How to enjoy Santorini on a budget

"Santorini" and "budget" are two words that don't usually land in the same sentence. After all, the swankiest island of the Cyclades comes with a price to match its million-dollar looks, and horror stories about €1000-a-night suites, cafes with caldera views charging €15 (US$17) for a coffee and basic meals setting daytrippers back €50 (US$57) per person abound. 

But with a little careful planning around how you arrive, when you visit, where you stay and what you do, Santorini is still doable on a shoestring; we promise. And the good news is that the reasons you come here in the first place - the Aegean views, the volcanic beaches, the whitewashed hill towns and the color-popping sunsets - don’t cost a single cent. Read on for our top ways on how to explore Santorini on the cheap. 

Daily costs

• Bed in a hostel dorm: €30 to €60 per night (US$34 to US$68)

• Self-catering studio or double room in a hotel: €50 to €100 (US$57 to US$114)

• Luxury double room in a boutique hotel: €150 to €1000 (US$171 to US$1,142)

• KTEL bus ticket: €1.80 to €2.40 (US$2 to US$2.70)

• Frappe (iced coffee): €4 to €5 (US$5 to US$5.71)

• Beer: €4 to €7 (US$5 to US$8)

• Cocktail: €15 (US$17)

• Pita gyros: €4 to €6 (US$5 to US$6.85)

• Three-course dinner in a taverna €30 to €50 (US$34  to US$57) 

• Car rental: from €50 per day (US$57)

• Scooter rental: €25 to €30 per day (US$29  to US$34)

• One litre of petrol: €1.70 (US$1.95)

• Taxi from the port of Athinios to Fira: €25 to €30 (US$29 to US$34)

• Combined ticket for Ancient Akrotiri, Ancient Thira & Museum of Prehistoric Thera: €15 (US$17)

• Boat tour of the caldera: from €30 (US$34)

What you spend in Santorini varies dramatically depending on where you stay and choose to eat. Sights won’t really nibble into your budget, as most of Santorini’s big-hitters - from beaches to monasteries, hill towns and sunset viewpoints - are free. But you should factor in extra for car or scooter hire (not necessary for hopping along the coast, but essential for reaching the island’s most remote corners), water sports and boat trips  - for instance to the volcanic islet and hot springs of Nea Kameni - as these can bump up costs. 

Look out for deals on flights

From April to October, Santorini is well-connected to the rest of Europe by budget airlines including Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2, but even so prices can skyrocket during the peak summer months of July and August. If you want to score a good deal on flights, book well in advance and fly in the shoulder season. The more flexible you can be with dates and times, the better. And you can also save a fair bit traveling with hand luggage only.

Or take the ferry instead

If time isn’t an issue, you could take the slow, scenic boat from Piraeus Port in Athens to Santorini and reap the rewards in terms of costs. Hopping aboard as a foot passenger is cheaper. In summer, there are daily sailings with Blue Star Ferries, Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries, with the seven- to 10-hour crossing costing as little as €45 (US$51.18) one way.

Visit in shoulder season

Not only are the heat and crowds more bearable in the shoulder months of April, May, September and October, but you’ll also score far better deals if you avoid the peak summer crush from June to August, when flight prices and room rates go through the roof, beaches are packed and the best deals are snapped up in a flash. 

Choose your resort wisely 

Everyone wants a gorgeous caldera view from their room, but be mindful that the view comes with a hefty price tag on Santorini. If you want to carve down the costs, the rule of thumb is to go back a few streets from the cliff edge for more affordable digs. Fira is on balance cheaper than Oia, as there is more of a mix of accommodation, from hostels and self-catering apartments to simple rooms in two-star hotels costing as little as €70 (US$79.61) in summer. 

Venture away from the crazily popular west coast and things get cheaper still. Turn your focus instead to south coast villages and resorts like Kamari and Perissa, both with lovely black-sand beaches and easy access to the epoch-spanning ruins of Ancient Thira. Or venture inland to alley-woven, whitewashed, uncrowded hill towns like pretty Emporio and Pyrgos Kallistis, where you can stay in a one-bed apartment for as little as €60 (US$69) and a plush cave room for around €100 (US$114). 

Bus around the island

Car hire can be a huge chunk out of your budget, and unless you’re heading properly into the hinterland it’s unnecessary as many towns, resorts, villages and key sights are linked up on Santorini’s KTEL bus network. In summer, buses run frequently (every half hour or hour) and ticket prices range from €1.80 to €2.40 (US$2 to US$2.70). Handy routes include Fira to Perissa, Kamari, Oia, Akrotiri and Athinios (the main ferry port), among others. 

And unless you’ve got a ton of luggage, there’s no need to take a taxi from the airport either. The Santorini Airport Express bus runs you from arrivals into Fira hourly, costs €1.80 (US$2.06) and takes just 10 minutes. 

Eat on the go

Plonk yourself in a taverna in Fira or Oia with ringside caldera views from the terrace and you can expect prices to be astronomical. Again, the trick is to head back from those cliffs, going several streets over to find the same meal for a fraction of the cost. Keep your eyes peeled, too, for fixed-price lunch deals, which might include mezze-style appetizers (fava, feta, olives and the like), a Greek classic main (souvlaki or moussaka, say) and a dessert for as little as €25 (US$29), sometimes with a drink thrown in. 

Street food is another great way to economize. Ask locals to point you towards the nearest and best souvlaki joint for a meal on the go - pita gyros or souvlaki kebabs, with salad, chips and tzatziki for around €5 (US$5.70). Nip into a supermarket to buy bits to assemble your own picnic before heading to the beach, or pop into a bakery for delicious to-go snacks like spanakopita (spinach and feta pie) and melitinia (sweet cheese pastries) for between €2 and €4 (US$2.30 to US$5).

Hit the beach

Beaches are free and public on Santorini - and you can save by sitting on your towel and finding a shady spot rather than shelling out for sunbeds and parasols, which can cost as much as €30 (US$34) a pair. Some of the loveliest beaches are strung out along the south coast and include cliff-rimmed Red Beach, White Beach and Vlichada Beach - all with dreamy sunsets to boot. 

Go take a hike - or a run and jump

It doesn’t cost anything to explore Santorini on foot and frankly few experiences can rival the 10km (6.2 mile) hike along the caldera rim from Fira to Oia, with dazzling views out across the island and the true-blue Aegean. Bring decent shoes if you’re planning on tackling this three- to four-hour beauty. Another star trek is the 3.4km (2.1 mile), over-the-mountain hike that links the black-sand beaches of Kamari and Perissa via Ancient Thira. 

Or for a heart-pumping moment that costs nothing, head along a rugged track from north coast Ammoudi Bay and swim over to the rocky islet of St Nicholas for a spot of cliff jumping.