Santorini Island Guide
Athinios port is the ferry port of Santorini, a small terminal in a deep caldera bay about 18 km from Fira. Cruise ships do not dock here, they tender at the Old Port under Fira, which confuses a lot of first-time visitors. This page covers how the ferry port works, the ways to get to Fira, Oia and the rest of the island, and what to expect on arrival. If you are still choosing a sailing, start with Athens to Santorini or the shorter hop from Mykonos to Santorini. It is part of our Santorini, Greece travel guide.
Quick answer The ferry port in one minute
Athinios port is the main ferry port of Santorini, and yes, the island effectively has two ports: Athinios for ferries and the Old Port of Fira for cruise tenders and day boats. Athinios sits in a steep caldera bay, 18 km from Fira by road. The KTEL bus to Fira costs $3.02 (€2.70), or you can prebook a transfer or taxi. There is no town at the port, just a terminal, so plan your onward ride before the ship docks.
Key takeaways
- The KTEL bus from Athinios to Fira is the cheapest onward option at $3.02 (€2.70), timed to meet arriving ferries.
- A prebooked ride removes all ferry-delay risk: see the port transfer or the cheaper one-way port or airport transfer.
- Cruise passengers land at the Old Port instead, which we cover on our cruise port page.
- Ferry fares to reach Santorini vary by date and vessel, so check Athens to Santorini before you book.
Your ride from Athinios port, compared
Every option below gets you from the Athinios port gate to your hotel or Fira. Prices are what you pay per person for the port leg, from the official KTEL fare table and current transfer listings.
If your ferry arrives outside daylight or you have heavy luggage, book a transfer. If you land midday with a backpack, take the bus.
| Option | Price | Length | Includes | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Transfers From & To Santorini PortAnyone arriving by ferry who wants the door handled | $25.17 as listed | 30 minutes | Shared or private ride from Athinios port to your hotel, boat-arrival monitoring, free cancellation 24 h ahead | Check Availability |
| One-Way Transfer to/from the Port or AirportTravellers who may use the ticket for the airport leg instead | $15.70 as listed | 40 minutes - 1 hour | Shared one-way ride between the port or airport and your hotel, free cancellation up to 24 h ahead | Check Availability |
Taxi fares from the port are not stated by any official tariff page, so we do not quote one. Figures current in Q4 2026.
Sites No Tour Sells: The Official Tickets
These sites sell their own tickets at the gate or on the official ticketing site, and no tour on this page sells the entry. Prices are the official ones.
| Option | Price | Length | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KTEL bus, Fira to Athinios port | $3.02 (€2.70) | About half an hour (our estimate) | Public bus, seasonal timetable as a PDF, pay the conductor, night fare €3.40 |
| KTEL bus, Kamari to Athinios port | $2.91 (€2.60) | Varies by route (not stated) | Direct line for guests staying on the east coast, night fare €3.30 |
What the Athinios port is, and the two-port question
Searchers ask two things: what the main port is, and whether Santorini has two. Both answers matter for your arrival day.
The main ferry port of the island
Athinios port, sometimes written Athinios or simply called the Santorini port, is where nearly all ferries dock: the boats from Athens to Santorini, the Mykonos to Santorini ferry, and the services toward Crete and the other Cyclades. The port sits on the southwest coast inside the caldera bay, cut into the cliff below Megalochori. The road down is a series of tight switchbacks, which is why the drive up takes longer than the distance suggests.
There is no village at Athinios. The waterfront has the ferry terminal building, a small café and a taxi rank, and not much else. Everything you actually want, hotels, restaurants, sights, is up on the rim, so treat the port as a transit point and have your onward ride sorted before you dock.
Yes, Santorini has two ports
The second port is the Old Port of Fira, also called Gialos, directly below Fira town. It serves cruise-ship tenders and the small day boats to the volcano, not car ferries. If your booking says Fira Old Port, you will climb to town by the cable car, on foot up several hundred steps, or by mule. Cruise arrivals, fees and shore plans are covered on our cruise port page.
The practical test is simple: a ferry with vehicles and a deck for cars docks at Athinios. A tender boat from a big ship lands at the Old Port. Some travellers also arrive via the small harbours at Ammoudi Bay below Oia or at Vlychada in the south, but those serve day boats rather than inter-island ferries.
| Port | Serves | Onward link |
|---|---|---|
| Athinios port | Conventional and high-speed ferries, cars | KTEL bus, taxis, prebooked transfers |
| Fira Old Port (Gialos) | Cruise tenders and small day boats | Cable car at $11.19 (€10), steps, or mule |
| Ammoudi Bay | Day boats and swim tours from Oia | Steps or road from Oia |
Athinios to Fira: every way up the cliff
The port to the capital is the ride almost every ferry passenger needs. Here is what each option costs and when it makes sense.
The KTEL bus, cheapest and usually fine
The public bus from Athinios port to Fira runs 18 km up the switchback road, with the official fare at $3.02 (€2.70) and a night fare of €3.40 between 00:30 and 05:00. Buses are scheduled around the big ferry arrivals, so there is normally a bus waiting when a large boat docks. From Fira you can change for Oia, Perissa or the airport lines at the same fare level.
The catch is timing. KTEL only publishes a seasonal PDF timetable, so you cannot reliably book the port leg ahead, and on a delayed ferry the connection can slip. Our take: the bus is the right choice for a midday arrival with light luggage, and the wrong one for a 23:00 landing with suitcases.
| Route | Fare | Night fare |
|---|---|---|
| Fira to Athinios port (18 km) | $3.02 (€2.70) | €3.40 |
| Kamari to Athinios port | $2.91 (€2.60) | €3.30 |
| Fira to Oia (11.8 km) | $2.46 (€2.20) | €2.80 |
| Fira to Vlychada | $3.13 (€2.80) | €3.50 |
Transfers and taxis, the no-stress version
A prebooked transfer meets you at the terminal gate with your name, watches the boat arrival time, and drives you straight to the hotel. Economy Transfers From & To Santorini Port runs shared or private, takes about 30 minutes and costs $25.17 as listed, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. The cheaper one-way transfer covers the port or the airport for $15.70 if your plans might change shape.
Taxis queue at the port rank when ferries arrive, but the fare to Fira is not published anywhere official, and the queue after a big ferry can be long. If you plan to hire a car for the trip instead, look at our rental guide, but note that collecting a car at the port on a hot afternoon with a ferry-load of people competing for the desk is nobody's best moment. Book ahead either way. For the rest of your island transport, see getting around Santorini.
Arrivals, departures and timing at the port
Ferry days in Santorini cluster in waves. Knowing the rhythm saves you hours of standing in the sun.
How a ferry day runs
Most sailings between Santorini and Athens to Santorini Piraeus run either overnight or in concentrated daytime blocks, so Athinios is quiet for a couple of hours and then fills completely when two or three boats overlap. High-speed SeaJets from Piraeus take about 4 h 50 min to 5 h 35 min, while the conventional Blue Star boats take 7 h 30 min to 8 h or more. Fares vary by date and seat class, so we do not quote one here.
Arrive at the port at least an hour before an outgoing ferry. The terminal building is small, the car ramp funnels into one lane, and the switchback road slows every vehicle at the same time. When you arrive by ferry, walk straight off, pass the taxi rank and find the marked bus stop on the quay, where drivers wait for the ferry crowd.
Wind, cancellations and the meltemi
The July and August meltemi wind is the reason ferry and boat schedules slip. Mean daily maximum winds run 28 to 37 km/h all year on the island, and the strongest meltemi days are the ones when small high-speed ferries and caldera boat trips get cancelled. Operators list weather clauses on their pages, and they use them.
If your outbound sailing matters, book the conventional boat rather than the fastest one in peak wind season, keep your booking confirmation on your phone, and watch for operator messages the evening before. For what the season is like overall, see Santorini weather and the best time to visit.
Facilities and practicalities at the terminal
Athinios is functional rather than charming. Here is what exists and what does not, so you are not hunting for it on the quay.
What is actually at the port
The terminal building holds the ferry company check-in desks for vehicles, a small café where you can get coffee and a sandwich, and toilets. Outside there is the taxi rank, the bus stop for the Fira and Kamari lines, and a car park used by the transfer vans. That is the full inventory. There is no luggage storage service, no pharmacy and no proper restaurant at the Athinios port.
Practical advice from repeated ferry arrivals: buy water before you descend, use the toilets before the boat, and keep your ticket QR code on your phone because boarding queues form fast. The port is exposed and shade is limited, so a hat matters in summer. In an emergency call 112 from any phone.
Money, fees and small print
Ferry ticket prices themselves are not published in any official fare table we could verify, since they change by date, vessel and seat class, so check your booking screen for the real number. What is fixed is the port and tax layer: cruise passengers landing at Santorini pay a fee of €20 from June to September, €12 in April, May and October and €4 in winter, charged through the cruise line. Hotel guests pay a separate climate resilience fee of €2 to €15 per room per night from April to October depending on the property rating, or €8 for short-term rentals, paid at the property.
Budget the onward port ride into your arrival maths too. The bus at $3.02 (€2.70) versus a transfer at $25.17 is a real difference across a family of four. For the full picture of island costs, see is Santorini expensive.
What to do near Athinios port
There is no attraction at the port itself, but you are closer to some of the island than you might think, if your luggage situation allows it.
If you have hours to kill before a ferry
The nearest real destination is Megalochori, the village up the cliff road from the port, a traditional settlement of bell towers and vineyards where you can eat a proper lunch within sight of the water. It is a short drive but an unpleasant walk in summer heat, so take a taxi. Santo Wines is also on the Athinios road above the port, with a caldera-view terrace and tastings listed on the winery's own booking page.
With more time, head to Akrotiri, the Bronze Age town buried by the eruption of around 1600 BC and excavated since 1967, with multi-storey houses and wall paintings. Entry is $22.40 (€20), reduced $11.19 (€10), and the site closes on Tuesdays in winter. Tickets and timing are on our Akrotiri tickets page. Nearby Red Beach is closed by land for rockfall, so see it from above or from a boat. More ideas sit on things to do in Santorini.
If you are only passing through
If Athinios is a same-day transit stop on a wider trip, the honest advice is to leave the port immediately and store nothing there. Ride to Fira, drop bags at your hotel or in town, and use the one day itinerary or two day itinerary to decide what fits the hours you have. The Fira to Oia hike along the rim is our pick for a half day, about 10 km and 3 to 5 hours on our estimate.
Sea time counts as seeing the island too. Boats to the volcano and the hot springs leave from the Fira Old Port and from the port itself, and the six-hour caldera option even offers pick-up from Athinios. See the volcano and hot springs cruise or browse the wider Santorini boat tours range.
Finding your bearings: the port on the map
Athinios sits low on the southwest caldera wall, which shapes every drive and bus ride on the island.
Distances that matter from Athinios
The port is 18 km from Fira by road, the route every arriving passenger takes, and the road to Kamari on the east coast feeds a separate bus line at $2.91 (€2.60). To Oia you ride via Fira and change, since there is no direct port to Oia bus. Pyrgos and Megalochori are the closest villages up the cliff road, and the airport at Kamari side is a different corner of the island entirely, about 6 km southeast of Fira.
Orientation tip: everything on the west rim faces the caldera, everything east faces the sea beaches. A transfer driver will cross the island in under half an hour, the bus does the same in stages through Fira. Use our Santorini map to see how the port fits before you commit to a hotel area, and where to stay in Santorini if the choice is still open.
Port transfers and boat trips that use Athinios
These are the current listings that start at the ferry port or pick up from it, so you can land and move without negotiation.
from $25.17
Economy Transfers From & To Santorini Port
Shared or private transfer between Athinios ferry port and your hotel, with boat-arrival monitoring.
Check Availability
from $15.70
One-Way Transfer to/from the Port or Airport
A shared one-way transfer between Athinios port or the airport and your hotel.
Check Availability
from $40.04
Santorini Caldera Cruise Tour (Volcano, Hot Springs, Thirassia)
Six hours on the water: the Nea Kameni crater walk, the hot springs swim and a stop on Thirassia. Pick-up from Athinios port is an option; the €5 volcano fee is extra.
Check Availability
from $57.20
Private Santorini Tailor Made - Choice of the Guest!
A private car and driver-guide for the hours you choose, the route built around what you want to see; pick-up from hotel, port or airport.
Check Availability
from $205.93
Santorini Private Villages Tour & Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Four private hours through Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio with the Akrotiri admission included, door to door from your hotel or the port.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Athinios port and the rim towns
The port, the capital and the villages you are most likely to ride to, on one map.
- 1 Athinios portThe ferry port, down the switchback road below Megalochori.
- 2 Fira Old PortCruise tenders and the volcano boats land here, below Fira.
- 3 FiraThe capital and the bus hub for every port ride.
- 4 OiaThe northern rim village, reached from the port via Fira.
- 5 MegalochoriThe closest village up the road from Athinios port.
- 6 AkrotiriThe Bronze Age town, a short drive south of the port road.
- 7 Nea KameniThe volcano island in the caldera, reached only by boat.
Numbers match the pins on the map.
Near the port
Where people go straight from Athinios, and how the ride feels.
Fira
The capital and the first stop for nearly everyone off the ferry, at $3.02 (€2.70) on the bus. From Fira the whole island opens up, from the cable car to the rim path.
18 km by bus, about half an hour (our estimate) Read the guideMegalochori
The closest village to the Athinios port and the sensible lunch stop if your ferry is delayed. A taxi from the rank makes it painless.
Short drive up the cliff road (our estimate) Read the guideAkrotiri
The Bronze Age town buried around 1600 BC, entry $22.40 (€20). Timing and tickets on our Akrotiri tickets page.
Short drive south of the port road (our estimate) Read the guideSantorini Airport
The airport sits about 6 km southeast of Fira, so ferry-to-flight days mean crossing the island. Fares and transfer options are on our airport page.
Other side of the island, via Fira Read the guideSantorini cruise port
Cruise passengers land at the Old Port under Fira, not at Athinios. Our cruise port guide explains the tender, the fees and the shore plans.
Not directly connected by road Read the guideAthinios port questions
What is the main port in Santorini?
Athinios port is the main port, the one where the ferries from Athens and the other Cyclades dock, cars and passengers together. The Old Port of Fira below the capital only takes cruise tenders and small day boats. If your ticket names Athinios, that is the Santorini ferry port, and the bus or transfer page above covers your ride up to Fira.
Does Santorini have two ports?
Yes. Athinios handles the ferries and the Fira Old Port handles cruise tenders and the volcano boats, plus small harbours at Ammoudi and Vlychada for day boats. The test is simple: a big boat with a car deck docks at Athinios, a tender from a cruise ship lands at the Old Port. Our cruise port guide covers the second case.
Is Athinios port the same as Thira port?
Yes, they are the same place under different labels. Thira or Thera is the formal name of the island, and booking systems use Santorini port, Thira port and Athinios port for the same terminal on the southwest coast. It is not the same as Fira, which is the capital town 18 km away up the cliff, as our Fira guide explains.
How do I get from Athinios port to Fira?
Three ways: the KTEL bus at $3.02 (€2.70) running 18 km up to the Fira station, a prebooked transfer such as the port transfer at $25.17, or a taxi from the rank with no published fare. The bus meets most large ferry arrivals, but timetables are seasonal, so a transfer is safer for a late landing.
How do I get from Athinios port to Oia?
There is no direct port to Oia bus. Ride the port bus to Fira for $3.02 (€2.70) and change to the Fira-Oia line for another $2.46 (€2.20), or book a transfer or taxi door to door. With luggage and a sunset arrival the transfer wins, since the Oia buses thin out in the evening.
How early should I be at Athinios port for a departure?
Aim for at least an hour before your sailing. The terminal is small, the check-in desks for vehicles funnel through one ramp, and the switchback road slows every car at the same time before a popular ferry. Our estimate is that the last half hour before a large departure is the most congested time at the port all day.
Are there facilities at Athinios port?
The basics only: a terminal building with a café and toilets, the taxi rank, the bus stop and a small car park. There is no luggage storage, pharmacy or restaurant at the port, so eat and shop before you come down. The nearest real services are in Fira and the villages above the cliff.
Do ferries from Athinios ever get cancelled?
Yes, mostly for wind. The July and August meltemi brings the strongest days of the year, and small high-speed ferries and caldera boats are the first to stop running. Booking the conventional boat is the safer call in peak wind season, and operators publish weather clauses they do enforce. Check Santorini weather before a tight connection.
Ferry port On Video
Three videos that show the place before you go.
Santorini | The Main Port of Athinios
Santorini | The Main Port of Athinios, from mySantorini.tv.
Video: mySantorini.tvSantorini : Coming on a CRUISE SHIP [Full Guide]
Santorini : Coming on a CRUISE SHIP [Full Guide], from Greece Explained.
Video: Greece ExplainedHow to Visit Santorini on a Cruise (Tips & Advice)
How to Visit Santorini on a Cruise (Tips & Advice), from Cruise Lifestyle.
Video: Cruise LifestyleVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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