Port Overview

Santorini Island (Greece) is among the most popular ports of call on Eastern Mediterranean/Aegean cruises. The island is in the Aegean Sea and is the southernmost of the Greek Cycladic Islands.

Santorini (or Thira) covers a total area of approx 91 km2 (35 mi2) and has population around 15,000.

The island’s largest town and principal port is Fira/Thira.

Santorini Island is essentially what remained after an enormous volcanic eruption which destroyed the earliest settlements on a formerly single isle, and created the geological caldera. A large central, rectangular lagoon, measuring about 12×7 km (7,5×4,3 mi), is surrounded via 300 m (980 ft) high, steep cliffs on 3 sides. The depth of the caldera is 400 m (1312 ft), which makes it impossible for any but the biggest ships to anchor anywhere in the bay. A fisherman’s harbour is located at Vlychada, on the southwestern coast. The principal port on the island is Athinios.

Cruise ships to Santorini Island dock (anchor) at Thira – port town on the western coast. The cruise port is a tender port (doesn’t have passenger terminal). Cruise vessels anchor in the caldera and their passengers are tendered ashore to the Old Port in Fira (Skala) via local tender boats.

Cruise ship tourists can reach town Fira by walking, by donkey or by cable car. Cable car and donkey rides are affordably priced. A cable car is available every 20 min. Donkey rides from the cruise tender dock take up to 30 min, almost the same as walking.

Tours & Activities