Santorini best beaches: Santorini Travel Blog
Santorini is one of the best beaches destinations in Europe! Some of the best beaches in Greece are Santorini beaches. In this Santorini travel blog post, I share with you what I have found to be Santorini best beaches. Santorini is one of the most famous Greek islands. It is also one of the most easily accessible islands by ferry. There is no doubt that if this is your first trip in Greece, you might want to visit Santorini. Although Santorini is known for its picturesque towns such as Oia and Thira for their majestic cliffs, blue dome churches and typical streets, it is also a great island for beaches. Some of Santorini beaches are actually quite unique and would deserve to be talked about a lot more. From thin white sand and lava cliffs to black and red beaches, Santorini best beaches will surprise you one after the other!
Don’t forget to read my Santorini Travel Guide to learn about all the things to do in Santorini.You might also want to check out this blog post on Pyrgos village, a hidden gem of Santorini.
That said, if you are looking for a quieter and slightly cheaper Greek Island than Santorini, you can check out my Paros Island Travel guides:
What you need to know about Santorini best beaches
The best time of the year to go to Santorini is between May and October. But the best time to go to Santorini best beaches would be between June and the end of September. At this time of the year, the water is around 24° and the weather is sunny and warm with blue skies guaranteed. During peak summer, temperatures can easily hit 35°!
Most beaches are organised with restaurants, sunbeds and watersports. Sunbeds are usually rented for about €15. If you don’t want to rent sunbeds, I recommend buying an umbrella at a local store to bring with you to the beach. If you prefer bringing your own, have a look at this guide on the best beach umbrellas! It will get very hot on the beach and you will find very little shade during the day. I also recommend bringing sunscreen and maybe a hat with you. Don’t underestimate the Greek sun!
Santorini beaches are usually easily accessible by car with parking lots close by. Access to the beach in Greece is free and most parking are free as well. If locals are pushing for you to pay to park by their restaurants, gently decline and drive a bit more. You will usually find a free parking space not far from the beach.
Vlychada beach, Santorini best beach
One of the truest quotes about Greece is “Greece is the most magical place on Earth” and Vlychada beach definitely supports that! Vlychada beach is one of Santorini’s hidden gem. It is a unique beach in Santorini and we loved it so much, we wrote a complete detailed guide on Vlychada beach with everything you need to know to make the best out of your visit. It is located in the south of Santorini island, about 40 minutes from Oia and 25 minutes from Kamari.
It is a black beach made of very small volcanic pebbles and black sand. However, it is quite unique and impressive in the way it looks. Indeed, Vlychada beach is surrounded by extremely tall cliffs which are carved like canyons. The cliffs are carved by the work of the wind and the sea and are quite something to explore.
Check out our quotes about Greece and Santorini here to use as captions on your gorgeous photos!
Vlychada beach is located in Perivolos village and is an easily accessible beach by car. You can drive all the way down to the beach where you will find a small parking lot there. I had absolutely no issues parking there as it was not busy at all. The first few meters of Vlychada beach are occupied by sunbeds and umbrellas. But you can walk for a few meters on the path to pass that section and end up on the beach. Vlychada beach is a long strand and you will find a spot there with no doubt.
I would say that this is without a doubt Santorini’s absolute best beach. I would advise that you go there first without hesitation!
Kamari beach
If you are interested in Santorini’s nightlife, you might want to check out Kamari beach. Indeed, Kamari is a great town for nightlife with lots of restaurants, stylish hotels and tavernas all along the beach. If you want to spend the day at the beach and enjoy Santorini’s nightlife afterwards, that’s the perfect place for you.
Second, Kamari beach is a black beach. It is made of black and grey volcanic grit and pebbles. As it is a very long beach, there is also lots of room for everybody. It is also very easily accessible with a large parking lot right behind the promenade.
Kamari beach is located a few minutes driving from Santorini airport and 30 minutes from Oia.
Koloumbos beach, one of Santorini best beaches
Koloumbos beach is located on the north east coast of Santorini and is easily accessible. It is only a 12 minutes drive from Oia. There is no official parking lot so you will need to park on the side of the road and then walk down to the beach for about 15min. You can easily walk there in sandals. For information, Koloumbos beach is also a nudist beach.
Koloumbos beach (also known as Koloumpos, Colombo, Columbo, Coloumbo or Culumbus) is also quite impressive. Huge cliffs made of lava surround the beach and end into the sea. The cliffs are 47 meters tall and provide natural shade which is very nice especially in the summer. However, try to stay a bit away from the cliffs as you could end up knocked out by a falling rock. Koloumbos beach is also a black beach but the sand is quite thin.
I can testify that there are very small and inoffensive lizards roaming around (for information) and that they will be attracted by your food. Speaking about food, I would recommend bringing food and drinks as this is a wild beach and there are no shops there.
Red beach
Red beach is one of the most popular beaches of Santorini. It is located on the southside of Santorini island about 50 minutes from Oia. Its name “Red beach” comes from the cliffs that surround the beach are red. Red beach is impressive but to be honest it is not as impressive as people make it out to be. Beaches like Koloumbos beach or Vlychada beach were way more breathtaking in my opinion.
Red beach is moderately accessible. There is a parking lot by the beach, however it is quite small so I would advise to arrive early in the day. There is also quite a bit to walk to get to the beach and it can be a bit sketchy in sandals.From the parking lot, you will want to start walking towards the beach and follow the path. Be aware that this is more or less a dangerous path as rocks have been reporting falling and it is risky. There is a rope you can hang on to while going down. I recommend taking your time and wear shoes you are comfortable in.
Red beach will most likely be quite busy when you get there. In addition, the beach section is pretty narrow which does not allow a lot of people to sit there. That’s why, we decided to walk a bit along the beach and join the section with the white cliffs. We actually liked it there as it was a lot less crowded and we also had a very nice view on the cliffs, which you won’t have if decide to sit right underneath the cliffs.
Red beach is also a great beach to snorkel as the water is super clear and the sand quite white.
Perivolos beach
Perivolos beach is located in the south east of Santorini Island about 40 minutes from Oia. Don’t get tricked by locals trying to make you pay to park your car at their restaurant. There is a large parking lot just behind the beach with tons of space to park.
Perivolos beach is another black sand beach in Santorini. It is also very long and there is lots of space for everyone. In addition, there are restaurants around and you can also rent jet skis and other water games!
Now that we have gone through the best beaches in Santorini, here is what I recommend by category:
- Most romantic beach for couples: Vlychada beach
- Best nudist beach in Santorini: Koloumbos
- Red cliffs: Red beach
- Best beach for watersports and having drinks: Kamari beach
- Best beach to have food: Perivolos beach
- Best snorkeling beach: Red beach
Any questions on Santorini best beaches? Then drop them in the comments or on insta and we will get back to you asap.
— SAVE THIS POST —
Did you like this post? If you liked this post, don’t hesitate to share it!
Want to save this post? You can pin the following images on pinterest to save this post.
We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home.
We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home. With over 10 years of experience in dating and traveling to romantic places, we share our favorite date ideas and romantic destinations to help couples level up their relationships. Having lived in and traveled through the USA, we also share our favourite things to do in the States.
With 70,000 monthly readers and 16,000 followers on social media, Be Right Back is your go-to resource for romantic trip ideas and couple activities at home and abroad.