Aegean Airlines Thessaloniki: Tel. +30 801-11-200000

 

 

Please feel free to ask information you need that you cant find and we will be happy to assist! 

 

Santorini Map