10 Things to Do in Santorini in Winter

Winter weather settles in Santorini between December and February, so it is considered a low season in terms of tourist activity. However, during this season the island offers unique activities and opportunities if you want a peaceful and authentic atmosphere. Before travelling during this time, be aware that temperatures can drop by around 10 degrees Celsius during the day.

Although some tourist attractions may be closed during the winter, you can still sign up for many of the best things to see and do in Santorini. You can visit wineries and taste delicious local wines, sign up for a food tour to enjoy Greek flavours and even explore the deserted beaches. Plus, a great benefit of the season is that accommodation and food prices drop considerably.

This is one of the most relaxing things to do in Santorini during the winter season, because you have the opportunity to enjoy the thermal baths on the island of Palea Kameni. These baths are located in the bay of Nea Kameni and can be reached by taking a Santorini cruise excursion, which departs from Fira all year round. The best thing about this island is that you can enjoy numerous thermal spr ings which are very popular with visitors and locals alike who want to relax.

These thermal waters have been known since Roman times for their healing and relaxing properties. They also contain minerals that are beneficial to the skin and health, including relieving stress and anxiety. The best thing about bathing in hot springs during the winter is that you can escape the cold and relax in the warm water temperatures.

Details of interest

• Price: To enjoy the hot springs you will have to pay around 30 euros per person.
• Timetable: These hot springs are open during variable hours, although the timetable for this type of visit, when guided, has to be coordinated with your tour guide.
• Location: The hot springs are located on the island of Palea Kameni.

In winter I recommend you sign up for a hike around the Nea Kameni volcano and the calderas. Although the temperature on the island can be a bit chilly, the panoramic views of the volcano and its surroundings are breathtaking and make the hike worthwhile. During this tour, which is included among the best Santorini tours, you will have the opportunity to explore the crater of the volcano and see the fumaroles and volcanic rocks up close.

The tour will allow you to enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding calderas as well as the blue waters of the area. Also, as this tour is usually done together with tour guides, it is a good opportunity to learn about the geology and history of the island. At the end of the hike, you could take a rest and, if you wish, enter the thermal baths in the vicinity of Palea Kameni island.

Details of interest

• Price: This guided tour can cost around 100 euros per person.
• Time: Generally this activity takes place during the morning.
• Location: The hike takes place in the vicinity of the calderas and the volcano.

Wine tasting at a local winery in Santorini is a must-do activity that you'll love to enjoy during the winter season. Most of the wineries are closed during the cold season, but many are kept open for tours and tastings, so your experience during the activity will be much more exclusive and personal.

On such a visit you will have the opportunity to taste some of Santorini's best wines, such as the citrusy, mineral-tinged Assyrtiko variety. But you'll also get to see first-hand the island' s traditional method of vineyard cultivation, which has a history dating back more than 3,000 years.

An amazing place for this activity is the wine village of Pyrgos, which is located on a hill near Fira, however, I recommend making sure that the village has wineries open during the month of your trip. Overall this activity is one of the best ways to experience the local culture and enjoy the rural landscapes of Santorini, while tasting the different wines produced in the area and learning about the winemaking process.

Details of interest

• Price: Wine tasting tours usually cost around 120 euros per person.
• Timetable: These activities usually take place between morning and afternoon, however, the specific timetable you will need to arrange together with your tour guide.
• Location: The best wines can be found in Pyrgos.

When you travel to Santorini during the winter, you should not miss the opportunity to get to know the history and culture of the island. To get to know these roots in a detailed and fun way, I recommend you sign up for a visit to Akrotiri, which is a well-known archaeological site where you can learn the basics of the island's past. To get a better overview of this place, you need to know that Akrotiri is considered one of the most important excavation areas in the Aegean Sea.

It is a prehistoric settlement that was abandoned after a major volcanic eruption around 1627 BC, a story very similar to that of a certain Roman city, which is why it is known as the Pompeii of Greece. After so many thousands of years under the ashes, it is now a kind of town frozen in time.

The layer of ash left by the eruption allowed the archaeological remains to be preserved for thousands of years, so now you can visit and appreciate them as if they had been suspended in time.

Foundations of ancient houses, pottery and tools, magnificently preserved walls and frescoes will give you an insight into the daily life of the island's inhabitants in the Bronze Age.

Interesting details

• Price: A guided tour of this place will cost you an average of 130 euros per person.
• Time: You will usually have the opportunity to get to know this place during the morning.
• Location: The ruins of Akrotiri are located very close to Fira.

Just as it is a good idea to take part in a wine tasting during the winter, it is also a good idea to visit the Koutsos Giannopoulos Wine Museum in Santorini. The museum is located in the town of Vothonas, near Fira. This is a place where you can have a complete experience because you will get to taste the local wines of Santorini, while learning about the wine making process.

You will also see a large collection of antique tools and equipment that were used in wine production at some point in history. Some of these objects include grape presses, oak barrels and hand presses. The best thing about these artefacts is that they have been carefully restored and are now displayed in an incredible atmosphere that takes you back in time.

In addition to all these features, in the museum you can also visit an underground cellar, carved into the hill bank and considered to be one of the largest wine cellars in Santorini. Inside the cellar is stored a large number of wine bottles, some of which date back more than 50 years. It will be quite an experience to get to know this precious relic of the island.

Interesting details

• Price: To visit this museum you will have to pay around 20-30 euros per person.
• Opening hours: The museum is open between 9:00 and 19:00. While on Sundays it opens from 10:00.
• Location: This museum is located in the city of Vothonas.

A unique experience in Santorini that you can have in winter if you don't mind the cold, is to enjoy an unforgettable night celebrating a Greek wedding in a 200-year-old house in Fira. It is a show prepared by the locals to give you the intense experience of a Greek wedding in the city.

The show is interesting and fun because it offers you an interactive experience of theatre, live music, traditions, culture, dancing and plate breaking, all in a wedding celebration set in the 1940's.

Also during this experience you will have the opportunity to meet a Greek family, while savouring delicious appetizers and homemade dishes, accompanied by a good tasting of local wine. But you will also have the opportunity to have a great time smashing plates and dancing to the rhythm of Greek music. The show lasts about two hours, enough time to fall in love with Greek culture.

Interesting details

• Price: You will have to pay around 70 euros to enjoy this experience.
• Time: The whole show lasts about 2 hours.
• Location: The wedding takes place in a house that is over 200 years old, located in Fira.

Visiting the areas of Oia and Fira in Santorini during the winter is an experience that will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the island in a more peaceful environment. You will be able to find different activities to do in this region. In Oia, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and the caldera, as well as stroll through its narrow cobbled streets that are lined with shops, art galleries and restaurants with panoramic views.

On the other hand, Fira, which is the capital of Santorini, offers a more cosmopolitan and commercial experience. If you want to have a lively nightlife experience, this is the place to go, also for different bars and restaurants. In general during the winter in Santorini, you will be able to explore the areas of Oia and Fira which remain less crowded.

Interesting details

• Price: There is no cost to visit this area.
• Time: You can do the tour at any time of the day, although you might preferably do it during the morning.
• Location: Fira and Oia are the most popular areas on the island of Santorini.

If there are two of the island's most iconic beaches that you can't miss, even during the winter season, it's the Black and Red Beaches. Exploring them during the winter has its advantages, mainly because you will find fewer people than during the summer.

Touring the Black and Red beaches are two of the most popular beaches in Santorini thanks to the uniqueness of their landscapes. The Black Beach is known for its black volcanic sand, while the Red Beach is special for its red volcanic rock cliffs, which are a sight to behold. Visiting both beaches is a short experience that you can do in the morning or during a free afternoon and is an ideal option if you want to enjoy the cool coastal breeze during the winter.

Interesting details

• Price: There is no charge to visit these beaches unless you take a private tour which would cost approximately 100 euros per person.
• Timetable: This type of tour can be done in the afternoon or in the morning. In case you do it through a guided experience, you will have to agree the time together with your tour guide.
• Location: Red beach is located in the south western part of the island. Black beach is located on Kamari beach.

Santorini in winter is a perfect place to explore traditional Greek culture, especially during the Christmas season. At this time of year you can discover unique traditions such as decorating boats instead of Christmas trees and breaking pomegranates on New Year's Eve, all of which are among the most special traditions of the Christmas season throughout Santorini and Greece.

Another thing you'll love about this time of year is meeting and sharing with the locals, which will give you a real insight into Greek hospitality. These Christmas activities are sure to be a delight to include in your itinerary if you are travelling to Santorini in December.

I recommend making a reservation at a local restaurant or taverna to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner, which you can experience in the company of your friends and family if you go along with your group. You can also make a reservation for New Year's Eve.

Interesting details

• Price: Reservations for New Year's Eve in the island's restaurants usually cost around 30 euros per person.
• Opening hours: You can enjoy the Christmas and New Year activities all day long, but especially in the evening.
• Location: The whole island is infused with the Christmas atmosphere.

Visiting Santorini in winter allows you to walk and explore the island on foot, and one of the best places to do this is the hiking route between Oia and Fira. On this route you can enjoy the scenery, the daily life of the area and the customs of the locals.

The hiking route from one village to the other takes just under four hours to complete. You will be able to see beautiful panoramic views along the way and also visit some churches such as Psilos Stavros, the Skaros Stone and the charming village of Imerovigli. The best thing about doing this route during the winter is that you won't find as many tourists on the route.

You can do this route on your own, but one of the best ways to do it is to sign up for a guided experience with an expert guide who will not only introduce you to the place, but also tell you interesting facts about the island, its history, archaeology and the extensive and rich culture it has to offer.

Interesting details

• Price: If you do this tour on your own you will not have to pay anything. But if you take a guided tour you will have to pay just over 30 euros per person.
• Time: The best time to do this walking tour is in the morning.
• Location: This route connects Fira and Oia.