15 Best Places to Visit in Santorini by Car — Hidden Gems and Classics for 2026

Santorini is one of the most photographed islands on earth, and yet most visitors see only a fraction of it. They stay in Fira and Oia, take the cable car to the old port, visit Perissa beach once, and leave feeling they have done Santorini. They have missed half the island. The places that will genuinely take your breath away — the lunar-landscape beach, the buried prehistoric city, the caldera viewpoint where no tour bus ever goes, the winery road at golden hour — are reachable only if you have a car. This list gives you all 15, with driving tips, parking notes, and honest assessments of what makes each one worth the detour. [BOOK YOUR RENTAL CAR → getsantorinicarrental.com]

Why a Car Is the Best Way to Explore Santorini

The KTEL bus serves Fira, Kamari, Perissa, Akrotiri village, and Oia. That is five stops on an island with dozens of extraordinary destinations. Half the places on this list have no bus connection at all. A rental car does not just give you flexibility — it gives you access to a completely different version of Santorini. Now, the list.

1. Akrotiri Archaeological Site. The most extraordinary site on Santorini and one of the most significant prehistoric discoveries in the Mediterranean. Akrotiri was a thriving Bronze Age city — think of it as the Pompeii of the Aegean — buried under volcanic ash around 1600 BC and remarkably preserved. The excavation is housed under a modern protective roof. Multi-storey buildings, storage vessels, and ancient frescoes are visible in situ. Driving tip: ample parking at the site entrance. Combine with Red Beach, which is a 10-minute drive away. Allow 1.5 hours minimum for the site itself. See the official Ministry of Culture Akrotiri site page for opening hours and ticket prices. From the Akrotiri base you can also join an ATV & Buggy Tour for a guided off-road circuit of the south. 2. Red Beach. One of the most visually dramatic beaches in the Cyclades. Towering red and black volcanic cliffs drop to a narrow pebbly beach of deep rust-red sand. The sea is extraordinarily clear. Driving tip: park at the Akrotiri excavation car park (a short walk away) — there is no parking at the beach itself. Arrive before 11am to claim a spot before the tour groups arrive. Note that part of the cliff has been fenced off due to rock fall risk — stay on the marked beach path. 3. Vlychada Beach. Vlychada is Santorini's most surreal beach and one of its least visited. Towering eroded white cliffs of volcanic ash form a lunar landscape behind the grey sand. There is a small marina nearby. This beach has no bus connection — you can only reach it comfortably by car. Driving tip: follow the signs from the main south road, approximately 5 minutes south of Akrotiri village. Small car park at the beach. Visit in the early morning for extraordinary light on the cliffs. 4. Perissa Black Sand Beach. Santorini's most popular beach — and for good reason. 7km of black volcanic sand, beach bars, water sports, sunbeds, and an easy atmosphere. The beach is backed by the dramatic silhouette of Mesa Vouno (the rocky outcrop that divides Perissa from the north coast). Driving tip: large car park at the north end of Perissa, free. The beach road runs parallel to the waterfront for the full length — easy to park and walk. 5. Perivolos. The continuation of Perissa beach going south — slightly quieter, slightly more sophisticated. Loungers, cocktail bars, and crystal-clear black-sand coves. A good lunch stop on a south-island driving day. Driving tip: approach from Perissa along the beach road or from the inland road near Akrotiri — both are straightforward. 6. Pyrgos Medieval Village. The highest point on Santorini, Pyrgos is a medieval kasteli — a fortified village built in concentric circles around a Venetian castle summit. Walk up through whitewashed lanes to the top for 360-degree views over the entire island, from the caldera to the sea. Far fewer visitors than Oia and equally beautiful. Driving tip: park at the village square and walk up. No through road for cars inside the upper village — park and explore on foot. Visit at dusk for extraordinary light. 7. Megalochori Traditional Village. One of Santorini's most authentic villages and the base of the island's historic wine-making tradition. Cave-houses (hyposkafa) carved into the volcanic rock, a beautiful central square, and several traditional wine cellars (canaves). Almost no tourists. Driving tip: park at the main square. The village is 5 minutes from Akrotiri and easily combined with a south-island circuit. Stop at Venetsanos Winery nearby for a tasting with caldera views
8. Emporio (Kasteli). The largest of Santorini's inland villages and another medieval fortress town. Emporio's Kasteli — a labyrinthine network of arched passageways, defensive towers, and whitewashed houses — is one of the best-preserved medieval settlements in the Cyclades. Genuinely off the tourist track. Driving tip: park at the village entrance, 5 minutes by car from Perissa. Explore on foot. [BOOK GUIDED TOUR → getsantorinitransfer.com/tours.html] — Prefer a driver? See our Santorini guided tours for curated half-day and full-day circuits.
9. Monolithos Beach. The most family-friendly beach on the island — shallow, calm, with a sandy floor rather than the volcanic pebbles of the south coast. Located near the airport, on the eastern coast. Driving tip: easy access from the airport road, large car park. Ideal first-day stop after collecting your rental car at JTR. Also one of the few Santorini beaches where very young children can swim safely.
10. Cape Exomytis (Southernmost Tip). The dramatic southernmost point of Santorini, accessible via an unmade road from Akrotiri. Zero tourists, extraordinary views of the open Aegean, and a complete sense of being at the edge of the world. Driving tip: the last 2km is unmade track — manageable in a careful small car in dry conditions. Do not attempt in wet weather. Best visited at sunset.
11. Oia Village and Armeni Port. The most famous view in Santorini — the white-and-blue church domes above the blue caldera — is real, and it is worth seeing. But visit in the morning, not the evening. By 4pm, Oia is uncomfortably crowded ahead of the famous sunset. In the morning, you can walk the caldera-edge path, explore the windmills, and descend the steps to Armeni port in relative peace. Driving tip: park only at the designated car parks at the Oia village entrance. Do not attempt to drive into the village — it is pedestrian-only. There is a small extra delivery charge if you have your car brought to Oia. 12. Firostefani and Imerovigli. The quieter, more elegant stretch of caldera between Fira and Oia. Both villages are walkable from Fira along the caldera footpath, but having a car means you can reach Imerovigli directly and park near Skaros Rock — the dramatic volcanic promontory that juts into the caldera. One of Santorini's great viewpoints and almost entirely overlooked by tourists. Driving tip: park near the Imerovigli church at the start of the Skaros path.
13. Messaria and the Winery Route. The agricultural heart of Santorini — rolling vineyards, traditional canaves (cave wineries), and two of the island's best wineries: Argyros Estate and Venetsanos Winery. Both offer tasting sessions with advance booking. The Argyros Estate in Episkopi Gonia is particularly worth visiting for an insight into Santorini's unique basket-vine growing method (vines trained into baskets on the ground to protect against the wind). Driving tip: both wineries have car parks. The route between them, through Messaria and up towards Pyrgos, is one of the most scenic inland drives on the island.
14. Vourvoulos Beach. On the north-east coast, Vourvoulos is completely off the tourist map. A small, rough beach accessible via a dirt road — absolutely no amenities, no beach bars, no sunbeds. Just you, the black pebbles, and the Aegean. Driving tip: rough road for the last 800m — manageable in a small careful car but not for MPVs. Completely deserted on most days, even in August.
15. Akrotiri Lighthouse (Faros). At the far south-western tip of the island, the white lighthouse stands on a windswept cape above sheer volcanic cliffs. The views towards the volcano and across the caldera at sunset are arguably the best on the entire island — and almost no one goes there. Driving tip: the road is paved for most of the way, with a short gravel section near the lighthouse. Park at the lighthouse and walk to the cliff edge. Sunset here, in silence, with the volcano in front of you, is one of Santorini's great experiences. For those who want the ultimate freedom to reach tracks like this, rent a quad in Santorini — ATVs handle the lighthouse approach even better than a small car.

Suggested Santorini Road Trip Itineraries

1-Day Best-Of Circuit (South + Villages)
-Morning: Collect car from airport or hotel. Drive to Akrotiri excavation site (9am opening, arrive before tour groups).
-Late morning: Red Beach walk and swim. Drive to Vlychada for photos.
-Lunch: Perivolos beach taverna. Afternoon: Pyrgos village — castle and views. Megalochori wine cellar.--- --Evening: Drive to Akrotiri Lighthouse for sunset. Return to hotel.

2-Day Explorer (North + South Split)
- Day 1 — South: Akrotiri site, Red Beach, Vlychada, Emporio Kasteli, Perissa beach, Pyrgos at dusk.
- Day 2 — North: Fira (morning walk), Imerovigli and Skaros Rock, Oia village (arrive before noon), Vourvoulos beach, Monolithos for a late swim. For a guided version of either itinerary, see Santorini-RentMe or our Santorini guided tours.

Driving Tips for Your Santorini Road Trip

-Fill your fuel tank in Fira or Kamari before heading south — there are no stations in the south of the island.
- Download Google Maps offline before you leave your hotel — mobile signal drops in some village interiors and on the south coast tracks.
- Start early. The major sites (Akrotiri, Red Beach, Oia) get crowded from 10am onwards. Being there at 9am is a genuinely different experience.
- For adventurous tracks (Cape Exomytis, Vourvoulos, Akrotiri Lighthouse approach), a small car driven carefully is all you need.
-Quads and ATVs from Get Santorini Quad Rental are even better for these. [PREFER TWO WHEELS? BOOK QUAD → getsantoriniquadrental.com] For best beaches in Santorini and official island information, the Greek National Tourism Organisation's guide is a useful reference.