🇬🇷 Episode 4 — Southern Santorini: Zoodochos Pigi, Perissa and Red Beach

In this article

After the villages, we headed for the south coast and its rocky scenery. On 29 October, our day continued at Zoodochos Pigi cave and then the beaches.

Far from the familiar white houses above the caldera, we were seeing a darker, more rugged side of Santorini.

Zoodochos Pigi cave

We visited Zoodochos Pigi cave near Kamari.

This stop adds another dimension to an island tour: a religious site connected with the mountainside and a natural cave. We included it before continuing to Perissa.

Practical advice: allow for the access route and effort involved, and check the path before setting off.

Do not confuse it with Ancient Thera. We did not visit that archaeological site on the summit of Mesa Vouno above Kamari and Perissa. It is an extra option if you want more ancient remains in your itinerary.

A stop in Perissa

At Perissa, dark sand and the mountain create a broad seaside landscape. At Red Beach, red cliffs dominate. These stops show different sides of the volcanic terrain without requiring a whole day of swimming.

We had lunch in Perissa.

The dark volcanic sand gives Santorini another colour. We came to see the beach and take a seaside break, without planning to swim.

Our trip at this time of year focused on sightseeing. The weather was pleasant, but we preferred the hot tub’s warm water to the sea.

Perissa gave us a breather between inland villages and the south coast’s scenery.

Red Beach and its red cliffs

We continued to Red Beach near Akrotiri village.

The red cliffs above the sea look very different from the island’s dark beaches. Their colour contrast makes this a memorable photography stop.

For us, this was a scenic stop, not a beach day or a visit to Akrotiri’s archaeological site, which we did not explore.

Useful detail: distinguish the viewpoint from beach access and check current restrictions. The footpath from the car park may be closed because of rockfall risk.

Back to the caldera

We returned to Imerovigli for sunset, then the Three Bells of Fira for the final colours.

It was a full day. Distances on the island are short, but walks, stops and finding parking take time.

Dinner at Metaxi Mas

We ended the day at Metaxi Mas.

We had passed it several times and always found it full. We eventually looked into its reputation and decided to try dinner there ourselves.

The restaurant was a fitting part of discovering Santorini. Meals become memories of a day just as villages and viewpoints do.

For the beginning of this day, explore the villages of Pyrgos, Emporio and Megalochori. Our evening viewpoints are covered in our article on Santorini sunsets.

Map: Santorini

Find our sightseeing stops, accommodation and restaurants. Suggested places we did not visit are marked separately on the map.

Episodes from our trip to Greece

• Full itinerary — Greece in 11 days: Santorini, Meteora, Delphi and Athens
• 🇬🇷 Episode 1 — Oia and Ammoudi: our first steps in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 2 — Imerovigli and Skaros: our favourite views in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 3 — Pyrgos, Emporio and Megalochori: Santorini’s villages
• 🇬🇷 Episode 4 — Southern Santorini: Zoodochos Pigi, Perissa and Red Beach
• 🇬🇷 Episode 5 — Santorini boat trip: volcano, hot springs and Thirassia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 6 — Santorini sunsets: our viewpoints and favourite restaurants
• 🇬🇷 Episode 7 — Meteora in two days: monasteries, viewpoints and a walk
• 🇬🇷 Episode 8 — Visiting Delphi: Apollo’s sanctuary, museum and Athena Pronaia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 9 — Athens: our visits from the Acropolis to Lycabettus
• 🇬🇷 Episode 10 — Cape Sounion at sunset: the Temple of Poseidon

Planning your visit

Greek National Tourism Organisation.