Port guide: Santorini, Greece

Stunning natural beauty meets whitewashed villages on this Greek island, but it also has culture and soul if you know where to look.

Who goes there

Santorini is a staple of eastern Mediterranean cruises, and those that concentrate on the Greek islands and adjacent Turkish coastline. Everybody goes there, from the world’s largest cruise ships to smaller luxury vessels and expedition ships, so you can see Santorini in whatever style and on whatever budget you choose.

Sail on in

You’d be mad to miss this arrival. Santorini is one of the world’s most spectacular islands, created by a huge volcanic eruption around 1600 BCE. You sail into an enormous sunken caldera and see cliffs banded in red rock rise around you. Whitewashed villages with blue-domed churches cling to the cliff edges above. The departure, often timed for sunset, is even better as the cliffs turn orange and red as if set on fire.

Berth rites

Cruise ships can’t dock, instead anchoring in the caldera. You’ll be tendered ashore either to Athinios if you’re on an organised shore excursion or, if disembarking individually, to Old Port below Fira. From Old Port it’s a hot 587 steps to the village at the summit of the cliffs, or a three-minute cable car ride – although you could be in the queue for far longer, something to be aware of on the return at boarding time. Donkeys and mules also carry passengers, but this is discouraged by animal-welfare groups.

Going ashore

In Fira and adjacent Oia the views are dazzling, and your camera will get a fierce workout. Santorini has more than just looks, however. You can see Minoan pottery and frescoes dating back 4000 years at the Museum of Pre-Historic Thira, and ninth-century BCE tombs, Roman baths and Byzantine churches at archaeological site Ancient Thira, where the landscape falls away on three sides to the sea. Inland, fertile volcanic soils provide soft landscapes of silvery olive trees and neatly pegged vineyards that produce sweet amber-coloured and dry white wines.

Don’t miss

Pretty villages lie scattered across the island. Pirgos is a steep maze of lanes and squares crowned by a fort built by the Venetians, while Episkopi Gonias has an 11th-century Byzantine church, where wonderfully preserved sloe-eyed saints peer from the walls in gold and green.

Get active

The 10-kilometre walk between Oia and Fira skirts cliffs and provides fabulous, plunging views. The island has dozens of other hiking trails, one of which takes you to Imerovigli, one of the island’s most elevated spot, with cliffs 360 metres high. Tranquil Skaros, where a little chapel and ruined castle sit on a promontory, is another worthy hiking destination. The less uplifted side of the island has various beaches, of which black-sand Kamari Beach is best for water sports.

Best bites

Restaurant 1800 uses the island’s best ingredients, such as wild capers, honey and various cheeses, and fuses the flavours. It’s housed in a former sea captain’s residence, with a rooftop terrace wedged between two church domes, from which the view is as impressive as the champagne risotto with scallops and white truffle oil. Alternatively, Selene adds vineyards to the view as you tuck into sea bass, smoked quail or sea urchin salad. Save room for the pistachio baklava.

Further afield

You might want to explore landscapes elsewhere on the island, such as dramatic Black Sand Beach, the rugged lava islands of Palia Kameni and Nea Kameni, or Santorini’s highest point at Prophet Elias Monastery. Regulars on organised shore excursions include cellar doors, cooking classes and various charming villages crammed with tavernas, cafes and chic boutiques.

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.