Things to Do in Santorini, Greece

Santorini’s dramatic, windswept island is famous for its blue-domed churches and chalk-white buildings perched precipitously on the black rock rim of its caldera.

Among the best activities is a trip to Oia, the village where the most famous views can be found — and the most crowds. Santorini is notoriously crowded, with seemingly no part of its villages undiscovered. Still Oia’s views are worth elbowing your way in for a picture.

Take some time to stroll the marble-paved alleys, getting lost among the quaint shops and restaurants with views of the Aegean and the neighboring islands in Santorini’s caldera. Pick a restaurant and sip locally made wine or beer as the sun sets.

You can also cruise to Santorini’s islands and volcanoes, taking in the tiny outcroppings of Palea and Nea Kameni, where steam and thermal springs hint at the volcanic activity here. Take the funicular from the sea to the top of the main island in the town of Fira, for spectacular views.

The village of Akrotiri is Santorini’s most important archaeological site, where homes, shops and workshops still stand despite being buried by Santorini’s volcanic eruption — could this be the lost city of Atlantis?