How Locals Keep Santorini Cheap: 7 Underrated Villages a Ferry Ride Away

Everyone’s heard the myth: “Santorini is only for honeymooners and influencers with platinum cards.”

Truth? Ask the islanders who still pay normal rent and sip coffee for €2—they know the **budget side of the caldera**.
Hop the local ferry or bus, skip Oia’s marble boutiques, and base yourself in one of these seven underrated villages.
Your views stay epic; the price tag drops in half.

1. Pyrgos — Hilltop Views for €0

Blue-domed chapel framed by whitewashed houses on the hilltop of Pyrgos

Former island capital, still blissfully uncrowded. Climb the Venetian Kasteli
before breakfast—360° lava cliffs and nobody in your frame.
Rooms inside white-washed alleys start at €55 in shoulder season
(live listings).

Local hack: Taverna Brusco sells a full village breakfast—tomatokeftedes, feta, coffee—for €7.

2. Megalochori — The Bell-Tower Village

Stone bell-tower archway leading into Megalochori’s central lane

Step through its iconic bell-tower arch and you’re in a wine-scented maze.
Boutari and Gavalas wineries pour €3 tastings, and you can grab a gyros for €2.50
at Pitogyros. Bus from Fira: €1.80, 15 min.

3. Akrotiri — Caldera on a Student Budget

Covered archaeological site of Akrotiri with ancient walls and pathways

South-tip lighthouse vistas and the Minoan ruins.
Entry €12; combine with Red Beach for a cost-free swim.
Family-run guesthouses advertise €40 twin rooms (cash).

4. Emporio — Fortified Alleyways & Espresso for €1.50

Twisting pastel alleyways inside Emporio’s medieval castle quarter

Santorini’s largest village rarely hits Instagram feeds, but its Kasteli fortress
looks like a pastel mini-Chefchaouen. Grab Greek espresso at
Goulas Café for €1.50 and watch grandmas chat in dialect.

5. Finikia — Oia’s Quiet Cousin

Restored cave houses with colorful doors and bougainvillea in Finikia village

Ten-minute stroll behind Oia but no tripod battalion.
Restored cave houses rent on Airbnb for €70 vs. €400 caldera suites.
Order house wine by the litre at Meze-Meze (half the Oia price).

6. Vothonas — Inside the Rock

Candle-lit Agia Anna cave church cut into volcanic rock at Vothonas

A ravine village famous for its cave churches. Free to enter, donation box only.
Bus stop outside main tunnel; bakery next door sells koulouri for €1.

7. Mesa Gonia — Wine, Cats, Zero Tour Buses

Courtyard of Gaia winery in Mesa Gonia with barrels, stone walls, and lounging cats

Nicknamed “Cat Village,” Mesa Gonia hosts free kitty-café corners
and the century-old Gaia Winery (€6 tasting flight).
Earthquake-damaged 1956 houses give it a time-capsule vibe.

Getting There Cheap

Blue Star Ferries from Piraeus → Santorini: book 2 months ahead: €40 seat (timetable).
Island buses (KTEL): flat €1.60–€2.40 per ride; schedules at Fira station.
Pair ferries with Seajets high-speed if time-poor (€70 but 3 hrs faster).

Need to pack light for island hopping? Read our
carry-on packing blueprint.

Final Thought

Santorini can drain wallets—or inspire frugal magic. Stick with the villages
locals call home, sip €2 coffee under bougainvillea, and let Oia’s crowds have the postcard angles.
The caldera looks just as blue from a €55 rooftop in Pyrgos—promise.