6 Best Things to do in Santorini in the Spring and Fall
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Recommended activities
There is truly so much to do in Santorini even in the off season! You will have your pick of reservations and enjoy activities free of crowds. However, you should take into account the cooler weather both in terms of what you plan to do and what to pack to make the most out of these activities.
1. Explore the lovely towns
Fira and Oia (pronounced Ia) are main towns visited by tourists. By visiting in the off season, you will get to see beautiful sunsets and views and walk around the tiny streets without fighting through crowds. These towns are perfect for a bit of window shopping (or actual shopping!) and are likely where you will also want to go for meals (see here for restaurant recommendations in the off season!) Oia has more luxury shopping than Fira.
To get between the towns, you can ride the busses that leave pretty regularly. However, in the off season, the busses run less often than in high season, so take care to look up the bus schedule in advance, especially if you are having a later dinner. In the case that you plan travel between towns after the buses stop running, book a taxi or transfer in advance. These transfers may seem pricey, but they are what a taxi will cost and will save you the trouble of trying to get a taxi at night (there will be few in the off season).
View from a winery
2. Take a boat ride
One of the best ways to experience the caldera is to be in in! Even in the off season, a day on a catamaran is a must. We loved our tour with Santorini Star. They provided an open bar, other beverages and food as well as towels and blankets. They took us around the side and interior of the caldera pausing at points of interest. We also stopped by the hot spring in the center of the caldera where you can swim in the hot water. The initial dive in will be cold but the water is warm as you swim toward the spring. The hot spring is normally packed with people in the high season so it is a real treat to experience it without too many people around.
3. Wine tasting
We really enjoyed this tour which was advertised to end with a sunset in OIa but we actually ended elsewhere on the other side of the island looking at Oia. Since we spent so much time in Oia already, I preferred this. Our driver was Elias and he took us to a third family-run winery at the end after enjoying the sunset.
4. Hike
Take the 3 hour walk between Fira and Oia! The path is marked along the way with little wooden arrows. Though the hike is not too challenging, there are some hills the path is gravely in some places, so definitely choose your footwear carefully.
5. Kayak
While Kayaking is not available at the start of spring and in the late fall, in the late spring and early fall, kayaking is a fun way to see the ocean and caldera from a different perspective. A tour like this one keeps the kayaking to a reasonable length (some other tours are for more hours if kayaking is your thing!)
6. Relax and enjoy the views with food!
Be sure to choose your restaurants to maximize the time you can spend letting the views sink in. Take a look at this page of restaurant recommendations for which restaurants pair excellent food with exceptional views in the spring and fall (many restaurants only open for the high season).
View from a stop along the walk from Fira to Oia
