Ten Adventurous Things To Do In Santorini
If you are looking for a romantic getaway with the one you love, Santorini is the place for you. It is the perfect place to relax in the sun, take in the most breathtaking views, and enjoy quality time with your partner. We had our fair share of relaxation time, but we also found that there is so much to do there as well! Zach and I were able to take the time to recharge, but also fully experience a new culture and explore the island in its entirety. Today I am sharing our top 10 activities to experience Santorini island to the fullest! Enjoy your time on my favorite Greek island!
1. AKROTIRI Lighthouse
The Akrotiri historic lighthouse is among the oldest lighthouses in Greece. Located on the southern tip of the island, Akrotiri is about a 45 minute quad drive from where we stayed in Imerovigli. We decided to hit a few places on the way to and from the lighthouse, so we made a day out of the drive. Most people visit the lighthouse for the sunset views, but we decided to go during the day to be back in town for dinner that night.
If you choose to visit the lighthouse during the day, bring some food with you and enjoy a picnic on the rocks! This was a fun day for us, so I would recommend planning some stops at some of the old ruins, the wineries or beaches along the way!
The little town we stumbled upon after our visit to the lighthouse.
2. AMMOUDI BAY
Located in Oia down a set of 300 stairs, sits the cute little port of Ammoudi Bay. This was one of our favorite places in Santorini - full of traditional taverns, fishing boats, and cliff jumping! We arrived in Oia in the early afternoon and were in Ammoudi by lunch time. We ate lunch at the Sunset Taverna, then headed around the corner to jump in the bay. Zach and I both jumped in, but Zach was the one brave enough to jump off the cliffs as I watched.
This area gets crowded, so I would recommend getting there earlier in the day or hitting this little spot up for a sunset watch!
3. Hike Skaros Rock
Skaros was one of Santorini's first fortresses built in the 15th century to protect the island from pirate attacks. Due to earthquakes of the past, all that remains of Skaros are its ruins.
The hike to Skaros Rock is about 2 miles round trip. At the top of the rock, you will be met by the most amazing views of the caldera, but getting to the top is not easily accessible for everyone. If you find scaling the rocks to be too difficult, there is a little remote chapel called Theoskepasti on the far side of the rock which is more accessible. We enjoyed the views from the top of Skaros as well as Theoskepasti. The hike itself was beautiful as it takes you down the caldera stairways and on to the hiking trail. I would recommend getting up early to beat the heat for the climb back up the hillside!
4. Watch the Sunset
Watching the sunset in Santorini is a no-brainer and its beauty is hard to miss no matter where you are on the island. I would recommend watching the sunset from a different location each night for variety! Get a spot early if you are watching from a street, and get a reservation if you are watching from a restaurant. We enjoyed sunsets from Imerovigli, Oia, Firostefani, and Fira, but our favorite views were from the streets of Firostefani!
5. Ride The Donkeys
There are multiple locations to ride donkeys in Santorini. You can book guided tours, which include longer rides from the bottom of the caldera to the top or on the trail from Oia to Imerovigli. We didn't want to book a tour or want to ride the donkeys for that long, so we decided to play it by ear.
The long, steep trip down to Ammoudi Bay was hard on Zach's knee, so when we stumbled upon 5€ donkey rides at the bottom, we took advantage of a quick ride back up to Oia. It was the perfect opportunity to get the donkey experience in we were looking for!
We got a few hard belly laughs in on the 7 minute climb up the stairs. The donkey I was riding immediately jetted toward the top, leaving Zach's donkey in the dust! It would zig zag, cut off the other people's donkeys in my group, and Zach and I weren't riding next to each other the entire time! Haha! Don't be surprised if the donkey seems to have a mind of its own. They definitely know where they are going and their owner will keep them in line if they stop to eat along the way.
6. Rent Quads
Renting a quad was one of the best decisions we made the entire trip. It was so much fun to cruise around the island on, and allowed us to see Santorini from one side to the other! Driving quads is popular on the Greek islands and the driving culture is kind of crazy, but we felt safe driving on the Santorini roads. The roads on other islands such as Mykonos were a bit more hectic, so Santorini was the perfect island to rent them! Drive with caution, take corners slow, and pull off the side of the road if cars are trying to pas you.
7. Go Wine Tasting
Santorini is known for its white grape varieties, so I would recommend visiting at least one of Santorini wineries for a tasting of their delicious white wine! We visited Santo on our drive to the lighthouse which was enough for us to get the winery experience we were wanting! Santo is located on the caldera, just outside the town of Fira. The grounds are gorgeous and the facility is huge! There are a ton of different wine tours you can book, which I would recommend if you are more of a wino than we are. Happy tasting!
8. Wander through the streets OF Oia
The streets of Oia were by far my favorite. It was so fun wandering through the alley ways to see all the different views of the caldera and iconic churches with the blue-roofs! Oia has a ton of great little shops and restaurants, so plan a full day to explore this cute little Santorini town! We loved it so much, we returned to explore three times!
9. Shop in Fira
Fira is the modern capitol of Santorini. It has a ton of shops and restaurants that are a bit cheaper than Oia, making it the perfect place to get your souvenirs and gifts to bring home! The walk from Imerovigli to Fira isn't bad at all, so we frequently walked from our hotel to eat and shop!
10. Visit a SANTORINI beach
Not all Santorini beaches are sandy or good for laying out in the sun, but you can find them if you try! We decided to randomly visit Black Beach on our way back from the Lighthouse. The beaches on this tip of the island are mostly rocks, but still beautiful in their own way! If you are looking for a sand beach instead, plan a day to visit Perissa Bay!
I hope you enjoy your time in Santorini! Let me know where you explored and what you loved about this beautiful, romantic island in the comments below!
Xo,
Aly