Famous across the world and cherished from thousands of visitors every year, the island of Santorini became a world known destination for the impressive caldera views, the black sandy beach and the delicious products! Sunhaus is located at the beachfront of the black beach. With a unique environment, plenty of things to do, holidays in Perissa are an experience to be lived and enjoyed!
Perissa is a coastal village on the Greek island of Santorini. It’s known for the Perissa Black Sand Beach, packed by restaurants and bars. Nearby, the whitewashed Timiou Stavro church is topped by distinctive blue domes. A trail leads up Mesa Vouno, a rugged mountain with views over the Aegean Sea. At the top is the site of Ancient Thira, with Hellenistic ruins including a temple and an ancient theater.
Starting from your apartment you can enjoy all the exciting summer experiences that Santorini offers to its visitors. Relax and breathe in the cool sea breeze, feel invigorated after a day at the beach and explore the nearby activities and sites! The people of Sunhaus will guide you on where to find and enjoy the very best of Santorini!
Tip: The beach of Perissa is the location of the church of Santa Irini that gave its name to the island of Santorini.
Find out all the details about the distances from Sunhaus!
From the bus stop: 100 m
From Fira: 12 km
From the port: 8 km
From the airport: 14 km
From Oia: 20 km
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Perissa Beach
The beautiful Perissa Beach lies at the base of Mesa Vouno Mountain that separates Perissa from Kamari and on its top you can admire the eminent archaeological site of ancient Thera and a superb view. It is about 13 kilometers away from Fira, on the southeast coast of Santorini and is easily accessible by car or bus. The scenery that the black lava sand along with the sandy sea bottom and the dark blue, crystal clear waters compose is impressive. It is one of the longest and most famous beaches in Santorini, a characteristic sight of the volcanic island.
It is a fully organized, cosmopolitan beach with an abundance of comfy lounging chairs, umbrellas and other amenities, like lifeguards, showers and a playground. It is worth mentioning that it has received the Blue Flag award since it is very clean and tidy. At the end of the beach there is a suggested diving location if you are bold enough to dive. You can choose from a wide variety of water sports, from wind surfing and parasailing to jet skiing, canoeing and banana boats that will rock your experience. In addition, there are two diving centers for fascinating explorations. Finally, a wonderful water park with three water slides and pools offers fun and entertainment to children and grown-ups as well.
You can unwind and enjoy your day at the plenty seaside cafes and bars and taste traditional dishes in the several taverns and restaurants you can find. Its cosmopolitan character becomes obvious day and night in the lively clubs and beach bars, where many young people gather. Nevertheless, the beach is a must and ideal for old and young alike as it has something for everybody.
The beach of Perissa is home to many activities that you can enjoy without having to travel far. Besides the Jet Ski and other water sport facilities that cater to all beach-lovers, horseback riding is a very popular and beautiful experience. At the impressive rock of Perissa you can enjoy climbing, whereas hikers can follow the trail leading up to Ancient Thera. There’s also the Perissa circular walk where you can discover many churches and derelict windmills. Make sure you find time for the Perissa to Kamari hike. It’s a fairly strenuous yet scenic walk which takes around two hours to hike a distance of 5.2 kilometres.
The boats sailing from the beach of Perissa will take you the important site of the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri, or, as many call it, Santorini’s Pompeii. For more sightseeing visit the nearby village of Emporio to admire the best preserved castle city of the island. As for a cruise, the catamarans sail from the nearby beach of Vlychada; simply let the people of Sunhaus take care of the details. Also ask the people of Sunhaus to rent a car or an ATV for you to visit the island’s capital Fira, the picturesque Oia and enjoy the beauty of Santorini! The last activity we suggest is a long walk to the seashore of Perissa that continues to Perivolos and Agios Georgios beaches, especially at sunset time!
It is one of the most unforgettable summer experiences in Santorini!
Nearby Beaches
The organized and cosmopolitan beaches of Perivolos and Perissa are within a couple of kilometers distance from each other. Whether you are looking for a fully organized beach with trendy beach bars, traditional or modern restaurants, water sports or just a free and quiet beach to lie whilst enjoying the sun and the crystal clear sea of the EU Blue Flag Awarded beach, here you will find everything you are looking for your summer holidays in Santorini. Vlychada, with the spectacular lunar like scenery
The Churches
One of the most important churches in Santorini, and perhaps the reason the Venetians gave the island this name (Santa Irene), is the now ruined middle-Byzantine (8th-9th century) two-aisled church of Saint Irene (Agia Eirini) in Perissa.
In 1992, while underpinning the church, the ruins of a three-aisled basilica of the 5th century AD dedicated to Saint Irene (Agia Eirini) (with the central aisle 25 meters long) were discovered under the church. The ruins of the eastern aisle had been used to build the middle-Byzantine church. The floor of the basilica is now two meters below the ground. It is considered to be the same as the basilica of Saint Apollinarius of Ravenna, erected in 493 AD.
The little church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) Katefiani is built on the rock of Mesa Vouno, high above the beach of Perissa. The name ‘Katefiani’ comes from the word katefio, or katefygio, meaning a place of refuge, since the inhabitants sought refuge there in times of hostile raids. It dates back to 1537 to 1650 AD. We can reach the little church by following Path 3 (which connects Perissa and Kamari after passing Ancient Thera at the top of Mesa Vouno) for 10 minutes. Then we turn right where we see a cross attached to a rock. At this point, the vertical rock of Mesa Vouno is also used as a climbing field (Perissa climbing field)
Excavations unearthed the city’s necropolis in Sellada. Findings from these excavations are on exhibit at the archaeological museum in Fira.
Ancient Thera is today open to the public and can be reached on a winding road that starts at Kamari or several footpaths from both sides of the mountain.
In just15 minutes’ drive from Sunhaus , the archaeological site of Akrotiri, one of the most important ones in the Eastern Mediterranean
Tucked away at the southern tip of Santorini are the ruins of one of the Bronze age’s most sophisticated settlements, which prospered for centuries before being eradicated by a great volcanic eruption.