Perissa

Perissa (Greek: Περίσσα) is a sea-side village on the eastern shore of Thira, the largest island in the Santorini archipelago. It has a long black sand beach, which stretches to the neighbouring municipalities Perivolos (Περίβολος) and Agios Georgios (Aγιος Γεώργιος) with a near-continuous line of bars, hotels, and restaurants parallel with the beach. The promenade runs along the entire length of the beach, occupying the entire south-eastern coastline of Thira. Perissa, together with nearby Kamari, is the focus of beach tourism in Santorini.

Get in
Taxi or bus from the Boat Stop or from Thira, Oia; mini-bus offered by the (funny) touts viz. hostel representatives when you stumble down from the ferry.

You can not easily walk over to Kamari, as there's quite a hill in between - water taxi, an endless bus ride or wiking it is! The taxi from the Port takes about 15 minutes and should cost no more than €15.

It has been reported that there is a water taxi to take travellers round the headland to the neighbouring town of Kamari, but as of Apr 2022 this service is no longer running.

Get around
Once in the town of Perissa, it is easy to rent a scooter, or take a taxi, although it is sometimes difficult to find a taxi because the town is small. Walking in Perissa is also difficult, as there are no sidewalks. Even on the coastal street, you have to walk at the side of a lane of traffic. Take care, especially during the evening, when there are lots of motorcycles and scooters.

ATVs and scooters are the most popular options of travel on the island. Tourists can be seen driving ATVs on the main roads, which are safe to drive. Local drivers are courteous and will pass tourists on ATVs without causing too much of a commotion. Even though the main roads are paved, they are not well lit, so it is safest to stop driving ATVs before sundown.

Local buses are available and are used by locals and tourists alike. Public buses are large, air-conditioned green tour buses. Public buses use Fira as a hub and spoke out to the smaller towns from there.

Drink

 * Bob's Bar (aka The News Bar) Outdoor bar, on the main street. Run by a Lebanese family. If you like pina colada, you must give Bob a go!

Go next

 * Kamari
 * Vlychada
 * Emporio