Where to Swim in Santorini

While it is true that Santorini is mostly famous for it’s stunning vistas, it’s also true that it has some nice beaches, where you can swim or just relax on the black sand. There are choices where the local buses can take you easily, or places that would require a vehicle or taxi to get you there. Also, there are choices for the ones who like organized beaches where you can find everything you need, or more private ones with not even umbrellas and sunbeds.

Let’s take a look at the places we can visit, and share some information about each one!

Perivolos

This is the continuation of the black beach after Kamari. The coast is located on the south-east part of the island, around 10 kilometers away from us.

First, the village of Perissa is the most popular for the younger visitors, as some of the best beach bars of the island and most of the water sports activities can be found there. It has plenty of choices regarding restaurants or beach bars in general, so there are also a lot of umbrellas and sunbeds. Perissa is located closer to the Mesa Vouno mountain, where the coast ends, and it has an easy access with the local buses as it is a terminal station.

Perivolos, however, is located next to Perissa on the south, but it does not have such an easy access with a local bus, as it requires more walking. For this reason, Perivolos is where you can find a coast similar to Perissa, but at the same time you can enjoy a bit more privacy, and you can have more choices of upper quality restaurants too.

Kamari

Kamari is part of the famous black beach of Santorini. It is located on the east coast and mostly south, around 6 kilometers away from our property, and it’s a magnificent choice for families with young children, or people who prefer a more relaxing time at the beach. The beach road in front of the coast becomes pedestrian for the summer season, meaning that it is very safe for young children, but also there is no noise or stress created by cars and traffic. There is a big variety of businesses like restaurants, bars, shops and pretty much anything else that you might need, making Kamari a great choice even for a full day visit! Kamari is also very easy to visit with the local bus, and the ride is around 20 minutes. 

Vlihada

Vlihada is located on the south part of the island, and it is also home to the biggest marina in Santorini. Vlihada is around 11 kilometers away from us, and it’s a place of stunning natural beauty, as behind its beach we can find some of the longest lava cliffs from the minoan eruption, in some parts reaching even 80m. in height (aprox. 240 ft.). Vlihada does not offer a lot of choices in terms of businesses, but you can still find a nice beach bar and a couple of fresh seafood restaurants, so it’s not really unorganized. However, it is not easy to get here without a vehivle of your own, so the visitors in Vlihada are not so many.

Koloumbo

Koloumbo is located on the northeast part of the island. It’s around 7 kilometers away from our property, and according to the locals maybe the best beach around the island! Koloumbo only has a few beach bars with umbrellas, meaning that the rest of the beach is not organized in that sense, making it an amazing place for privacy. Make sure you pack everything you need, however, as besides the few beach bars, the closest business to the area is located at least 2-3 kilometers away.