The South — Beaches, Akrotiri & Wine Route

The archaeological site of Akrotiri (Ακρωτήρι) is one of Europe's most significant archaeological sites — a Minoan city from the Bronze Age, buried around 1600 BC by the catastrophic volcanic eruption under meters of ash and pumice, thus preserved in an astonishing state. Like Pompeii — but 1,500 years older.

What archaeologists have uncovered since 1967 is breathtaking: multi-story houses (up to three floors), paved streets, a drainage system, warehouses with huge pithoi (storage jars), and — most sensationally — colorful wall frescoes of astonishing artistry: boxing boys, blue monkeys, antelopes, a fleet procession, and the famous "Spring" (a landscape with swallows and lilies). The originals are on display at the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira.

Visit: The excavation is covered (modern protective roof from 2012), allowing you to visit comfortably even in heat or rain. Elevated walkways lead through the ancient streets and houses. An audio guide or guided tour is highly recommended — without context, the ruins are difficult to interpret. Admission: 12€ (combined ticket with the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira: 14€). Open: Tue–Sun 8:00–15:30 (often until 20:00 in summer). Closed on Mondays.

Historical context: Akrotiri was part of the Minoan trade network, connecting Crete with Egypt, the Levant, and the entire Aegean. The city was apparently wealthy and cosmopolitan. Remarkably, no human remains have been found — the inhabitants apparently had enough warning (earthquakes, ash clouds) to evacuate the city before the main eruption buried it under 60 meters of ash.

Santorini's beaches are not classic sandy beaches — they are geological wonder chambers of volcanic rock, found nowhere else in this form.

Red Beach (Kokkini Paralia)

The most famous beach of Santorini: Dramatic, rust-red lava cliffs plunge into deep blue sea, at the base a narrow strip of red and black volcanic pebbles. The color play is surreal — red, black, blue, white in one glance. The beach is right next to Akrotiri (5-minute walk from the parking lot). Warning: The access path leads past unstable cliffs — there have been rockfall accidents. Use the official path! Alternatively accessible by boat from Akrotiri or Perissa. Sun loungers available (10€), little shade.

White Beach (Aspri Paralia)

Accessible only by boat (from Red Beach, 5€ water taxi), White Beach lies in a small bay between white pumice stone walls. Smaller, quieter, and more exclusive than Red Beach — ideal for snorkelers. No infrastructure, bring water and snacks.

Vlychada Beach

Santorini's moon landscape: Bizarre, wind and sea-shaped white pumice stone cliffs that rise like sculptures above the beach. The black sand is fine, the beach long and usually quiet. Here lies the small Vlychada Marina with some fish taverns. Vlychada is Santorini's most photogenic beach secret — much less visited than Perissa or Red Beach, but visually more spectacular.

Perissa (Περίσσα) and Perivolos (Περίβολος) together form Santorini's longest and most popular beach: kilometer after kilometer of jet-black volcanic sand, lined with beach bars, taverns, sun loungers, and — at the southern end of Perivolos — a party atmosphere that lasts into the night.

Perissa is the northern, more family-friendly part: wide, well-organized, with lifeguards, water sports (jetski, banana boat, parasailing), and a promenade full of restaurants and cafes. At the northern end rises the mighty Mesa Vouno (rock mountain, 396 m), on whose summit lie the ruins of ancient Thera — accessible via a steep hiking trail (about 45 minutes). The ruins of the Greco-Roman city (founded in the 9th century BC) offer a fantastic view of both sides of the island.

Perivolos seamlessly merges into Perissa and is Santorini's beach-life center: Here, the best beach bars line up (JoJo Beach, Wet Stories, Chilli Beach) with music, cocktails, and lounge atmosphere. In the evening, Perivolos becomes an open-air club — the more relaxed, cheaper alternative to nightlife in Fira.

Accommodation Tip: Perissa and Perivolos are the cheapest accommodation options on Santorini — guesthouses and studios from 30–50€ per night, significantly less than at the Caldera. By bus (line Fira–Perissa, every 30 minutes, 2.40€) or scooter, you are in Fira in 20 minutes or in Oia in 40 minutes. The perfect compromise: beach vacation by day, Caldera sunset by evening.

Santorini is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world — wine has been cultivated here for over 3,500 years, and the volcanic soil produces grapes that create wines of distinctive character. The island has over 15 wineries, mostly in the central and southern parts, and a unique cultivation method found nowhere else in the world: the Kouloura.

The Kouloura Method

In Santorini, there are no vines in the conventional sense. Instead, the vines are woven into basket-like wreaths (Kouloures) on the ground, inside which the grapes ripen protected from the strong Meltemi wind and the scorching sun. This method is over 3,000 years old and unique worldwide. Some vines on Santorini are over 200 years old — the phylloxera, which devastated Europe's vineyards in the 19th century, never reached Santorini (the volcanic soil offered no breeding ground).

The Wines

• Assyrtiko: Santorini's star wine and one of Greece's best white wines. Bone-dry, mineral (the volcanic soil!), with crisp acidity and aromas of citrus, flint, and salinity. Perfect with seafood. Now grown throughout Greece, but Santorini Assyrtiko remains unmatched.
• Nykteri: A barrel-aged white wine from Assyrtiko grapes harvested at night (hence the name: nykta = night). Fuller-bodied and more complex than the classic Assyrtiko, with notes of honey and dried fruits.
• Vinsanto: Santorini's famous sweet wine — not to be confused with the Italian Vin Santo. Made from sun-dried Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes, aged for years in oak barrels. Amber-colored, with aromas of caramel, dates, and orange peel. A legendary dessert drink.

The Best Wineries

• Santo Wines (Pyrgos): Cooperative winery with Santorini's most spectacular terrace — wine tasting with Caldera panorama. Tasting from 15€ for 3 wines.
• Venetsanos Winery (Megalochori): Historic winery in the Caldera cliffs, restored, with excellent wines and breathtaking views. Tasting from 18€.
• Estate Argyros (Episkopi): One of the oldest wineries (since 1903), known for the best Assyrtiko and Vinsanto on the island. Tasting from 12€.
• Gavalas Winery (Megalochori): Family winery in the fourth generation, specializing in rare indigenous grape varieties. Personal and authentic.

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.