- Updated on: 2024-04-17
Today we’re not just going to another volcanic beach – the black beach of Perissa (Περισα παραλια, Perissa beach), the biggest volcanic beach in Santorini, is waiting for us!
This is a very famous and popular place, and many of the locals will call it almost the best choice for a beach vacation – and in general, they would be right. Let’s get ready, get behind the wheel and drive!
The beach is located on the east coast of our island (opposite the famous white towns of Fira and Oia) and gets its name from the village of the same name, whose population was once engaged in fishing.
With the growth of tourism on our island, this place has completely changed: having a very wide and flat beach, the village has become a very popular tourist area of the island, and its beach has become a kind of magnet for tourists and one of the main attractions of the island of Santorini.
If you climb the nearest mountain, the view of the village and the beach is simply breathtaking. Look at it!
The village continues to grow, but only for tourist purposes: there are now many small hotels and apartments in Perissa, as well as a variety of stores, but no fishermen or anything from the past.
Along the long promenade there are taverns, restaurants, cafeterias and bars, where you can perfectly hide from the heat of the day or have a warm evening meal. There is even a small water park in the area (adult ticket – 8 euros, children – 4 euros) and several diving centers. However, let’s go back to the beach, because we are here first of all for the sea!
General characteristics of the Perissa beach
Perissa beach stretches for more than three kilometers from the northwest to the southeast of our island and is a wide strip of gray and black sand, which owes its color to the volcanic origin of the entire island of Santorini. Here are some of the darkest rocks on the entire island!
- Surface: sand, small pebbles;
- Color: dark gray and black;
- How to get there: by car, by bus;
- Organization and infrastructure: umbrellas and sun loungers – yes, fresh water and showers – yes;
- Opportunity to buy food/water: yes;
- Natural shade: no.
Unlike most beaches in Santorini, Perissa beach is really impressive in size. It is the largest beach on our island, it is always maintained, it is well equipped, there are showers with fresh water and in high season there are lifeguards. In other words – a beach resort almost on par with neighboring Kamari. Just have a look at this beauty in the photo:
Every summer, 3-5 rows of umbrellas and lounge chairs appear in different parts of the beach – and there is still plenty of room on the beach for those who want to sunbathe on a towel or just stroll along the beach.
As a rule, umbrellas and sun loungers belong to cafes and taverns, in front of which they are located. The system of payment and cost may vary from place to place. In some cafes, sun loungers and umbrellas may be free if you order breakfast or a few drinks in advance…
…in another cafe you can get a coffee or a cocktail, and somewhere just pay 5-10-15 euros and you can use an umbrella with a sun lounger all day. There are also very expensive cafes, sunbeds and umbrellas, which can cost – wait for it – three or four figures a day!
By the way, Perissa more than once received the “Blue Flag” award, which emphasizes and guarantees the good condition of the beach, the purity of the water and the seabed.
When the sea is calm, the water on this volcanic beach is so clear that you can see flocks of small fish, small rays, and even octopuses. In addition, in high season, a variety of activities are offered here – water skis, “bananas”, canoes – you can even rent a board for windsurfing or very good snorkeling. However, do not count on a rich underwater world here: the bottom is almost completely empty.
Perissa beach is great for families with small children. In almost all parts of the coast the entrance to the water is quite smooth and the deep water is only a few meters from the shore. The gentlest entrance to the sea is in the northern part of the beach, closer to the rocks and the mountain Mesa Vouno, which separates the neighboring beach of Kamari.
Note that the bottom of almost all the coast is stony and can be slippery in places (don’t forget – it’s frozen lava!). But the water here is almost always transparent – you can dive at any time, and the sand and pebbles on the beach are so fine that it’s a real pleasure to walk on them!
Like the neighboring Perivolos beach, with which Perissa is actually united to the south, this beach is also popular with young people. There is no obvious border or separation between the two beaches, so the walk along the entire coast can take about an hour! I advise you to be careful during the high season, when the temperature during the day rises to +35°C in the shade – the black sand on these beaches heats up to some unimaginable temperatures!
On hot days, the black sand gets so hot that you can walk on it only with shoes
Santorinika Travel Agency, from personal experience of living on the island
But at night, when the weather cools down, these places are transformed and Perissa is unrecognizable! In the evening the promenade is even busier, with discotheques and live music in some taverns. Go to the bars and tavernas for noise and fun, and closer to the sea for quiet:
From the beach you can walk to the ruins of the ancient city of Thira, and near its northern part is a large church with five blue domes – this is the Church of the Holy Cross Timiou Stavrou (Τιμιου Σταυρου in Greek):
It is located in Perissa Square and, by the way, is one of the largest churches on the island. The church was originally built roughly between 1835 and 1840, then was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1956, and then rebuilt with the maximum preservation of the original appearance.
Where is Perissa beach located: get ready for a short trip to the eastern part of the island of Santorini
Perissa beach is located on the southeast coast of Santorini, about 12 kilometers from the island’s capital Fira. The beach is also quite distant from the south and from the airport, so it is not as noisy as it might be in the neighboring village of Kamari. Perissa Beach on a map of Santorini:
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Perissa beach GPS coordinates: 36.35409, 25.47399
How to get to Perissa beach
You can get to Perissa Beach by rental car – it is the most comfortable way. The roads are very good, the route is very simple, and it is almost impossible to get lost.
If you are staying on our island without a car, you can get to Perissa Beach by public bus from Fira. Tickets and routes are detailed in our article on city buses in Santorini, so just take the right bus and it will take you literally to the beach.
If you have rented a car or scooter in Fira, you should follow the main road to the south of the island through the villages of Megalochori and Emporio to Perissa.
In the village and at the beach you have no problem with parking, you will find a free place even in high season!
If our island is called one of the most beautiful Greek islands, Perissa is undoubtedly one of the best beaches of the Santorini. Do you want to swim and sunbathe? Do not hesitate, come to Perissa or better yet, directly to Kamari beach!
