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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.