Is this possible? Absolutely! And I did it in the first week of July. Depending on your priorities and what you want to see on the island, you could spend either some or all of your time away from crowds and still see the sunset, historic buildings, churches and castles.

I first visited Santorini ten years ago and stayed in the south in Perivolos and visited many different places on the island. However, to do this, you’d need to hire a car and that wasn’t something I wanted to do on my recent (solo) trip.

Pyrgos Village

On my most recent visit, I stayed my first night in Fira and did not like how it had changed over the last decade. Behind the beauty of the Fira cliffs and white houses, crowds of tourists filled the streets, litter was everywhere, there was even a McDonalds and a cannabis shop. Several cruise ships arrived on the same days and most writing on shop signs was in English and not Greek! Having learned Greek to intermediate level, this was very disappointing to me.

The next day, I moved accommodation and rented a room in the inland village of Pyrgos. Despite being only a few kilometres from Fira, it feels a world away. Pyrgos does not have a beach and is situated in the centre of the island. Pyrgos is an excellent destination for those seeking a quieter and more traditional Greek island experience. Accommodation and food here is cheaper than in nearby Fira and the streets are not crowded. There are some other international visitors but by no means is it too much to spoil the village. Buses also stop here to reach other parts of the island. There is a reasonable selection of accommodation here from small apartments to small hotels. A handful of restaurants in the village is enough for the number of visitors who would like to eat lunch or dinner there. I enjoyed every restaurant I tried in Pyrgos, particularly Franco’s Cafe at the top of the village near the Venetian castle. The castle has two churches inside it and underground passageways which were used as an escape route.

View towards Pyrgos from the Church of the Holy Apostles

Pyrgos is the highest village in Santorini which means it has awesome views! You can go hiking in the hills behind Pyrgos and up to the Prophet Elias Monastery. On the way, you’ll pass the Church of the Holy Apostles (pictured) and ruins of a school which was open from 1806 to 1845. From here you can also see the airport runway in the distance and a church built into a rock but I couldn’t work out how to reach that one!

Another hike I did was to the nearby village of Megalochori. Surrounded by vineyards, the village is home to some historical mansions and old traditional houses, some of which were abandoned long ago. The centre of the village has a traditional square with a variety of traditional Greek tavernas. The village is also home to several churches with distinctive bell towers and blue-domed roofs, adding to the classic Greek island scenery.

Mesa Gonia Ghost Town

Mesa Gonia (also known as Episkopi Gonias), is a ghost town in Santorini, situated between Pyrgos and Kamari. The village was largely abandoned after the 1956 earthquake. The blue-domed church of Panagia Episkopi still stands and is open to visitors. The village was one of the main wine-producing areas in Santorini. Today, there are still a couple of wineries you can visit nearby or you can just have a wander around the village and admire the old traditional houses.

Sunset just outside Pyrgos

Many people come to Santorini for the sunset views over the caldera. You can do this in Fira or Oia, although it will be crowded and reserving tables for a sunset view can be expensive. In Pyrgos, you can either walk to the top of the village and enjoy the view from the castle whilst having a drink or a meal, you could walk part way up the hill behind Pyrgos village, or do as I did and walk 10 minutes outside the village towards the rocky coastline. There is a car park there next to a couple of shops and you can stand along the edge and get a great view of the sunset and the caldera without the crowds!

LINKS:

  • To watch my short YouTube video of Santorini, click here.
  • To watch my longer video of Santorini, click here.
  • To read about my Greek language challenge and my 15 minute video speaking Greek, click here.
  • Follow me on Instagram here.
  • By far my favourite resource is Italki where I find my tutors for my Skype lessons. You can register on this link here and after taking your first paid lesson, you will receive some free credits to use towards another lesson.
  • I always use GetYourGuide to book excursions, experiences and airport transfers. Have a look at this LINK to see what they can offer you in Santorini.