If you are looking for a beautiful, yet authentic and traditional Cycladic village on Santorini without the crowds, then Megalochori is definitely for you. For many Santorini can feel like an overcrowded place, and that’s true for places like Fira and Oia, which suffer at times from overtourism. However, if you look elsewhere on the island, there are a lot of quieter places and there are still some (somewhat) hidden gems, like the central villages of Megalochori and Pyrgos. Although these towns have been touched by tourism, they are also places where you can still find yourself walking alone through their charming side streets and alleyways. In fact, Megalochori is one of the rare villages where you might see more residents than tourists, especially outside of peak season. Below we present our Santorini Travel Guide on the Top Things to See and Do in Megalochori to help get the most out of your time when visiting this superb Greek island. We do not doubt that you will be charmed by this enchanting and atmospheric village, filled with white-washed buildings, blue-domed churches and a winery to boot.
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About Megalochori
Megalochori is one of the most traditional and authentic villages of Santorini, near the edge of the caldera along Santorini’s western coast, but not built along the edge like Fira, Imerovigli and Oia. It’s also smack in the middle of the island’s wine country, with several beautiful vineyards surrounding the village.
Common features of most of the historical homes here are the high walls, inner courtyards and solid wooden door entrances, built for privacy and protection against marauding pirates. Many of these homes have been restored and offer a glimpse of how they may have looked back in the 17th century.
There’s also a small and quaint main square near the village center with a few tavernas and cafes, and several trees providing shade for locals to play a game of cards or ‘tavli’ (backgammon). From here, streets spiral out in all directions in a maze of cobbled streets and hidden alleyways, waiting to be discovered. There are several picturesque small churches scattered throughout the village.
Orientation – Where is Megalochori?
Megalochori is located in the southwestern part of Santorini, approximately 7 kilometres south of the island’s capital, Fira. It’s fairly easy to get to, either by bus or rental vehicle (car, ATV or scooter). Although we did use a rental vehicle to explore more remote areas of the island, we chose to visit Megalochori by bus from Fira. In any case, the village is fairly easy to reach regardless of your preferred method of travel.
By Car: If driving, it’s a short 10-minute drive from Fira. Since driving inside the village is rather difficult due to the narrow streets, we recommend parking at one of several parking lots that surround the village.
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 Megalochori. The ride takes about 15 minutes and costs around €2 for an adult (2024). 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 Megalochori.
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 transfer service like Welcome Pickups.
Best Things to See and Do in Megalochori
Wander Megalochori’s Narrow Streets and Hidden Alleyways
This honestly is so much fun and definitely something to do in Megalochori. You don’t have to wander far, as you can probably see most of the town in 30-40 minutes at a slow pace. Much like in Pyrgos, this is one of the only villages in Santorini where you can feel alone at times, or see more locals than tourists, particularly when wandering outside the town’s central square. Leaving the town’s central “road” (it’s more of a large alleyway than anything else) is the best way to do so, and you will come across so many picturesque white-washed homes, unique architecture, beautifully-coloured doors, and captivating blue & white churches. Visiting this charming yet calm village will definitely provide a stark and welcome contrast to visiting the busier towns of Oia and Fira.
Find Megalochori’s Famous Bell tower
It’s actually hard to miss as it towers above (literally above) the town’s main street. If coming from the North, you’ll cross early in your walk, before you reach the town square. It’s an impressive and unique sight, given that it was built above the street as opposed to directly next to the church. This imposing six-bell tower belongs to the nearby Virgin Mary Church.
Just after you pass the town square, you’ll come across a second (less imposing but no less beautiful) archway bell tower, this one belonging to the Virgin Mary Church (Panagia ton Eisodion) church.
Walk towards the Caldera Just Outside of Town
This activity is best kept for either just before visiting Megalochori or just after. Walk west and cross the main north-south road that follows the caldera rim from Fira, towards this large parking lot, along the edge of the caldera. On your way there you will first come across the beautiful Church of the Transfiguration of Christ.
Once in the parking lot, turn back towards Megalochori to enjoy the views of the Megalochori Windmill and Pyrgos high in the background. Afterward, you can walk down a short hiking trail towards the Heart of Santorini (essentially a hole in the stone wall providing you with a beautiful view of Santorini’s coast) and the Church of Agio Nikolaos.
Experience a Wine-Tasting in a Truly Authentic and Charming Setting
We experienced an amazing wine-tasting experience at Gavalas Winery – it was our favorite winery in Santorini. The winery is located just off the town’s main road near the town center, it’s hard to miss as there are several signs indicating where to go. 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.
For more information on visiting this winery, check out our Guide on the Three Wineries to Explore in Santorini.
Grab a Delicious Bite to Eat in a Relaxed Setting
Although the main town square is pretty main squares flanked by a few tavernas, we highly recommend stopping at Avlogyros, where we enjoyed a delicious meal in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.
When is the Best Time to Visit Megalochori?
If you would like to explore the town freely without too many other tourists around, we suggest arriving in the early morning or the late afternoon to avoid the majority of day-trippers, particularly if you are visiting during the high summer season. Having said that, we actually visited the village from mid-morning to mid-afternoon (though this was in mid-September), and never felt that the town got overcrowded with tourists. In that sense, Megalochori definitely feels a world apart from towns like Oia and Fira. The villages of Pyrgos and, to a lesser extent, Imerovigli, also share these quieter village qualities.
Best Things to See and Do Near Megalochori
Visit the Beautiful Hilltop Town of Pyrgos
If you love the idea of visiting Megalochori, then you should also love the idea of visiting Pyrgos, Santorini’s most elevated village. It shares many of the same charming and authentic qualities that you will find in Megalochori. It’s a great place to just wander the different streets and alleyways, and it has medieval castle ruins at the top offering amazing panoramic views of Santorini in every direction.
For more information on visiting Pyrgos, be sure to check out our Guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Pyrgos.
Visit the Akrotiri Archeological Site
You have no doubt heard of Pompeii, Italy, the ancient city Italy’s ancient city that was buried following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. But did you know Santorini has its own “Pompei”, and that it is substantially older? The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini (Thíra) is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. The earliest evidence for human habitation of Akrotiri can be traced back as early as the fifth millennium BC when it was a small fishing and farming village.
It’s a fascinating area to discover and it’s easily reachable from either Megalochori or Fira, as Megalochori is roughly halfway along the the Fira-Akrotiri bus line. For more information on the site, be sure to check out our Santorini Travel Guide on the Akrotiri Archeological Site.
Visit the Red Beach
Just a few hundred meters from the Akrotiri Archeological Site lies Red Beach, also known as Kokkini Paralia, which is in our view the most unique and visually stunning beach in Santorini. It’s only a 7-minute walk from the archeological site and definitely worth the slight detour to see it. Though the trail to the beach is potentially hazardous due to landslides, the trail section leading to this viewpoint is perfectly safe. For more information on visiting this beach and others, be sure to check out our Guide on Santorini’s Best Beaches.
Visit Fira, Santorini’s Capital
You probably already know about Fira, and you might be staying there during your time in Santorini. But just in case you weren’t sure about it, we thought we would highlight it here. Sometimes Fira gets a bad rap for being too busy or too crowded, and while that may be true, we still feel the town and its beautiful caldera-side walking trail are worthy of a visit. If you would prefer to avoid the crowds, we recommend a few options on how to do in your Best Things to See and Do in Fira guide.
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
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e-Sim cards
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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 Megalochori and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Santorini.
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