Mistakes everyone makes in Santorini
Most mistakes here are not about money but about the network and the season — a line that doesn't run straight, a slot that fills up, and a boat that doesn't run in winter.
- Akrotiri
- Entry in a slot booked in advance
- The caldera boat
- Runs reliably roughly May–October
- Ancient Thera
- Not the same as Akrotiri
Eight mistakes that are easiest to repeat here, because they look logical on a map or in your head, while the island works differently — one bus network, two separate entry points, and one tour that depends on the month.
Assuming the bus runs straight across
The map makes it look like Akrotiri connects straight to Kamari, down the same coast. KTEL doesn't work that way — every line starts and ends in Fira, so that 'straight' route actually means two buses and a change at the same station.
Akrotiri without a slot
Entry to Akrotiri is in a slot booked in advance, not walked up to from a queue. Arrive without a booking in season and you're often left at the gate — that day's slots are already sold out.
Akrotiri and Ancient Thera, mixed up
Two different sites, two different eras: Akrotiri is a Bronze Age town on the south of the island, Ancient Thera is a Dorian town from a much later period, on the ridge above Kamari. Plan just one thinking you've seen both, and you miss half the island's story.
Booking the caldera boat in winter
The tour to Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni is run by private operators, who don't sail reliably outside roughly May–October. Plan that day in the middle of winter with no backup and you can easily end up with no boat that morning.
Sandals on the caldera boat trip
The path up to the crater on Nea Kameni is loose volcanic rock, not levelled ground — in sandals the walk takes longer and ankles twist more easily. Closed shoes turn that tour from a struggle into an easy walk.
The black beach with no sandals
Black volcanic sand in Kamari and Perissa absorbs more heat than pale sand — by midsummer it's hot enough that walking barefoot at midday isn't an option. A towel or sandals to the sunbed sorts that out.
The Oia castle spot at the wrong time
The spot on the castle ruins in Oia, where the sunset is watched from, fills up hours ahead in July and August — arrive half an hour before sunset and you watch it over other people's shoulders. Outside July and August the same spot is still free half an hour before.
A ferry mistaken for the airport bus
The island has two entry points that are easy to mix up when planning: the airport to the east and Athinios port to the south-west. Arrive by plane planning a transfer as if you'd got off a ferry, and you wait in the wrong place — the KTEL from the airport and the KTEL from Athinios are two different lines.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is there a direct bus from Akrotiri to the beach at Kamari?
No — every KTEL line starts and ends in Fira, so that route goes through the same station, with a change.
Can Akrotiri tickets be bought on the spot?
Rarely in season — entry is in a slot booked in advance, and slots fill up quickly.
Does the volcano tour run all year?
Not reliably — outside roughly May–October, private operators often don't sail.
Ready for Santorini?
Where to next
Santorini in 3 days
→Day one follows the caldera rim to Oia, day two goes south to Akrotiri, day three goes onto the water, on a…
Mykonos · 116 km
→A white town on the wind, beaches on the south coast and Delos a boat ride away
How well does Santorini suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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