Famous for its windmills, baby-blue rooftops and stunning sunsets, Santorini boasts a dry climate and almost year-round sunshine.
The crescent-shaped Mediterranean island, 120 miles to the southeast of Greece, is the result of one of history's biggest volcanic explosions, 3,600 years ago. This eruption carved a bowl-like caldera, or crater, which forms a lagoon in the west of the island, surrounded on three sides by 980ft multicoloured cliffs.
Because of these cliffs, the majority of beaches are on the north, east and south coasts of the island. Santorini's beaches will have something for everyone. There are those with amazingly colourful backdrops and cliffs such as Red Beach and White Beach some with excellent opportunities for swimming, and some with shallower waters, for families with small children.
There are many opportunities for relaxation most beaches on Santorini have tavernas and bars, and those looking to stay active by playing sport in the sand will not be disappointed.
Lively beaches
There are plenty of beaches around Santorini with amenities and attractions galore.
Perissa beach in the southeast of Santorini has been named one of the top-ten beaches in Greece. It is a fine black-sand beach separated from close-by Kamari by the Mesa Vouno mountain, on top of which is the archaeological site Ancient Thera. The beach boasts all the usual amenities including sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars and tavernas.
To the north of Perissa is Kamari beach. One of the most well-known beaches in all of the Cyclades island group, it's very popular with tourists who come to enjoy its dark sand and clear waters. There are restaurants, shops and cafés on the coastal footpath, which is closed to vehicles in the summer.
Family friendly
If you want somewhere safe to take your little ones, there are a couple of family friendly beaches.
In the east of Santorini is the black-sand beach, Monolithos. Its shallow waters, playground, and football, basketball and beach volleyball courts mean it's great for children. There are also cafés, tavernas, mini-markets and hotels nearby.
Or there's Baxedes-Paradisos near Oia with dark sands, volcanic rock, and shallow waters, ideal for families with young children. There are also hotels and tavernas close by.
Scenic beaches
There are a myriad of beaches from where you can admire the island's dramatic volcanic scenery.
Red Beach in the south of Santorini is perhaps the most famous on Santorini for its beauty. The backdrop to the beach is a sweeping volcanic cliff, Martian in colour. Red and black pebbles lie scattered about. It can be reached by road from the village of Akrotiri, and so is near the ancient site of the same name.
Or there's Vlychada boastsing big volcanic rocks in a variety of different shapes, created over centuries by the rain and wind. As it's a lengthy beach it rarely gets crowded and you can enjoy facilities such as a beach bar, sunbeds and umbrellas, and there is a small port with tavernas. Similarly there's Karterados beach, featuring large rocks sculpted by the elements and small black pebbles.
Columbus is a quiet beach popular with nudists, in the northeast of Santorini, with red and black pebbles and a large rock for shade. There are no sunbeds or umbrellas, so visitors have to rely on the rock to cool down, or bring their own supplies. Not far to the east is the underwater volcano Culumbus, which last exploded in 1650. The crater it left is two kilometres in diameter and 500 metres deep in places.
Thermi beach has black pebbles, pumice and volcanic rock as well as geothermal springs, where there once were baths. This beach can be reached by foot by following the cobbled road and path starting close to Ta Thermi pizzeria, near Megalochori village.
Amoudi Bay is a port below Oia, in the northwest, which is highly rated for its natural beauty, and some say the best place to swim on the island. Red cliffs rise from the sea, and there are many seaside tavernas that serve fresh fish.
Pure Bliss
There are many secluded beaches where you can get some peace and quiet. You may have to work hard to find them though.
White Beach is in a cove very close to Red Beach and also has black pebbles, but as the name suggests, its cliffs are white. It's fairly small, though there are umbrellas and sunbeds, and it has large rocks, pumice stones and crystal-clear waters. The beach can be reached by path from neighbouring beach Kambia, or from Red Beach. If you get peckish, visit the small Akrotiri beach with fish tavernas and a café.
Mesa Pigadia is a beach in the south, from where you can reach White Beach through a cave. It has little white pebbles, pumice rocks, and structures built into the rock for storing fishermen's boats, which have colourful doors, as does Vourvoulos, a black-pebbled beach northeast of capital Fira. Both have sun loungers, umbrellas and tavernas. Try Taverna Mesa Pigadia at the beach of the same name.
If you like your beaches private there's the small Armeni beach near Oia with crystalline waters. It's difficult to access but can be reached by boat. Or there's Almyra, a secluded beach whose cliffs are dotted in circular craters and can be accessed using a small road starting near Akrotiri village. The isolated Plaka beach, near Megalochori village can be reached by travelling downhill for quite some time past the Virgin Mary of Plaka church and the former baths.
Watersports
The popular Perivolos beach is a long, black sand beach to the south of Perissa. Wave Sports water sports centre offers scuba diving, jet skiing, parasailing, windsurfing, canoeing and SUP. Aside from water sports beachgoers can enjoy volleyball, cafes, bars, tavernas and ouzeries small tavernas serving ouzo and snacks.
The previously mentioned Perissa Beach is great for water sports. The Wave Sports water sports centre based here too and there's also the Santorini Waterpark nearby which has three swimming pools and three slides, two of which are specially designed for children, and a café and restaurant.
Kamari Beach is ideal for water sports. Seek out FBI Water Sports and you can enjoy of range of activities including waterskiing wakeboarding, kneeboarding, banana boat rides and kite boarding. If you're in search of wind-based water sports, visit the pebbly Avis beach south of Monolithos, which gets quite windy so it's an excellent spot for windsurfing.