- Updated on: 2024-04-17
Today is another beach day, and we are going on a long journey, one might even say, to the edge of the world – to the very south of the island of Santorini. One of the most unusual beaches on our island, Vlychada beach, awaits us.
The beach takes its name from the small village of Vlychada, located at the southernmost point of our island. It’s famous for its quiet and almost deserted coastline, its rocky cliffs and of course, its great sandy beach! What makes this beach unique? Take a look at the pictures of Vlychada beach!!
Like many of the beaches on our volcanic island, Vlychada beach (Βλυχαδα παραλια in Greek) has its own distinctive features.
It is surrounded by impressive high cliffs of white and beige, which completely cover it from the land side:
As a result of centuries of weathering and erosion of volcanic tuff and pumice, these rocks have taken on a bizarre shape: somewhere it is a lunar landscape, somewhere caves, pillars and columns – in some places they look like real pieces of art! It seems like something out of the realm of impressionism:
Of course, they create a great atmosphere not only for relaxing on the beach, but also for unusual photo shoots:
The play of light and shadow on the wavy stone surfaces is especially interesting and some tourists that came here early in the morning or later in the evening (like us this time), called Vlychada beach one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole Santorini! We couldn’t agree more 🙂
General characteristics of Vlychada beach
Vlychada beach is a fairly wide (by the standards of our island) and very long strip of dark volcanic sand and sparse small pebbles. For our small island it is quite long, if not huge – Vlychada stretches for almost two kilometers! In summer we like to swim and sunbathe on this beach, in winter – to walk along the sea.
- Surface: gray and brown sand and pebbles;
- Color: 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.
The entrance to the sea, by the way, is also mostly sandy, the descent is gentle and very comfortable – unlike most other beaches on our island. Look at it:
Keep in mind that when strong southerly winds blow, the sea in this area can be choppy, but due to the comfortable sandy entry it is good even in small storms.
The Vlychada beach is far enough away from the popular tourist spots that it is often crowded. There is no particular commerce and entertainment here – people come here for a quiet and relaxing vacation, and most often umbrellas and towels are taken with them:
The color of the sand on Vlychada Beach, as you have already realized, is mostly gray and in some places black:
During the season, there is a small tavern on the beach and a small number of sun loungers and umbrellas. Most tourists just sit on towels. In the far (northwestern) part of the beach nudists sunbathe. There are no official nudist beaches in Santorini, but in fact the far part of Vlihada can carry this status.
Not far from the beach you will find several taverns and kiosks where you can buy food and water. A walk along the shore will show you a variety of white volcanic rocks, which have taken amazing shapes under the influence of water and wind. The photos only partially reflect the atmosphere of the place:
The rocky coastline and unusual stone patterns on Vlychada Beach make for at least a few selfies to remember…
…but seriously speaking, people come here especially for quite serious photo shoots: time, wind, water and unexpected shapes of rocks allow photographers and models to create incredible works! The main thing is to choose the right weather and time of day – for the right light and shadows.
Where is Vlychada beach located: we’re heading to the very south of Santorini!
Vlychada is located in the very south of Santorini, about 11 kilometers from the island’s capital of Fira. It is the southernmost beach of the island, so it is easy to find on the map: look at the bottom of the island and find the village of the same name. The beach starts right there. Vlychada beach on a map of Santorini:
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Vlihada beach GPS coordinates: 36.33931, 25.43162
The coast here forms a small bay, and Vlichada has its own harbor with small fishing boats and yachts, where boat trips also arrive. Around the harbor there are several restaurants, bars and stores, as well as small hotels.
How to get to Vlychada Beach
If you travel on our island without a car, you can get to Vlychada beach by bus. From Fira, from the main bus station of the island, there is a bus from Fira to Vlychada. The cost of tickets will be about 2.50 euros and the whole trip will take about 15-20 minutes (read more about public buses in Santorini).
The most convenient way to get to Vlychada beach is, of course, to rent a car, ATV or scooter (read more about car rental on the island). Then the whole way will take no more than 10 minutes, and your transport can be left as close to the coast and beach as possible, for example, in the port or at the nearest tavern. It is just a few steps from the beach.
The south of the island and Vlichada beach is a good place for a quiet and relaxing holiday. But if you want more “civilization”, entertainment, taverns and bars, you should pay attention to Perissa beach (Περισσα παραλια in Greek) and especially to Kamari beach (Καμαρι παραλια in Greek), which are located on the east coast of our island.
