Where to Stay in Santorini: 7 Excellent Areas & Hotels (2026)

The many fantastic places to stay in Santorini offer the best conditions for an unforgettable vacation on the dream island. From hotels with private pools and cave-style suites to charming guesthouses and beachfront apartments, there’s something here for every type of traveler. Couples tend to gravitate toward the clifftop villages, while families usually do better somewhere with direct beach access. Many visitors head straight for Fira or Oia, but if a beach vacation matters to you, the east and south coasts are where you’ll want to look instead. We spent several weeks on the island exploring it ourselves and ended up staying in Kamari, a choice we’d make again without hesitation.

In this guide, we break down the best areas to stay on Santorini and back it up with hotel recommendations for each one, so you can find both the right location and the right place to sleep.

Oia

The village of Oia, home to just 500 people, is the most photographed place on Santorini, and probably the reason most people picture the island the way they do. Perched right on the edge of the caldera, the whitewashed Cycladic houses and blue-domed churches create the backdrop you’ve likely already seen a hundred times online. The sunsets here really do live up to the hype.

During the day, the alleys around Nikolaou Nomikou fill up fast. The main walk through town is lined with boutiques and galleries, plus a handful of genuinely good restaurants, and it can get crowded. Most hotels, though, sit tucked away from the main strip, so you get a quieter, more private stay even with the crowds just outside. Many of the best places here come with their own pool and a caldera view that makes the higher price tag easier to justify.

We’d recommend Oia for a short stay if the views and the photos are your priority, just know there’s no beach in town itself, you’ll need to travel elsewhere on the island for that. It’s a natural fit for couples and honeymooners, and for anyone who wants to experience Santorini’s most iconic view right from their room.

Best Accommodations & Hotels in Oia:

Perfect Dream Hotel: The beautiful Aspaki by Art Maison offers its guests the best views of Santorini, and is also a famous Instagram spot for taking photos.
Luxury Suites: The Echoes Luxury Suites are in a stunning location. The rooms are simply gorgeous. They have their own pool and the views are also top-notch.
Beautiful Villas: The Onar Villas offers exclusive pool and cave-style accommodations. Guests love the tranquil location, and the views of the ocean are brilliant as well.

Oia (Santorini)

Fira

Fira is the island’s capital and one of the most practical places to base yourself on Santorini. Perched on the edge of the 300-meter caldera, the town has plenty to keep you busy. The old town is lively year-round, the archaeological museum is worth an hour if you’re into that sort of thing, and the viewpoints here honestly rival Oia’s, just without the same crowds fighting for space. Taverns and boutiques line the center, and after dark, Fira has more going on than almost anywhere else on the island, this is where you’ll find the real nightlife.

We’ve been to Fira several times ourselves, and the ferry port just outside town is what makes it stand out, it’s the obvious choice if you’re island hopping and only have a day or two on Santorini. It’s also a solid base for day trips, from here you can reach most of the island’s beaches and attractions by bus, rental car, or quad in well under an hour.

Prices in Fira sit in the middle, cheaper than Oia, but still a step up from the smaller towns further out. The range is wide too, from high-end resorts to small, simple hotels that won’t break the budget.

Best Accommodation & Hotels in Fira:

Fancy Cave Hotel: The Iriana Suites has gorgeous rooms, many of which are decorated in a cave style! Unique are the breathtaking views of the sea and the sunsets.
Fantastic Hotel: The Limestone is a great choice for a special getaway in Santorini! It is in a great location, the breakfast is exceptional, and the views are also top-notch.
Beautiful Suites: The Aroma Suites has stunning rooms and suites in a wonderful location. This property is located next to a charming church overlooking the caldera!

Fira (Santorini)

Kamari

Kamari, on the east coast of Santorini, is where we’d point you if a beach vacation is what you’re after, and it’s also where we stayed ourselves for several weeks. The beach itself sits below the dramatic cliffs of Mesa Vouno, black pebbles meeting turquoise water, it’s one of the best beaches in Santorini. Behind it runs a long promenade packed with shops, tavernas, and cafés, easy to spend an evening wandering without a plan.

Compared to Fira or Oia, Kamari is calmer and noticeably cheaper, without giving up much in terms of comfort. Public transport here is solid too, buses run regularly, and renting a quad or car makes the rest of the island easy to reach.

You’ll find plenty of accommodation options here, some simple and affordable, others with a pool and a bit more polish, and a lot of the best ones sit right on the beach or a short walk from it. If beach access matters more to you than being in the middle of the action, this is the area we’d choose again without hesitation.

Best Accommodation & Hotels in Kamari:

Beautiful Beachfront Hotel: The Santorini Crystal Blue is a small boutique hotel right on the beach. The pool and the typical Cycladic style are stunning as well.
Fantastic 3-Star Hotel: Simply brilliant is the Hotel Matina, a charming and reasonably priced hotel with a pool, a delicious breakfast and only a short distance from the beach.
Chic Aparthotel: The Mountain and Sea Suites is a beautiful aparthotel. It is only a 5-minute walk from the beach. Guests love the service, pool, and breakfast.

Kamari (Santorini)

Imerovigli

Imerovigli sits on the cliffs between Fira and Oia, and it’s the quieter of the two, no crowds fighting for the same viewpoint, just the caldera stretched out below. The area is known for its cave hotels and cliffside villas, several dug right into the rock, many with their own pool or jacuzzi and a view that’s hard to overstate. Walking through the village itself takes maybe twenty minutes, whitewashed alleys wind between the houses, and outside of a few other guests, you’ll barely see anyone.

We passed through Imerovigli a few times while exploring the island, and if you want Oia’s dramatic setting without the tour groups or the price tag, this is where we’d send you instead. Skaros Rock, the remains of an old medieval settlement, sits right at the edge of town, and from there a coastal trail runs all the way to Oia, worth the walk if you’ve got a couple of hours and don’t mind the sun.

Best Accommodation & Hotels in Imerovigli:

Fantastic Hotel: The Honeymoon Petra Villas is a fantastic hotel for a special stay. It has an incredible location and unique views!
Small Boutique Hotel: The Stella Rocca A Mare offers chic design, gorgeous rooms, a great pool, and a wonderful breakfast.
Magnificent 4-Star Hotel: The Altana Heritage Suites is a gorgeous 4-star hotel in a prime location. Some of the rooms even have a private pool.

Imerovigli (Santorini)

Perissa

Perissa sits on the southeast coast and is one of the better options if you want a beach vacation without the prices of Fira or Oia. The beach here is long and covered in black sand, easy to find a spot even when it’s busy. Beach bars and water sports rentals line the shore, so you’re never far from either. Families tend to do well here too, less chaotic than the main towns, but still close to restaurants and shops when you need them.

We haven’t stayed in Perissa ourselves yet, but it’s high on our list for a future trip, the combination of beach access and lower prices is hard to beat elsewhere on the island. Getting around is easy either way, regular buses connect Perissa to the rest of Santorini, and renting a car or quad bike locally works just as well if you want more flexibility.

Accommodation ranges from simple beachfront hotels to places with a pool and a bit more style, most of it considerably cheaper than what you’d pay in Fira or Oia for something comparable.

Best Accommodation & Hotels in Perissa:

Charming Adults Only Hotel: The Kouros Village Hotel is a gorgeous and stylish adults-only hotel. It is also only a 2-minute walk to the beach from the hotel.
Brilliant Vacation Apartment: The beautiful apartments of Sunhaus are located right on the beach and are definitely a great place to stay for a dream vacation.
Great 4-Star Hotel: The Stelios Place is a very well maintained 4-star hotel. Guests love the pool, the beautiful grounds and the perfect location near the beach.

Perissa (Santorini)

Akrotiri

Akrotiri, in the southwest of Santorini, tends to attract a different kind of traveler, people who’d rather explore than stay in one spot. We spent an afternoon here ourselves, walking through the village, the archaeological site, and down to Red Beach, and it’s easily enough to fill a full day on its own. The site itself is often called the Pompeii of Greece, well worth the couple of hours if ruins interest you at all. The coastline is genuinely striking too, small natural coves lead to Red Beach, with its red cliffs and turquoise water, and White Beach isn’t far off either.

Accommodation in Akrotiri tends to be spread out and a bit removed from things, which works in your favor if quiet matters more to you than convenience. It’s really a base for people who want to rent a car or quad and spend their days out exploring rather than staying close to a hotel pool.

Best Accommodation & Hotels in Akrotiri:

Fantastic Hotel with Pool: The Apanemo Hotel & Suites is a truly fantastic hotel. It spoils its guests with a gorgeous pool and stunning views of Santorini’s caldera!
Breathtaking 5-Star Hotel: The Melidonia Suites is a real insider’s tip for a special stay in Santorini. The hotel’s villas are absolutely stunning, and the sea views are unbeatable.
Fantastic Boutique Hotel with Pool: The charming Absolute Paradise Santorini is a small, very fine boutique hotel. Guests love the pool and the incredible ambiance.

Akrotiri (Santorini)

Conclusion: Where Should You Stay on Santorini?

We spent several weeks exploring the island and ended up staying in Kamari, a choice we’d make again. What won us over wasn’t the caldera views, it was being able to walk to the beach and still get a good meal without paying Oia prices.

Prices vary a lot depending on where you land. Oia is the most expensive by far, you’re paying for that view, and Fira sits somewhere in the middle, cheaper than Oia but still pricier than the smaller towns. Kamari and Perissa are where your money goes furthest, especially if a beach matters more to you than a caldera sunset.

If you’re only on Santorini for a few days and the views come first, Oia or Fira make sense, just know neither one has a beach. Imerovigli gives you a similar setting to Oia with fewer crowds and a lower price tag. And if you’d rather spend your time exploring than lounging by a pool, Akrotiri is worth a full day on its own, we did exactly that ourselves and could easily have stayed longer. Perissa, meanwhile, is the one we haven’t tried yet but keep hearing good things about, it’s high on our list for next time.

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