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Santorini Cyclades: Useful Information

Transportation Information

  • By Air
  • From Athens' Spata (EV) International Airport's Domestic Terminal 3 times Daily to Santorini
  • From Santorini 5 times a week from & to Mykonos
  • From Rhodes Thessaloniki & Carpathos 3 times a week
  • Twice weekly to Helakion, Crete.
  • More in high season
  • By Ferry
  • From Piraeus 5 daily (11 hrs) via Ios, Paros, Naxos and Mykonos
  • From Santorini to Piraeus: Usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon weather permitting
  • 2 to 3 times a week to Heraklion, Crete, Kassos, Carpathos, Chalki, Rhodes, Skiathos and Thessaloniki
  • Athinios port is a good half hour by bus away from the town of Santorini and pretty miserable
  • TIP:Some of these Ferry Boats arrive in the wee hours of the morning! Plan accordingly! Either have some really good cognac and a sleeping bag with you or the hotel driver waiting or all 3! The recently built dock area is a miserable place away from the town... there may be a bus at 3 am & there may not.
  • To Santorini's Port of Athinios from Rafina by Hydrofoil & Catamaran Daily in summer (5hrs)
  • TIP: Flying Dolphins and Catamarans are less stable platforms and more likely to be kept in port during high winds than ferries! Cats are the more stable of the two. Both cost more than a typical ferry but are faster

Around the island

  • Regular Bus service, but often crowded, to all major villages. The one good thing about not having a cliff-side caldera-view accommodation is being nearer the bus station
  • Fira to: Messaria, Kamari. Every 15 minutes in summer. 20 min.
  • Fira to: Messaria, Pyrgos, Megalohori, Emporio, Perissa. Every 25 minutes in summer.
  • Fira to: Messaria, Monlithos. Every 60 minutes in summer.
  • Fira to: Oia. Every 30 minutes in summer. 30 min.
  • Fira to: Port of Athinio an hour before boat departure or more
  • Fira to Acrotiri: every hour, 9 am - 8 pm
  • Fira to the Airport: 30 min., 7 am then every 2 hrs
  • Fira to Ancient Thira: Bus to Pyrgos, (2nd above) then 1 hr walk. Acrotiri is preferred!

Useful Information

  • Pronunciation: 'San-to-ree-nee'
  • Tel. code: 2289
  • Port Authority Athinios: Tel.:22239
  • Piraeus Port Authority, Tel: 422-6000
  • Rafina Port Authority, Tel: 22940-22300/28888
  • Santorini Airport, Tel: 31523
  • Santorini's Athinios Port Authority, Tel: 22239
  • Regular Police, 25 Martiou St., Tel (2286)-22649
  • Santorini Telephone Code: 2289
  • Olympic Airways Thira Tels: 22493 & 22793
  • Santorini Post Code: 84700
  • Fira: 22237
  • Kamari: 31175
  • Eborio: 81222
  • Oia: 71227
  • Pyrgos: 31207
  • Thiraia: 23191
  • Pharmacy Zacharopoulos: Fira, Tel: 23444
  • Post Office, 7:30 am - 2 pm, closed S & S. Tel: 22238
  • OTE Telephone Co., Tel: 22399
  • Euro Press, Int. Bookstore Tel: 25301
  • Santorini Gym, Fabrika Shopping Center, Tel: 25196
  • Paper House, Int. Newspapers & Books, Tel: 24140
  • Fira Taxis, Tel:  22555 / Kamari Taxi: 31668
  • AT&T ACCESS CODE: 08-800-1311
  • KTEL Bus Station, Tel: 23812

Museums and Exhibition Centers

  • Cultural Center Thira; library & exhibitions
  • Maritime Museum, Oia; nautical history of Santorini
  • Historical and Cultural Museum, Thira, Folklore memorabilia.
  • Mountain Top Profitis Illias Museum, 566m, exhibits; handicrafts, shoemaking, printing, candle making, wine making.
  • The Thira Foundation Conference Center
  • Cave House Private Folklore Museum, Tel: 22792, 6-8, fee.
  • Archeological Museum near cable cars, Tel: 22217, Tu-Sun 8:30-3, fee.
  • Megaron Gyzi Museum daily, Tel: 22244, 10:30-1:30 / 5-8, fee

Summer Events

  • August 15th: 4 day Festival of Panaghia Episkopi, Music concerts on Kamari beach, wine tasting's, food!
  • Mid August in Fira town: Ifestia Festival, 2 - 3 days, fireworks, traditional dancing & costumes, music, food, etc.
  • Early September: International Music Festival, world renown musicians perform at the conference center of Nomikos in Fira Town

Santorini Regional Specialties

  • Wine, there are 3 major vineyards on Santorini and many smaller ones
    • Antoniou Winery, Megalohori.
    • Boutari Winery Magalohori towards Acrotiri
    • Canava Roussos Winery 600 m from Kamari
    • Koutosoyiannopoulos Winery on road to Kamari
    • Santo WineryPyrgos
    • Canava Wine Bar in Megalohori: Hotel Vedema
  • Fava bean or chick pea soup, pureed with onions and lemon
  • Spevdokeftedes or false meatballs, deep fried tomatoes with onion and mint.
  • Tiny tomatoes, among the tastiest in Greece

More I told you so about Santorini page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Harry's other Santorini Pages: See even more photos of Santorini I & II & III
Around Santorini | Maps | Santorini Beaches | Historic Santorini | Useful Facts | About Santorini | Hotels | Tours