Akrotiri is a small village located at the southwestern end of Thira in
Santorini, it’s around a 20 to 25 minute drive to both the airport and the capital
Fira.
Akrotiri is not a developed tourist destination so don’t expect the sort of facilities you’d have in Fira or
Oia. What it does have is a Cycladic charm about it, with the usual narrow streets, cobbled walls and square white washed buildings with blue doors and shutters. It’s a lovely place for a wander around and feels a lot more like a traditional Greek town than the more developed resorts on the island.
Generally speaking, the majority of visitors to Santorini wouldn’t stay in Akrotiri but if you're one of those that prefers to get away from the crowds then there are a good number of hotels, apartments and villas available in and around the village. You’ll even find a handful of hotels with swimming pools.
If you'd like to stay in the area then have a look at the Akrotiri page of booking.com
here. Alternatively find a great package holiday through Tui
here.
There's a collection of restaurants towards the eastern side of the town and at least one of them doubles as a cocktail bar so although the nightlife in Akrotiri isn't exactly lively you can have a decent night out with a good meal and a few drinks.
The main reason for visiting Akrotiri is to see the archaeological site of
Ancient Akrotiri which is just a couple of minutes south of the current village and is well worth a visit to get a sense of what life was like in Santorini all those years ago.
Also in the area are both
Red Beach and
White Beach which are popular due to their dramatic and unusual scenery. Another popular beach near by is
Eros beach with it’s upmarket taverna and loungers.
Just outside Akrotiri is the Santorini dive centre where you can learn to scuba dive and see some of the beautiful sea life of the region. There’s also a horse riding business that takes you on tours of the region.
