Santorini is an icon of the Greek Islands and deservedly so. With its whitewashed villages and distinctive blue domes perched on a cliff top overlooking a caldera – there is literally nowhere else on earth like it.
Add to that some spellbinding sunsets, unique accommodation and delicious wine and you have yourself one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
But is it still possible to enjoy Santorini despite the crowds it pulls in? I think so. Not only that but it’s pretty easy to escape them if you know how to.
If you’re dreaming of a stress-free trip to Santorini this summer, read on for our secrets to escaping the crowds and enjoying all this astonishing island in the Cyclades has to offer.
Map of our Santorini recommendations
Top tips for avoiding crowds in Santorini
Drive to quiet villages
Undoubtedly the best thing we did to escape crowds while staying in Santorini was hiring a car for 2 days. It cost us €50 per day to hire a car in Oia, but as we arranged to return it at the airport we saved paying for an airport transfer.
(I am very grateful that my husband is not afraid of driving in Europe and that after about 10 trips to Greece where we’ve hired a car he is now used to Greek roads! Driving in Santorini was actually easier than we anticipated. Aside from the notoriously hairy road down to the port – which we did in a taxi – the roads on Santorini are pretty straight and much less scary to drive than some we’ve encountered in north-east Corfu, for example!)
There’s actually loads to see and do in Santorini with your own wheels but we decided to focus on quiet villages and ancient ruins.
5 quiet villages in Santorini most tourists miss:
1. Megalochori
2. Pyrgos
3. Emporio
4. Mesaria
5. Akrotiri
Our first stop was Megalochori, a charming village that is a labyrinth of whitewashed buildings, blue domes and a distinctive bell tower. We arrived there around 11am in late July and honestly for the first 30 minutes we didn’t see a single other tourist!
We loved wandering around in peace, exploring an ancient cave dwelling and a few cute boutiques, and grabbing an ice cream from Mr Scoop.
Next we headed to the archaeological site at Akrotiri, which was a stop my son requested. The ruins of this prehistoric Minoan city are considered Greece’s answer to Pompeii, except they are a lot smaller and undercover so much easier to explore with little ones.
You can book timed tickets online in advance if you have fixed plans or just pay on the day, which is what we did.
Our final stop for the day was Pyrgos, which is a quiet traditional village perched on the highest point of Santorini. Built around a Venetian Castle, Pyrgos is known for its sunset views and places like Franco’s Café and Penelope’s Ouzeri are iconic spot for drinks with a view.
We had a late lunch at Brusco, a modern wine bar and deli, and it was the perfect place to refuel before climbing up to the castle and exploring the souvenir stores lining the winding streets.
Stay in Firostefani
For our first few nights in Santorini we based ourselves in Firostefani, which is a laidback village perched on the clifftop inbetween Fira and Imerovigli .
Not only is Firostefani conveniently placed 15 mins from the airport and 20 mins from the port, but it has everything you need from boutique hotels to blue domes, trendy cafes and caldera views, without the crowds of Oia.
Top tip: We booked our airport transfer with booking.com. The hotel quoted us €50 for the 15 minute transfer but we paid only £23 through the booking.com app. The drivers' details were sent to us in advance and he was waiting for us at the airport upon arrival.
Note: Uber operates in Santorini, but it functions exclusively as a booking platform for local licensed taxis of which there are a very limited number, so they are hard to book and often very expensive. It is available for airport/port transfers and getting around the island, but expect high, surge-priced rates, often starting around €36+ for short trips.
Our highlights included brunch at Galini Café, dinner at Mama Thira Tavern, the outdoor cinema at Volkan on the Rocks and the beautiful photo spot at the Three Bells of Fira Viewpoint.
After much relentless research into where to stay in Firostefani I found the unicorn I’d been seeking in Belvedere Suites, which is a stylish boutique hotel with infinity pool and family rooms.
We loved that literally within an hour of landing at Santorini Airport we had checked into our junior suite with sea view and were enjoying a cold beer from the pool bar.
Breakfast here was fab – you are provided with an a la carte menu and can order as many items as you please, to be enjoyed by the pool or on a terrace overlooking the sea.
We were really blown away by the sunset views too. Everyone talks about sunset in Oia and, while it was incredible to watch the old windmills of Oia turn golden alongside the buzzing crowds later in the week, it was also pretty magic watching the sun dip into the ocean while enjoying a glass of bubbles on our balcony in Firostefani.
The staff at Belvedere Suites were also wonderful at helping us arrange our transfer to the port, as well as providing porters to help get our luggage to the taxi. Belvedere Suites is only a short walk from the parking area in Firostefani but we appreciated the help up the stairs!
More amazing places to stay in Santorini:
Rocabella Santorini Hotel & Spa
Terracotta Cave House
Vedema Resort
Vino Houses Santorini
Sandblu Resort
Stay in a cave house in Oia
You might be thinking why are you directly contradicting the above paragraph and recommending staying in Oia but, hear me out, because we also discovered that one of the best ways to avoid the crowds in Oia is, in fact, to stay in Oia.
Last summer when we decided to visit Paros we found the easiest and cheapest way to do it was to fly to Santorini and take the ferry. Firostefani was the perfect base for our first couple of nights as it gave us a taste of Santorini but was an easy drive to the port when it was time to leave.
On our return from Paros we decided to add some additional days in Santorini onto the itinerary and I had my heart set on staying in a traditional cave house in Oia. I wasn’t sure what to expect because tiny homes perched on a cliff in one of Europe’s most popular spots doesn’t sound relaxing on the face of it but our stay at Pano Meria Cave House exceeded all expectations.
Situated in the heart of Oia, this beautifully restored cave house has a private plunge pool and terrace with caldera views I have always dreamed of.
Located at the end of lane, 2 flights of stairs below main street, it felt peaceful and private but was close to all that Oia has to offer, including show-stopping sunset views from Oia Castle just around the corner.
While Oia can get overrun with day-trippers and cruise ship passengers during peak hours it is remarkably peaceful in the early morning and significantly quieter after sunset.
It felt like a real privilege to wake up here before the first busloads of people arrived and, as explained above, it was really easy to hop in a car and explore quieter corners of the island while Oia was at its busiest.
I’ve written a full review of our stay at the Cave House here but, priced at around a third cheaper than the luxury hotels in this area, I think it’s fantastic value for the location and experience, especially with the extra touches like fresh bread delivered daily.
It was a bucket list experience for me that lived up to my expectations and then some!
Book a pool day pass
My final tip for avoiding crowds in Santorini is to book a pool day pass at a boutique resort. I absolutely love this hack that allows you to enjoy all the perks of a luxury hotel without paying for a room there and it works particularly well if you are staying in Oia and only have a plunge pool to swim in.
Our resort of choice for a pool day in Oia was the beautiful Colombo’s Beachfront. This rustic chic beachfront resort has a stylish pool, bar and sun loungers on the secluded black sand beach below it.
We spent a really chilled day here enjoying their friendly hospitality and tasty food and drink and the whole day cost us just €35. (We were only charged for what we consumed, which seems an absolute bargain considering you pay at least €45 for the sunbeds alone in Paros.)
If you’re looking for an even more indulgent experience you can also book pool day passes at 5 star resorts such as Nobu Santorini and SandBlu.
The “Nobu for The Day” package is very, very spenny at approx. €480+ for two but provides access to their adults-only infinity pool in Imerovigli, plus breakfast, lunch and a bottle of Delamonte Champagne.
A more family-friendly (and purse-friendly!) option is the SandBlu Resort near Kamari who offer a number of day use packages starting from €35 per person, which gains you access to their two pools including a kid’s pool. Day guests can also book their spa, restaurants and kids club. Email [email protected] for more info.
We absolutely loved our time in Santorini, seeing sides of the island that some visitors don’t even know exist and enjoying all the scenery that make it iconic. Let me know if you have any questions about our trip and I’d be happy to answer them.
You may also like:
Paros family holiday: What to do & where to stay
Our bucket list stay at a cave house in Santorini