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Sail into the volcano!
Granted that coming in by air to Santorini may be faster and more convenient, there is simply no doubt that the most spectacular way of arriving is by sea.
After all, there is only one place in the world where you can sail into the center of a still active volcano.
If you have the time and resilience for a long boat ride, you should begin to feel it worth your effort just around the time the boat makes its way through the narrow passage into the volcano center between the twin islands of Thirassia and Thira (Santorini).
At this point, the Santorini ferry boat passengers have already begun to crowd at the railings and to wield their arsenal of cameras and binoculars.
Everyone is just trying to get the best view and snapshot of what is likely the most remarkable sight in all of the Mediterannean!
From a distance what looks like snow caps on top of the 300 m high volcano walls, will on closer inspection turn out to be a jumble of white-washed stone houses precariously perched along the cliff edges.
Finding the boat for you
Trying to get a complete picture of what ferry goes where and when in the Greek archipelago can be a daunting task.
There are many, more or less serious, travel sites that offer information on the Greek ferry lines, but we often find it hard to extract any reliable and useful information.
If a schedule happen to be listed do not expect it to be correct. Even some official company websites may leave you a little bewildered.
We have spent some time (so you don't have to!) collecting information on the boat connections between Athens and Santorini for the season of 2010.
Itineraries can change, even within season, so we do our best to update it regularly.
Santorini ferry boat arrival and port transfer
Most Santorini ferry boats arrive at the main port of Athinios, south of Fira. From here, all vehicles must make their way up a steep and winding road to the top of the cliff.
It is actually quite an experience in itself, with the views of the volcano getting increasingly magnificent with every turn in a seemingly endless sequence of narrow road hairpins.
We strongly encourage you to have arranged for a hotel pick-up service before your arrival.
Like at the airport, there will only be a few taxis waiting for passengers arriving by boat at Athinios port.
You will have the opportunity to rent a car at the port, but we recommend booking in advance. They go fast, especially in high season.
Santorini ferry boats
Santorini ferry boats run daily from Athens (port of Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Crete and almost all of the Cycladic islands.
From Piraeus, the trip will take between 5 and 15 hours, depending on carrier and the number of stops it makes on the way.
The most popular line is the Blue Star Santorini Ferry.
Blue Star has a daily ferry to Santorini. The boat departs at 07.25 and arrives around 15.15, after having made stops at both Naxos and Paros.
Almost 8 h on a crowded ferry boat can be a challenge even for the most seasoned traveller. Especially during high season, when one almost gets the feeling that they do not have any limit to how many tickets they sell.
When the unassigned seats (which are not that many) have been taken up by the people who got up early enough to be in front of the line, people take up whatever floorspace there is on deck.
The result is a jumble of bodies and backpacks.
There are actually great comfortable seats on board that you need to reserve in advance. Our only advice to you is to do just that!
The current price for a ticket without an assigned seat is €33.50. For the assigned seat you pay €37.50. That's a difference of 4 euros that you will thank us for that we encouraged you to spend.
Keep in mind, however, that these seats go quickly. Book well in advance. If you have not been able to book early, get to the boat early and try to get an unassigned seat in the cafeteria.
One important thing that we have learned is that if you try to buy tickets online you may be informed that the ferry boat is full, and you won't be able to buy a ticket.
Don't panic, we've been getting the sold out message online a couple of times only to walk into a ticket agent and buy our tickets later the same day.
It seems that there will nearly always be a ticket for you on these boats, especially if you buy them a few days in advance.
Blue Star also have a direct service to Santorini four times a week in high season (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun). This non-stop cruise takes only 5 h.
Santorini speedboat
An overcrowded and slow moving ferry not your cup of tea?
How about one of the high-speed catamarans that connect many of the islands in the Greek archipelago, including Santorini, with mainland Greece during summer and early fall.
The fastest option is Hellenic Seaways that in season runs daily high-speed catamarans between Santorini and Athens (Piraeus). The travel time is ca 4h 15min.
Sea Jets and Aegean Speed Lines also run high-speed catamarans to Santorini during the main season, but because they make stops on the way, the travel time is slightly longer: 4h 45min for Aegean Speed and 5h 10min for Sea Jets.
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