Megalochori & Emporio — Traditional Villages

Those seeking the authentic Santorini beyond the Caldera's glamour world will find it in the villages of the south and the island's interior — places often overlooked by travel guides but which have preserved the island's charm before mass tourism.

Megalochori

Megalochori (Μεγαλοχώρι, "Big Village") is one of Santorini's best-preserved traditional villages: narrow alleys, vaulted cave houses, wine cellars in the rock, and a central square with the church and a handful of taverns that locals also frequent. Real Santorinians still live here — winemakers, fishermen, farmers — and the atmosphere is the opposite of the touristy north. The bell tower in the village square is one of the most photographed motifs away from the Caldera.

Emporio

Emporio (Εμπορείο) was once Santorini's largest village and has one of the best-preserved fortress settlements (Kasteli) in the Cyclades: a labyrinth of narrow, covered alleys built so that pirates would get lost in them. The windmills of Emporio on the village edge are a classic Cycladic motif. In the alleys, you encounter dilapidated mansions, hidden chapels, and — if you're lucky — a grandmother laying out tomatoes to dry.

Both villages are centrally located on the island and are perfect stops on the way between the beaches and the Caldera. In Megalochori, there are excellent, affordable taverns — try the local Tomato Keftedes (Santorini tomato fritters), a specialty of the island made here from the intensely flavored cherry tomatoes of the volcanic soil.