Perissa Beach is one of the best places to go on Santorini to enjoy quality beach time. It is also a great choice for those who want a Santorini vacation on a budget. Keep in mind, though, that Santorini isn’t the best beach destination in Greece. Even if you decide to spend a budget vacation on this island, you’ll still want to make the Fira to Oia hike your first and foremost reason to take this trip.
Perissa and Perivolos are only one long beach that stretches on more than 6km. Perissa Beach is the northern part of this black sand stretch. By the northern end of the beach, there’s a mountain, Mesa Vouno, rising directly from the sea. On the other side of this mountain, you’ll find Kamari Beach. In fact you won’t find it, because there’s no passage between the two beaches. You’d need to take a water taxi or to climb to Ancient Thera and descend the path to Kamari.
You can see on the Santorini map, below, how close Perivolos and Perissa are to each other.
Would you like to choose Perissa for your Santorini vacation? Here’s a map of Perissa Beach and surrounding areas, with hotels and apartments you can book.
For my second trip to Santorini, I’ll probably choose Perissa as my base camp. I’ll walk to Ancient Thera, I’ll walk to Kamari and I’ll probably rent a bike to visit other places on the island.
Contents of Perissa Beach – Santorini’s Black Sand Pearl
How To Get to Perissa Beach
Buses to Perissa depart from the main bus stop in Fira multiple times per day. The bus schedule depends on the season, so you’ll have to check it out yourself while in Santorini. During the season, there are express buses from Fira to Perissa. Regular bus services that stop at many villages on the route are slower and busier. If you don’t intend to visit Megalochori or other villages on the island, choose the express service.
The express buses stop at Perivolos Beach before reaching Perissa. Don’t get off the bus at Perivolos, even though you’re going to love the sight of the beach. Go to the end of the line, as that’s where the beach landscape is the best, with Mesa Vouno, the mountain, and the waves.
The KTEL public bus system in Santorini is very good. Buses arrive and depart as scheduled, without big delays. However, bus numbers are different than what you may expect from your home country. Here, the bus number is announced shortly before the bus arrives. This means you shouldn’t bother memorizing bus numbers. Here’s the official website of KTEL Santorini. Check it out to see the schedules and the itineraries.
How far is Perissa beach from Fira?
The distance between Fira and Perissa is about 12km on road. The bus journey takes about 30 minutes. Should you drive or use a taxi, you can expect a 15 minute ride from Fira to Perissa Beach.
How far is Perissa beach from Oia?
Perissa beach is about 23km from Oia. The one-way taxi fare can be 75-100 Euro. If this is too much for you, you should know that there are no direct bus lines between Oia and Perissa. You’d need to get from Oia to Fira, and then take another bus from Fira to Perissa.
How far is Perissa beach from the Santorini airport?
The best way to come directly from the Santorini Thira Airport to Perissa is by taxi or by private transport.
Even though the distance between Santorini airport and Perissa is only of 12-13km, there’s no direct bus from Thira Airport to Perissa beach. You’d have to take a bus to Fira and then take a second one to Perissa. You can expect this bus journey to take at least one hour (the total time depends on your available bus connections).
Where To Stay in Perissa
If you travel with a group of friends, check out Majesty Sea View Villa. This beachfront property in Perissa can accommodate up to 6 guests, in three bedrooms. Majesty Villa offers airport transfer at an extra charge of 35 Euro (as per November 2021). There’s also a car rental service available at the villa, should you need it. The downside of this villa is that it only has one bathroom, which should do for 2-3 people, but not for a group of six.
If you travel solo or as a couple, you may want to check out Sunhaus Apartments. Located on the beach and featuring the traditional Santorini architectural style, this hotel offers free private parking, free WiFi, and a terrace where you can enjoy a dinner with sea view.
Exi Sea Side Suits is another interesting choice of accommodation in Perissa. Located by the northern end of the beach, this apartment is close to the bus stop and to lots of restaurants and bars. If you’re into glamping, you’ll love this sustainable travel property. Check out the prices and book your room here.
Last but not least, if you must have access to a swimming pool, take a look at The Best, an apartment complex just 100m from the center of Perissa.
There are no giant hotels or large apartment complexes in Perissa. Accommodations in the village look pretty much like in this photo, below.
Perissa Beach & Village Photos (and Travel Tips)
Perissa beach is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. I can’t tell you anything about the fish in the sea, as I’ve only spent one day on this black sand beach. That day, the sea was rough and I didn’t have the snorkel with me, anyway.
Main things you should know before coming to Perissa beach:
- there’s a very long beachfront promenade with bars and restaurants
- some beach bars offer customers free sunbeds and umbrellas (we’ve got two sunbeds and one umbrella for the day for a Greek frappe, a Greek salad and two bottles of water)
- the archeological site of Ancient Thera is right there, on Mount Vesa Mouno. The path to the site start on the hill behind the Church of the Holy Cross.
- the black sand gets extremely hot, so you’ll need to wear shoes to walk on the beach (even going to the water can be a challenge during summer days)
- if coming by bus, choose the express line that doesn’t stop in all villages along the way
Do you want to see Perissa Beach on the map of Santorini? Here you are!
Do you want to travel to Santorini from Thessaloniki? Here are all islands near Thessaloniki or within easy reach. Book this article for later reference.
