Santorini is one of the most photographed places on earth. The blue-domed churches, whitewashed cubic houses cascading down the caldera cliffs, and the Aegean Sea glittering thousands of feet below: the image is immediately recognizable, has appeared on more screensavers than any other landscape, and turns out — when you are standing there in person — to be even more stunning than the photographs suggest. Photographs cannot capture the scale of the caldera, the quality of the light, or the vertigo of standing at the cliff edge with the sea directly below.
As a Virgin Voyages port call, Santorini comes with logistical considerations that matter more here than at most destinations. Plan accordingly.
Getting Ashore
Virgin Voyages ships anchor in the caldera and tender to the port at Skala Fira. From the tender dock, you reach the clifftop town of Fira either by cable car (fast, the preferred option), by donkey (a traditional but increasingly controversial choice for animal welfare reasons), or by foot via the 580 stone steps of the zigzag path. The cable car is the practical choice for most Sailors. It operates frequently and the wait is manageable except at peak tender times.
Oia and Fira
Oia: The village at the northern tip of the caldera’s rim, and the location of the iconic blue-domed churches and postcard-perfect sunset views. Oia is approximately a 45-minute walk or short taxi ride from Fira. The sunset at Oia is genuinely world-famous and the clifftop fills with photographers and viewers every evening. The village itself, with its cave houses, jewelry boutiques, and restaurants cut into the cliff face, is beautiful in the morning before the crowds build.
Fira: The capital, perched at the caldera’s rim with panoramic views, restaurants, and shopping. More developed and touristy than Oia but convenient and well-organized. The Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera provide context for Santorini’s extraordinary volcanic and ancient history.
Beaches
Santorini’s beaches are volcanic rather than white sand — the most distinctive is Red Beach, with dramatic red volcanic cliffs, and Black Beach (Perissa and Perivolos), with fine black volcanic sand. They are unlike any beaches you’ll encounter elsewhere in the Mediterranean and worth experiencing specifically for their geological character.
Wine
Santorini produces one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive wines from the Assyrtiko grape, grown in low-slung basket-shaped vines that protect the grapes from the island’s fierce winds. The volcanic soil imparts a minerality that makes Santorini Assyrtiko immediately recognizable. Winery visits at Santo Wines or Domaine Sigalas, both with caldera views, are among the best Shore Things available on the island.
Insider Tips from Joel and Erin
- Go to Oia early. Oia at 8am, before the day-tripper buses arrive from the island’s hotels, is a completely different experience from Oia at 11am. The same streets, the same views, a fraction of the crowds.
- Book the winery Shore Thing. A caldera-view winery tasting of Assyrtiko is one of the finest Virgin Voyages Shore Thing experiences in all of Europe. Don’t miss it.
- Cable car, not donkeys. The donkey ride up the caldera steps has faced animal welfare criticism for years. The cable car is faster, kinder, and the view is the same.
Ready to Sail?
As certified First Mates, Joel and Erin can help you find the right Virgin Voyages Greek Islands sailing and plan your Santorini day from caldera to sunset.
Book your Virgin Voyages Mediterranean cruise at CruisePlanner.pro — and stand on the edge of the most beautiful caldera in the world
