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Santorini view

Private Classic Santorini Panorama: Visit the most popular destinations!

  • See the Red and Black beaches, the Akrotiri Lighthouse, and Oia
  • Explore remote villages and soaks up the atmosphere of the island with maps and live commentary
  • Round-trip transportation included
  • Hotel/Port/Airport Pick up & Drop off
  • Duration: 5-6 hours
  • ⭐️Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (674 reviews)

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Located on the southern shore of Santorini, between the Black Beach and the Red Beach, the White Beach is a fully secluded spot, surrounded by tall, white cliffs. These white rocks give the name of this beach, as the sand is rather dark gray, just like the sand of Perissa Beach.

Like all beaches near Akrotiri, the White Beach is rather small. It can get busy during the high season, so you may not be able to find a free sunbed and an umbrella. Nevertheless, you can have a lot of fun swimming to the nearest rocks and sunbathing on their white, shiny surface. You can also swim the cave nearby.

If you want to visit Santorini on a budget, there are great chances that you pick accommodation in Akrotiri. You’d be close to lots of beaches such as Red Beach, Kampia Beach, White Beach, Black Beach, and Akrotiri Beach.

Boat Tours to White Beach (among other cool Santorini beaches)

If you’re into kayaking, check out this kayak adventure with picnic, sunset views and cliff jumping at White Beach. Personally, I’d skip the cliff jumping part, but everything else looks enticing.

If you’d like to take photos of White Beach and its surrounding scenery, take a closer look at this catamaran cruise with lunch open bar that departs from Vlychada Port.

The cruise takes half day and it allows for swimming and snorkeling by Red Beach.

white beach santorini cliffs

The White Beach is just beneath the giant white cliff in this image. It is actually a black sand, pebbly beach. Its name comes from the white rocks that surround it.

 

How To Get to White Beach on Your Own, Without a Tour

There’s no way you can get to the White Beach on Santorini by car.

You can walk to the edge of the cliffs, but all you’ll be able to do will be to take photos of the stripe of sand down below your feet.

The only way to get to the White Beach (also known as Lefki Paralia or Lefki Ammos) is by sea. You’ll catch a water taxi which will bring you close to the beach. You’ll need to walk through water to get to the sand, so you may want to wear water shoes.

During the season, there are taxi boats that run every 30 minutes or so from the Akrotiri pier to the White Beach. You can reach Akrotiri by bus or by car. Buses depart from the central bus station in Fira. Taxis will also take you there, provided that you can catch one.

I’ve read on some websites that you can walk to White Beach from Red Beach. I don’t know if this is truly possible. Unfortunately, I only had half day to explore Akrotiri on Santorini, so there was not time for wild guesses. You’d better try to find some more information on that before attempting it.

Summer 2023 update: the Red beach area is unstable and dangerous. Rocks may fall on you at any given time, so you shouldn’t try to get to this beach by land. Try this kayaking tour instead and enjoy this beautiful area in a safe and fun manner.

Can You Swim and Snorkel at White Beach?

Yes, you can swim and snorkel at White Beach. The clear water is perfect for such activities.

Here’s a video made by cliff diving aficionados seeking for the best cliffs while on a boat from Red Beach to White Beach. The views are fabulous, indeed.

Here’s the location of White Beach Santorini on the map.