If you are just starting your Santorini planning, you might have never heard of Pyrgos Kallistis, the highest village on the island. But we are here to tell you that you definitely should include Pyrgos in your Santorini itinerary, especially if you are here for more than a day. Not being known for any particular site or attraction is in part what makes its charm – it’s one of the most authentic and traditional Cycladic villages you will find on Santorini. Few people venture here compared to Oia and Fira, which means you could feel like you have the place to yourself times in this enchanting hilltop village despite being on an island known to be filled with tourists. Below we present our Santorini Travel Guide on the Top Things to See and Do in Pyrgos to help get the most out of your time in this charming hilltop village.
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About Pyrgos
Commonly referred to as Pyrgos, Pyrgos Kallistis has the distinction of being Santorini’s highest village, from which you can get panoramic views of the entire island. Due to its privileged elevated location in the centre of Santorini, Pyrgos historically served as a great vantage point to protect the entire isle, while its elevated position combined with its narrow, winding alleys made it difficult for marauders to invade. This is also where you’ll find one of the best-preserved 16th-century Venetian castle ruins perched atop the village, one of Santorini’s most-famed restaurants and a café with one of the best spots to watch the sunset in Santorini. Add to the list the traditional Cycladic architecture, remains of neo-classical mansions, lovely churches scattered around the town, narrow winding paths leading up the hillside, small white houses, art galleries, and nearby vineyards, this traditional hilltop village definitely has a lot of appeal and is fascinating to discover.
Orientation – Where is Pyrgos?
Pyrgos (also known as Pyrgos Kallistis) is located in southcentral Santorini, about 5 km from the south of the island’s capital, Fira. It’s a relatively small village that can easily be explored on foot in about an hour. It is quite hilly with many ups and downs, so that is something to consider when planning your visit.
During our travels in Santorini, we used a combination of walking, taking the bus and using a rental vehicle to get around (for more information on how to get around the island you can read our Guide on How to Get Around Santorini). We arrived in Pyrgos by car as we visited the village during a day where we also stopped at nearby wineries and spent some time at some nearby beaches, which made it easier and more convenient to move around the island. The village is fairly easy to reach regardless of your preferred method of transportation.
By Car: If driving, it’s only a 10-minute drive from Fira. There are several free parking lots scattered around the village. This lot is the largest and the easiest to access on the edge of the village. Alternatively, this lot is more central but it’s smaller and fills up more quickly.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Santorini.
By Bus: There are regular buses from Fira* to Pyrgos. The ride takes about 20-25 minutes and costs around €2 for an adult. If you are based elsewhere, you’ll have to transit through Fira first (almost every town and village on Santorini is connected to Fira by a bus route).
*Note that the timetables listed are the current timetables, which change throughout the year with increased service during the summer high season
By Group Tour: Another option is to join one of several group tours of Santorini that include a visit to Pyrgos.
By Private Transport: If you prefer the comfort of travelling around with a local driver, there are also several options available.
Or if you are coming straight from the airport/port you can use a private service like Welcome Pickups.
Best Things to See and Do in Pyrgos
Wander Pyrgos’s Narrow Streets and Hidden Alleyways
Trying to get lost in Pyrgos is half the fun of exploring the village. Although it’s nearly impossible to get truly lost due to its small size, it’s very easy to take a few wrong turns and make interesting discoveries. You could probably walk around the village in less than 30 minutes, but there are so many hidden alleyways and cute streets that you will want to allow at least an hour, if not more, to properly explore Pyrgos. There are several beautifully painted houses and doors, and several blue-dome churches to catch your eye. It’s also a great place to take your time and enjoy the many white-washed houses and buildings that are built in the traditional style of the Cycladic islands, providing you with a more unique and authentic experience compared to some of the more touristic villages in Santorini.
You will also likely pass by a few interesting artisan and gift shops, often giving Pyrgos the feeling of a bit of an open-air art exhibit.
Find the Village’s Highest Point – Kasteli of Pyrgos
The castle is one of five castles built by the Venetians on Santorini to protect themselves from pirates. It is believed to be the last of the five to be built and was completed in the late 16th century. It’s believed that its overall structure was similar to the Skaros fortress (which now lies mostly in ruins). Today the castle is relatively well-preserved despite the serious damage it suffered during and following the 1956 earthquake, and is the best preserved of the five original castles. The Kasteli of Pyrgos is also free to enter and explore and will provide you with some of the best panoramic views of Santorini.
Visit the Virgin Mary Holy Orthodox Church of Pyrgos
Although the blue-domed churches might first grab your attention, this church, built in the 1600s, is one of the highest churches in Santorini (to our knowledge, only the Prophet Elias Monastery sits at a higher elevation). It is one of the largest and most frequented religious buildings on the island of Santorini. There are no displayed visiting times, but when open it is free to enter. Inside, you can find a wood-carved altar with icons depicting saints.
Enjoy a drink with a view at Franco’s Cafe
Franco’s Cafe is a lovely cafe sitting on the top of the hill of Pyrgos Kallistis with a large outdoor seeing area, and one of the best spots to watch the sunset in Santorini. Aside from the view, the Cafe is known for its variety of cocktails, delicious tarts and desserts, and the classical music played throughout the day.
Dine with a View at Pyrgos Restaurant
Located on the outskirts of the Pyrgos, this restaurant has a beautiful dining area with amazing panoramic views of Santorini. Its history dates back to 1980 and today it is one of the most popular wedding and event venues in Santorini.
Best Things to See and Do near Pyrgos
Enjoy some beach time at Kamari Beach
Kamari Beach is a beautiful volcanic beach located on the eastern coast of Santorini, less than a 10-minute drive from Pyrgos. The long 2 km stretch of black sand is perfect for sunbathing and relaxation, with well-organized sunbeds and umbrellas available for rent. The crystal-clear waters are ideal for swimming and there are designated swimming areas with lifeguards on duty. Kamari Beach also has a lively promenade lined with restaurants, cafes and shops, perfect for a nice seaside stroll, shopping and dining. Kamari Beach is one of our Favorite Beaches to visit in Santorini.
We found that the best place to park is in this small and free parking lot, which is located a 5-minute walk from the beach.
Visit the nearby Art Space Gallery and Winery
Only a short 7-minute drive away (or a 30-minute walk) from Pyrgos is the unique Art Space Gallery and Winery. This is where SantoWines used to be before they moved to their current location in 1952. A new winery opened in 1999, this time called Art Space, once the old wine-making chambers were restored by the previous owners’ son. This new winery is hosted in an adjacent underground cave, whose entrance is 8m below ground. The dominant material in this cave is a dense layer of pumice, 6m thick, creating the perfect insulating environment for wine maturation. The wine comes from organic vineyards located above the cave. Since reopening, the caved-in old winery chambers of Art Space Santorini have held contemporary paintings and sculptures of approximately 200 top Greek and foreign artists — all of which are for sale. Wine tastings come with a tour of the winery and the art exhibits. Art Space Gallery and Winery is one of our Favorite Wineries to visit in Santorini.
Hike to Prophitis Ilias Monastery
A short out-and-back hike along a 5.1 km (with 277m elevation gain) will take you up to Santorini’s most beautiful monastery, located atop Prophitis Ilias mountain, where the view of the entire island is panoramic and spectacular. If you don’t want to hike to the top, you can also drive up to the monastery.
Visit the nearby Village of Megalochori
Like Pyrgos, Megalochori is one of those more authentic Santorini villages that doesn’t get overcrowded with tourists. Also, like Pyrgos, it’s a great place to just wander and get lost in the various streets and alleyways that make up this beautiful village.
Megalochori is also where you will find our favorite winery in Santorini: Gavalas Winery. It’s a small boutique winery that has been family-run for 5 generations (over 300 years). The cute authentic decor and attention to detail made it a memorable experience.
Megalochori is only a 7-minute drive from Pyrgos, and you can even walk between both villages if you would like (40 minutes each way), but most of the roads you would have to take don’t have sidewalks. For more information on visiting this charming village, be sure to check out our Guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Megalochori.
Visit the nearby Archaeological site of Ancient Thera
Ancient Thera is the name of an archaeological site from classical antiquity that sits atop Mesa Vouno. Many consider it the second most important archaeological site in Santorini after Ancient Akrotiri. The archaeological site is well organized with a defined route across various open-air ruins including former sanctuaries, temples, and public buildings. The history of ancient Thera dates back to the 9th-8th centuries BC.
The archaeological site is located a short 15-minute drive from Pyrgos. Alternatively, you can hike to the site from Kamari following an out-and-back 7.2 km trail.
Visit the Kamari Open-Air Cinema
The Kamari Open-Air Cinema is a unique setting that allows you to enjoy modern movies in an outdoor environment. It’s a short 7-minute drive from Pyrgos. All movies are popular current movies in English, shown with Greek subtitles. Doors open at 8:30, movies start at 9:30, and you cannot book ahead.
Best Time to Visit Pyrgos
If you would like to explore the town freely without too many other tourists around, we suggest arriving in the early morning or late afternoon. Doing so will allow you to avoid the majority of day trippers, particularly during the high summer season. We opted to visit in the late afternoon and crossed very few other tourists. In fact, we probably crossed more locals than tourists while walking through the village. In that sense, Pyrgos definitely feels a world apart from towns like Oia and Fira. The villages of Megalochori and, to a lesser extent, Imerovigli, also share these quieter village qualities.
Preparing a trip to Santorini?
You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in Santorini
Santorini Itinerary Ideas (1 to 5 days)
Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on Santorini
How to Get Around Santorini
Preparing a trip to Greece?
You might be interested in these Greece pages:
Top Things to See and Do in Greece
Two-Week Greece Itinerary (including Mykonos and Santorini)
Greece Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
How to Travel Around Greece
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steeves Greece
Lonely Planet Greece
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage for travellers. Includes Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. Primarily geared towards long-term travellers, digital nomads, and expats.
e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Santorini Travel Guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Pyrgos and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Santorini.
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