The blue domes of Oia above the caldera of Santorini
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Luxury in Greece

Santorini

White villages on the rim of a drowned volcano: cave suites and plunge pools above the caldera, sunsets at Oia, volcanic wines, and a Bronze Age town under the ash.

The blue domes of Oia, SantoriniPhotograph: Wojciech Wyszkowski

Kalós orísate

The island the volcano made

Santorini is the rim of a volcano. Around 1600 BC a huge eruption blew out its centre, and the sea flooded in to make the caldera, a lagoon ringed by cliffs three hundred metres high, with the volcano still smoking on its islet in the middle.

The ash buried Akrotiri, a Minoan town of painted houses, which lay hidden until the 1960s and can now be walked through under its protective roof. Some see in the eruption the origin of the legend of Atlantis.

The villages of Oia, Imerovigli and Fira cling to the top of the cliffs, their white houses and blue domes cut into the rock, and many of the finest suites are cave houses with their own plunge pools. The volcanic soil grows Assyrtiko, one of the great white wines of Greece.

A few words of Greek
EnglishGreekSay it
HelloΓεια σαςYAH-sas
PleaseΠαρακαλώpa-ra-ka-LO
Thank youΕυχαριστώef-ha-ri-STO
Good eveningΚαλησπέραka-li-SPE-ra
The bill, pleaseΤον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton lo-ghar-yaz-MO, pa-ra-ka-LO

Where to go

Santorini at a glance

When to go and how to arrive privately.

Santorini

Best time to visitLate May to June and September are ideal: a warming sea, hot dry days and fewer people than July and August. October is still warm and much quieter.

  • Stay
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Dine
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Santorini Airport (JTR / LGSR), about 20 to 30 minutes by car to Fira, depending on summer traffic.
By helicopter
Helicopter transfers from Athens can be chartered; there is no regular service.
By sea
No superyacht marina here yet meets our standard. Vlychada Marina on the south coast takes yachts only up to about 20 metres, so larger yachts anchor offshore and come ashore by tender; about 20 minutes by car from Vlychada to Fira.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Santorini

The finest hotels in and around Santorini: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

Private villas and estates

  • BlueVillasAthens and Mykonos

    A Greek villa specialist, licensed by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, with offices in Athens and Mykonos and more than 150 villas on Mykonos alone, plus homes on Santorini, Paros, Antiparos, Crete and the Ionian islands. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Santorini by sea

How the ships arrive in Santorini, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships anchor in the caldera below Fira and bring guests ashore by tender to the old port, where the cable car climbs to the town. Greece charges cruise passengers €20 each at Santorini and Mykonos from June to September, and the island limits the number of cruise visitors each day.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Shop

Luxury shopping in Santorini

The jewellers of Santorini.

Jewellers and watchmakers

  • LALAoUNISPanepistimiou and Voukourestiou, Athens

    The house of Ilias Lalaounis, known for gold jewellery drawn from ancient Greek and Byzantine art, with its Athens flagship, boutiques in Mykonos and Santorini, and its own jewellery museum below the Acropolis. Visit website ↗

Experience

Events and things to do in Santorini

The finest things to do in and around Santorini.

Wine estates that receive visitors

Weddings and celebrations

  • Stella & MoschaSantorini and Athens

    Planning weddings in Greece since 1993, with work across Santorini, Crete, Paros and the Athens Riviera. It is a founding member of the Greek Destination Planners Association. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Santorini

A home in Santorini: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Greece Sotheby's International RealtyAthens

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Greece, with a head office in Athens and a branch in Corfu, covering the Athens Riviera, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Crete and the Ionian islands. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Greece ›

Looking for a home in Santorini? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Residency

  • Greece Golden VisaGreece

    A five-year, renewable residence permit for non-EU property buyers and their families, with no minimum-stay requirement.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Santorini and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Santorini

Where is Santorini?

In the southern Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, south-east of Athens. Santorini airport takes private jets and is about 30 minutes from Oia; the flight from Athens takes about 45 minutes.

What is Santorini famous for?

Its caldera and the white villages on the cliffs, the sunsets at Oia, cave suites with plunge pools, Assyrtiko wine, and the Bronze Age town of Akrotiri.

When is the best time to visit Santorini?

Late May to June and September are ideal: a warming sea, hot dry days and fewer people than July and August. October is still warm and much quieter.

How do you arrive in Santorini by private jet?

Santorini Airport (JTR / LGSR), about 20 to 30 minutes by car to Fira, depending on summer traffic.

Do you tip in Santorini?

Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Santorini?

Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.

Beyond Santorini

More in Greece

Mykonos, the Athens Riviera, the Peloponnese and Crete, and the Mediterranean beyond.

GreeceLuxury Greece Holidays: Mykonos & SantoriniExplore GreeceThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Santorini, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Santorini

How Greece does things.

Language
Greek is the official language. English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and anywhere that serves visitors.
Greetings
A firm handshake with eye contact on first meeting is usual. Friends typically greet with a hug or two cheek kisses. Address people as Kyrie (Mr) or Kyria (Mrs/Ms) with their surname until invited otherwise.
Dress
Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.
Dining
Greeks eat late. Lunch is usually taken by about 3 pm, and dinner rarely starts before 9 pm, often 10 pm or later in summer. Reservations are essential at the top restaurants in Athens and on the islands in high season. Sharing plates is the custom.
Tipping
Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know
Avoid the open-palm "stop" gesture towards someone, because in Greece it is an insult (the moutza). It is illegal to approach, photograph or film military installations, vehicles or buildings, and offenders can be arrested; take the same care in border areas.
Tourist tax
Hotels add a climate resilience fee per room per night, €15 at five-star hotels from April to October; cruise passengers landing on Santorini or Mykonos pay €20 a visit in summer.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.