Vlychada beach Santorini: a hidden gem you will love

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Are you looking to visit Vlychada beach during your next trip to Santorini Island? This Vlychada beach complete guide will help you navigate how to get to Vlichada beach, what to do in Vlychada and everything else you need to know about this unique beach in Santorini. Santorini is one of the best Greek Islands for romance and Vlychada beach is one of the best beaches on the island for couples!

Vlychada beach is often overlooked by tourists who prioritise more well-known beaches such as Red beach. However, Vlychada, also know as Paralia Vlychada, is one of the best beaches in Santorini. From the black sand to the tall carved cliffs in the backdrop, Santorini Vlychada beach is a nature hidden gem that you do not want to miss!

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How to get to Vlychada beach ?

Paralia Vlichada is located on the south side of Santorini Island in Greece. Santorini Vlychada beach is very easily accessible either by car, bus or tourist train.

Vlychada beach Santorini by bus

From Santorini ferry port or Santorini airport,you will need to reach Fira Central bus station to take Vlychada beach Santorini bus. You can check Santorini official bus schedule on KTEL. The route from Fira to Vlychada costs about €2,40 per person. 

Insider Tip: The bus doesn’t always stop at every stop. When getting on the bus, ask the driver to drop you off at Vlichada beach to let him know he needs to stop there. 

Vlychada beach by car

You can also reach Vlychada by car. The road to Vlychada is in good conditions so it is safe to drive there with a rental car. When you arrive at the beach, you will be able to park next to the chimney of the tomato museum. Vlychada beach parking is free. 

Vlychada is located a short 20 minute drive south from Fira and an 11 minute drive from Perissa. It takes about 40 minutes to reach Vlichada beach from Oia. 

Vlychada beach by tourist train

During the summer, a tourist train is operated around the island. To get to Vlichada beach, you can take the tourist train at Perissa bus station and ask to be dropped at Vlichada beach. You will recognise the tourist train at its blue and white colours. A return ticket costs €8 and is valid for 4 hours. The company that operates the train is called DNG travel and the train operates from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm.

Vlychada beach by kayak or canoe

It is possible to kayak or canoe to Vlychada. With this 6 hour tour, you will discover Santorini’s caves, paddle along the coastline of Akrotiri and more. A picnic is also included.

Budget: €95 per person 

Insider Tip: A number of tourists have complained that after waiting for two hours in late August, the train never came due to a shortage of drivers. Before planning to use the train, check that the train is operating. It is possible that the train stops before the end of the season if the number of tourists isn’t high enough. 

Our Experience getting to the beach of Vlychada Santorini: We rented a car on Santorini Island and drove to Vlychada beach. The road was easy to drive and in good conditions. Parking was easy to find as well. However, we did take the bus during our week on Paros Island and really liked it. The bus system was reliable and easy to navigate. So if you are on a strict transportation budget, taking the bus to Vlychada is a good idea. 

Why visit Santorini Vlychada beach? 

Santorini Vlychada beach is one of the most unique beaches on the island. It is often overlooked by tourists who prefer visiting Red Beach or Kamari beach. However, Vlychada is one of the most impressive beaches in Santorini. 

Vlychada beach, a unique beach

Paralia Vlychada is a beach with two main features that make it unique. It is a black sand beach overlooked by really tall cliffs that have been carved by the wind and the sea. The surrounding rock formations are like canyons that come together to create those cliffs. The landscape is quite incredible!

Paralia Vlichada, a quiet beach

Vlychada beach is also one of those beaches in Santorini that people don’t visit either because they don’t have enough time on the island or because they prioritise other beaches that are better known. This means Vlichada beach remains relatively quiet and not crowded. You will find space on the beach easily and will not be fighting for a spot like you might be on Red beach. It also means that you will find parking easily. 

Paralia Vlychada, an organised beach

Santorini Vlychada is only partially organised with a beach bar and some sunbeds. Although the beach is well isolated and quiet, you can still have a drink with a dreamy view without the loudness of party beach clubs!

Santorini Vlychada, a historically interesting area

Although Santorini Vlychada offers a beautiful landscape and is the perfect place to relax and take in the Greek sun, it is also located in an area, full of history and fun visits. Activities feature, visiting the Vlychada Marina, Santorini tomato museum and eating at a local taverna. 

Vlychada, a black sand beach in Santorini

As mentioned, Vlychada beach is one of Santorini’s black sand beaches and probably one of the best black sand beaches in Greece. The beach is about 4 km long giving you plenty of space to lay down your beach towel or to go for a walk along the water.

The sand at Vlychada is black. This is because Paralia Vlychada is a volcanic beach. In around 1600 BCE, there was a volcanic eruption on Santorini called the Minoan eruption. Back then, the island looked slightly different. When the volcano erupted, it produced volcanic ash, lava and pumice which covered the beaches. This is all mixed with the sand now, which gives the sand this black colour. Santorini later became one of the top destinations for black sand beaches.

Vlychada beach in Santorini is now a mix of black sand and black or dark coloured pebbles. When you get closer to the carved rock formations, the sand becomes whiter as it brittles from the light coloured cliffs. The sand on Vlychada is quite hot in the summer and could easily burn your feet so make sure you have appropriate scandals to walk on the sand!

Vlychada beach, unique rock formations carved by nature

Of course, one of the main features of Vlychada beach is the surrounding rock formations. Due to the stunning rock formations, Vlichada beach has been nicknamed the “moon beach” or referred to as the lunar landscape, similarly to its cousin beach Sarakiniko in Milos. Given we are not on the moon (yet), the cliffs have been carved from a natural process and the work of the wind, the sea and the volcano eruption. 

When on Vlychada beach, I highly recommend that you explore the carved cliffs. When taking a closer look, you will notice how brittle the cliffs are. They crumble as soon as you put a little bit of pressure on them, yet they still stand tall overlooking the beach. You’ll also notice all the small canyons carved into the rock formations. It’s quite a spectacle. Some are quite deep and you can explore them a bit further while others are just on the surface. 

When approaching the canyons, make sure to wear flip-flops as the sand get really hot in the summer to the point that it could burn your feet. Those cliffs are definitely the perfect background for your holiday photos!

Vlychada beach bar: two options at Vlychada

Vlychada beach features its own Vlychada beach bar at the start of the beach. There, you can rent a sunbed with an umbrella, order food, drinks or even cocktails. The beach bar also offers access to washrooms. This is more of laid-back day time beach bar. The beach bar is located right by the parking lot on the beach and you will need to pass it to access the rest of Vlichada beach. 

On the other end of the beach, there is a different beach bar which is also open at night, called Theros Wave Bar. To reach Theros Wave Bar, you will need to drive and follow the signs to Eros beach to reach the right side of the beach. At Theros Wave beach bar, you can also rent sun beds with umbrellas, and order drinks and foods to be enjoyed on the deck or on the beach. However, the bar also features professional massage services! The bar also hosts events, parties and weddings. 

Swimming at Vlychada beach

The water at Vlychada beach can differ depending of the section of the beach you’re one. Parts of the water at Vlychada is shallow and clear while other parts are deep and darker. Of course, it’s a great place to swim and look at the stunning backdrop of cliffs and canyons at the same time! That said, it isn’t the best place to snorkel. It is however, a good beach fo water sports!

Santorini horse riding at Vlychada beach

From experience, I can assure you that riding a horse on a dreamy beach is an incredible experience. Horses are very gentle and communicative animals and it’s honestly always a pleasure to ride them on the beach, even as a beginner. 

In Santorini, you can explore Vlychada beach and Eros beach from a whole new perspective by riding a horse on the beach. You’ll be able to admire the views on the canyons from atop a horse while following your guide for an hour and a half. This private or in small group horse riding trip at Vlychada beach is the perfect romantic activity for couples visiting Santorini. 

Budget: €80 per person for an hour and a half riding. We recommend wearing shorts or pants and bringing comfortable shoes. Wear sunscreen and a hat!

Hiking from Vlychada to Akrotiri 

Vlychada is also the perfect place to hike, especially if you are visiting off season. It is still possible to do this hike in the summer but trust me, you might not feel as motivated when you realize how hot it is there in the middle of summer. The hike takes you on a 5.2km long journey on the beach, on a path and then on a dirt road. It starts on the beach and takes you all the way to Akrotiri, an archeological site rich in history. 

The tomato industrial museum at Vlychada

The tomato industrial museum is certainly one of the most interesting yet surprising visit you can do while at Vlychada beach. Tomatoes are a local and traditional product from Santorini. It is therefore not surprising to find a former tomato factory near Vlichada beach.

The tomato industrial museum shares the history of the former Nomikos factory which, was producing tomatoes and canned tomato sauce since the 19th century before being closed. The tomatoes were grown here following traditional methods of cultivation and production of tomatoes. The factory used its natural environment to grow tomatoes. in particular, the moisture was trapped by the soft volcanic soil allowing tomatoes to grow. 

Tours of the museum include a guided tour, a history video and tomato sauce tasting at the end. The tomato museum is open from 10am to 6pm everyday except on Mondays

Budget: Admission tickets cost €10

Vlychada Marina Santorini

Vlychada port is another area of Vlychada that you should visit. Actually, if you take the tourist train, this might be where you get dropped off. I’ve read some reviews of tourists who completely missed out on the actually beach because they thought the marina was all there was to see. Don’t make the same mistake and make sure to explore the entire Vlychada area. 

Vlychada port Santorini features a Sailing and Yachting centre where you can see several small yachts and fishing boats in the port. 

Vlychada Marina is also where the catamaran tour departs from to sail along the south coast of Santorini. The catamaran tour takes you along red beach, white beach and to the centre of the caldera.

At Vlychada beach marina, you will also find a number of local taverns which offer fresh seafood.

The so-called Vlychada beach Santorini gay section

Vlychada beach is famous for “being a gay beach”. I’m not exactly sure this is the proper term for it as it seems it is more of a nudist beach than anything else. In any cases, only one section at the very end of the beach is nudist. Note that that section remains open to anyone and you don’t have to be a nudist to access it. 

Describe Vlychada beach 

When arriving at Vlychada beach, you will notice that the area is split in two separate sides. On your left, you will find Vlychada port and marina with restaurants and hotels. On your right, you will find the tomato industrial museum along with Vlychada beach bar and Vlychada beach itself. At the end of Vlychada beach, you will find Vlychada’s the beach bar Theros Wave bar. The parking lot is right next to the bus stop on the right. 

Where to eat at Vlychada beach Santorini?

There are several places where you can eat at Vlychada beach if you don’t want to bring your own food. I have listed them below. 

• Vlychada beach bar
• Theros Wave bar at the other end of the beach
• Meroula Restaurant
• Taverna Dimitris Vlichada
• To Psaraki 

Vlychada beach practical information

In this section, we have included practical information on Vlychada Santorini so you can get the best out of your visit.

• Watershoes: As the beach is partly made of pebbles, we recommend bringing watersheds to protect your feet and make it easier to walk into the water. 
• Umbrella: Unless you plan on renting sunbeds, we would recommend bringing an umbrella. You can buy one in any of the villages for about €10 and bring it with you everywhere you go. The sun shines strong and it’s honestly impossible to sit in the sun in the middle of the day without getting a heat stroke.
• Sunscreen: As explained, the sun shines really strong even during shoulder season so we would recommend wearing lots of sunscreen.
• Water and food: Unless you plan on eating at the beach bar or at one of the restaurants in the Vlychada marina, you’ll need to bring your own food and drinks.
• Access to the beach: There is a wooden path on the sand in the beach bar section which make sit a bit easier to access the beach.
• A book: There is absolutely nothing like reading a good book at one of the most perfect beaches on earth!

Things to do near Vlychada beach Santorini

Although Vlychada beach feels isolated in the south of the island, there is actually quite a bit to do around it! 

Pyrgos Village

Pyrgos village was one of the places we loved the most in Santorini. Pyrgos is located in the centre of the island, only 15 minutes from Vlychada beach. The main attraction in Pyrgos is the castle and the 360° view it provides on the island. Our detailed Pyrgos village guide will tell you everything you need to know about Pyrgos. 

Akrotiri

Akrotiri is an archeological site located 11 minutes west of Vlychada beach. The site features the ruined city of Akrotiri which was destroyed by the volcanic eruption. At the site, you can walk the walkways to discover the ruins, pots, and remains of the city. The site is open everyday from 8am to 8pm.

Budget: Admission is €12.

Eros Beach Santorini

Eros beach is the neighbouring beach to Vlychada beach. Actually, if you decide to visit There Wave bar, you will also be able to check out Eros beach. The views on Eros beach are similar to those on Vlichada beach.

Agios Georgios Beach

Agios Georgios beach is located on the east of Vlychada beach. Although it is also covered in black sand, the beach looks a lot different as it is not overlooked by any cliffs. The beach is also organised and easily accessible. 

Perissa

Located only 10 minutes from Vlychada, Perissa is one of the touristy towns on Santorini. It is easily recognisable by the backdrop of mountains and the lava rock formations falling into the water. It’s a great place to visit at the end of the day to grab a drink or walk around. 

Are you looking for more destinations in Greece? Check out the following posts on some of the best islands in Greece:

• the best beaches on Paros Island
• the best beaches in Milos, Greece
• Kleftiko, Milos: a unique beach in Greece

Any questions on Vlychada beach? Drop them in the comments or on insta and we will get back to you asap.