The old hilltop capital of Pyrgos and the wine country around it — labyrinthine lanes, a Venetian castle, and the island's best wineries and traditional tavernas. Authentic, peaceful and the best value on Santorini, central for getting anywhere by car; where to stay for the real island away from the caldera crush.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€80–140
typical per night in Greece
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Santorini — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Pyrgos & inland and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Kamari & Perissa (beach)9 min taxi3.0 km
- Fira & the caldera rim12 min taxi3.9 km
- The black-sand beaches13 min taxi4.3 km
- The volcano & hot springs15 min taxi5.0 km
- The Fira to Oia caldera walk17 min taxi5.7 km
- Skaros Rock18 min taxi6.0 km
- Oia's blue domes32 min taxi10.8 km
- The Oia sunset32 min taxi10.8 km
- Amoudi Bay34 min taxi11.4 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.




- 6.Santorini wine tasting — The volcanic soil and sea mist make Santorini one of Greece's great wine islands — its crisp, mineral Assyrtiko whites and sweet Vinsanto grown on vines coiled into low baskets against the wind. Tour a caldera-view winery for a tasting at sunset; the setting is as good as the wine.
- 10.Ancient Akrotiri — A 'Bronze Age Pompeii' — a remarkably preserved Minoan town buried under volcanic ash 3,600 years ago, with multi-storey houses, streets and frescoes, all under a modern roof. A genuinely astonishing site and the island's deep history; small, cool and a fascinating hour away from the beaches nearby.
- 12.Pyrgos village — The prettiest of the inland villages and the old island capital — a tangle of whitewashed lanes and churches winding up to a Venetian castle with a view over the whole island to the sea. Quiet, authentic and blissfully un-touristy; climb to the top at sunset for a caldera-free panorama.
- 14.Santorian food — The volcanic soil gives the island a cuisine of its own — sweet cherry tomatoes fried into tomatokeftedes fritters, creamy fava (yellow split-pea purée), white aubergines, capers and the freshest grilled fish. Eat it at a village taverna or an Amoudi harbour table, with a cold Assyrtiko.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Pyrgos & inland; flights via Google Flights.