5 Hidden Beaches You Can Only Reach by Car
Vlychada's lunar cliffs, Koloumbos's warm crater water, and three more beaches with no bus stop, no taxi rank, and no crowds.
Santorini's two famous beaches — Red Beach and Perissa — are well served by the KTEL bus and crammed by 11am. The other coast looks completely different, and almost no one without a car ever sees it. Here are five worth the drive.
Vlychada
Thirteen kilometres south of Fira, Vlychada feels like a different planet. Wind has carved the pumice cliffs into curves that look hand-sculpted, and the dark grey sand makes the rock face glow. There's free parking right at the beach and a single, low-key bar (Theros) at the south end. Come for an hour of late-afternoon light and you'll have a 200-metre stretch almost to yourself.
Eros
A short drive west of Vlychada, then about 2 km of well-marked dirt road. Eros is more secluded than Vlychada, with the same dramatic white cliffs behind grey sand, no facilities, and usually fewer than ten people at a time. Bring water, an umbrella, and shoes that handle stony tracks.
Koloumbos
Drive north-east from Oia, past the village of Kolumbo. The road ends at a small parking patch and a steep path down to one of the longest, quietest beaches on the island. Koloumbos sits over Santorini's underwater volcanic crater, which keeps the water several degrees warmer than the rest of the coast — even in late May you can swim without flinching. No facilities, mixed nudist crowd, and breathtaking emptiness.
Mesa Pigadia
South of Akrotiri, past the lighthouse turn. A narrow road drops you into a small fishing cove with two tavernas and crystal-clear water against red volcanic rock. Park early — there are maybe 30 spots and they fill up by 1pm in July.
Cape Mavropetra (Pori)
The northernmost tip of the island. The road from Oia winds through vineyards and abandoned chapels before ending at a small parking area above a black-pebble cove. The water here is deep almost from the shoreline, making it a favourite of locals who want to actually swim, not wade.
Practical bit
Most of these have dirt sections, so ask for a compact or SUV rather than a tiny city car — a Citroën C1 will get nervous on the Eros track. None has shade, food, or rentable umbrellas. Pack water and a thin sarong, and you're set.