How to visit Santorini by Cruise: Getting to Oia
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Santorini is one of the most famous travel destinations in the world, and for good reason, it is stunning! Cruise ships have made it accessible to many visitors to take in the picturesque village of Oia, have an authentically greek lunch, shop at locally owned boutiques, visit a winery, or lounge on a black sand beach for the day. However, with only a few hours in port, visiting by Santorini by cruise ship needs to be thoughtfully planned out. This guide will help you make the most of your time on this beautiful Greek island and navigate the unique terrain.
Essentially Oia is the town which you see in every picture perfect postcard of Santorini. To get there you need to ride a tender to shore, take a cable car up to Fira, and then a taxi or bus to Oia. There are some different options along the way along with important tips to plan your day accordingly which I will detail in the rest of the article.
About Santorini Cruise port: Tendering to Santorini
Cruise ships are too large to dock directly on the island, so getting off the ship is not as easy as just walking off the gangway. The cruise lines organize a tender boat service to take you from the ship to shore. Think of a tender boat as a ferry service. A tender can hold anywhere from 100 to 200 people. The tender is a free, but your cruise ship may require you to prebook a time slot for disembarking or use another system to organize passengers. This is because Santorini is such a popular stop and they do not have the capacity to unload thousands of passengers at once.
With this in mind, you are going to want to take the earliest possible tender to beat the crowds. Additionally, you will likely not be the only cruise ship at Santorini, so you will be competing with thousands of others for access to the island’s attractions once you reach it.
Where does the tender drop off?
There are two locations where your tender may drop you off on Santorini. One of the ports is called Athenia, which is where you’ll be dropped off if you have booked an excursion with the cruise line. The other location is called Old Port (Skala). This is where you will be dropped off if you are exploring Santorini independently or meeting with another tour booked through a third party. At the Old Port you’ll find water taxi services as well as other boat tours you can prebook. Some boat tours will transfer you by vehicle when you get to Fira like this one. The water taxi services do not depart until they are full which may take 20-45 minutes, require a bus up to Oia, and cost approximately $30 per person.
Cable car
To continue your journey to Oia, you’ll need to get up to Fira, the capital of Santorini. Fira is located up on the cliff over the Old Port. The easiest and fastest way to get up to Fira is by using the cable car. The cable car to Fira costs 6 euros each way and only takes a few minutes. The drawback is that the lines can get very long since most of the other cruise ship passengers will be trying to get up to Fira and Oia as well. This is where is pays off to be early. There are a few shops that line the queue area where you can buy something if you need it. When I visited there were high winds and it was very cold, so I needed to buy sweatshirt there to put over my blue summer dress that I wanted to wear for the photos. Good thing I did, because the winds were even more intense in Oia. However, there are lots more souvenir shops on Santorini, so don’t feel pressure to buy anything yet.
Queue Too Long? Fira Cable Car Alternatives
If the lines are too long you can opt to take the steps up to Fira, but be advised it is approximately 600 steps up, so you’ll need to be in fair physical condition. Another option is you can pay to ride a donkey up the steps, but keeping in mind the smells, discomfort, and animal treatment concerns, I would not recommend it.
Fira
Once in Fira, you could spend some time in the shops and restaurants, or visit a museum. There is the Archaeological Museum of Thera which explores Santorini's rich history, or visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera for insights into the island's ancient civilizations. I would recommend you continue straight to the sometimes overcrowded Oia though because you’ll be coming back this same way and can browse at your leisure later.
Fira to Oia.
Oia is still quite a distance away, and with the limited time you’ll have on a cruise stop, the time to walk there would be unreasonable. The journey from Fira to Oia does have beautiful views though, and if you enjoy hiking this may be the perfect way for you to enjoy Santorini. Santorini Dave (a great resource for your visit) details the particulars of the trail in his article.
Taxi or Bus to Oia
I highly recommend taking a taxi from Fira to Oia, especially if you are traveling in a group. The cost is approximately 30 euros. If you are a group of four persons that works out to 7.50 euros each. The bus by comparison is 2.30 euros, but will be very crowded with cruise ship passengers.
Either way you can catch a bus or taxi a few streets away form where the cable car drops you off at Theotokopoulos Square. Locals were very helpful in pointing me in the right direction while I was there as it’s pretty easy to lose your sense of direction in the narrow windy streets of touristic shops. You’ll see if a taxi is available by their light or try to catch one while they are dropping off their passengers. Remember to bring some cash to pay for your transportation.
Private Transfer to Oia
If you would like to visit more places on Santorini other than Oia, then it may be best to hire a driver for the day like this one through Viator.
Oia
Once in Oia, you can finally relax! Take in the architecture, wander the streets, and definitely grab lunch with a view. I ate at Lotza and all the food was excellent, along with this view over the blue domed roofs. Here you could get some of your own ‘flying dress’ photos or take another photography walking tour. Be sure to walk over to the windmills and the castle.
Tips for the return journey
Leave plenty of time to make it back to the ship before it departs. You may have to wait a while to find an available taxi to take back to Fira. The lines to ride the cable car back can also get very lengthy.
While watching the sunset is one of the most popular things to do in Oia, don’t risk missing your cruise ship to do so! Make it back with enough time to watch the sunset from your balcony with a glass of wine
My Experience Cruising
I visited Santorini as part of Royal Caribbean’s Holy Land cruise itinerary on the Odyssey of the Seas. The cruise was roundtrip from Rome and had the following stops over 12 days:
Haifa, Israel
Jerusalem, Israel
Limassol, Cyprus
Rhodes, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Santorini, Greece
Chania, Crete
It was incredible experience for our whole group to visit all these destinations on one trip. The best part about cruising is having all the logistics taken care of in getting from one place to another. No need to switch beds every night, and in the meantime you can enjoy the many attractions, food, and entertainment on board. Royal Caribbean always excels in all these areas, making sure there is always something fun to do on their state of the art ships. I can help you to book a cruise with Royal Caribbean or another cruise, so please reach out if you would like to know more about the many different itineraries around the world.
Visiting Greece
Once you get a taste of visiting Santorini’s enchanting landscape and rich culture, you’ll surely want to return or visit more of the incredible Greek islands nearby. There are stunning cave resorts, beachside cottages, and everything in between. Let me plan your return to Greece with luxurious hotel perks, fun activities, and reservations at the best restaurants.
