Almost 300 steps pave the way downhill to a huddle of restaurants, tavernas and fishing boats, nestled around a crescent bay at the foot of the cliffs of Oía. An old Venetian castle perches high up on the red rocks, overlooking the zig-zagging pathway where donkeys lazily flick flies from their eyelashes in the heat. Boats bob gently on the crystal clear water, and octopuses hang in the sun to dry. This is Amoudi Bay Santorini, and you couldn’t find a more Greek atmosphere if you tried.
*This site contains affiliate links, where I earn a small commission from purchases you make, at no cost to you.
A very brief guide to Amoudi Bay
Amoudi Bay is a tiny port at the north western tip of the island of the Cycladic island of Santorini. The Cyclades are characteristically a rather dry collection of islands, so naturally the cliffs that hug the little harbour consist of red rock, with not more than a speckle of greenery to be seen. It’s quite a beautiful contrast against the bright blue sea.
Most of the buildings in Amoudi Bay Santorini were destroyed during a catastrophic earthquake which rocked the island in the 1950s; but in the 70s rebuilding began, and a little stone promenade was included in these redevelopments. Nowadays as well as the little restaurants which sit side-by-side on the promenade, there are a few offices selling boat tours to tourists, which mostly head out to the volcanic island of Nea Kameni in the centre of the caldera. The volcano is still considered to be active, but don’t worry pals- it’s very closely monitored, so if an eruption were due we’d know about it in advance.
There’s also a local ferry service from Amoudi Bay to the island of Therassia, which is worlds apart from the bustling touristic hub of Santorini. Therassia only has about 300 residents and is completely undeveloped, giving it the aura of an island frozen in time. I’ll be honest- it sounds like my kind of place.
The awkward thing about getting the ferry between Amoudi Bay and Therassia, though, is that try as I might I’ve never been able to find an actual schedule.
Island time is in a league of its own, and a time zone of its own too.
How do you get to Amoudi Bay?
The village of Oía and its picturesque white houses and blue-domed churches is the most-visited spot in Santorini; but it took me several visits before I realised where the wide steps are that lead down to Amoudi Bay. The ruins of an old Venetian Castle are at the far end of the village- one of the most popular spots for watching the sunset in Santorini– but once you make it to the castle, look for signs to the harbour, or simply head downhill. Eventually you’ll find the wide steps that lead to Amoudi Bay.
The steps to Amoudi Bay Santorini aren’t steep at all, there are just a lot of them, so be mentally prepared for the hike to seem tedious at first. I’d also highly recommend wearing shoes for the walk from Oía to Amoudi Bay, as opposed to sandals or flip-flops. Donkeys frequent these pathways, and where there are donkeys there is donkey poo. The two go hand in hand, unfortunately.
It takes about twenty minutes to hike downhill from Oía to Amoudi Bay, although if you don’t feel up to walking in the heat, you can catch a taxi from Oía and go down by road- which will cost about €10. If you have an ATV or car and want to drive to Amoudi Bay, it is possible, but parking can be impossible as there’s no car park next to the port. You’re better off parking at the car park in Oía and walking from there.
Amoudi Bay restaurants
The restaurants at Amoudi Bay have a way less polished vibe about them than the majority of the more bougie places up in Oía. Far less polished, and far more authentic. The majority of them specialise in the seafood that is freshly caught by fishermen who operate out of the little harbour, so you can’t much fresher fish than this.
Every Amoudi Bay restaurant is open to the elements and sits directly on the harbour front, so the best tables are those right next to the water. (Although bear in mind, many of these tables are also next to a steady flow of traffic walking from the steps around the cliffside to the cliff jumping spot out of sight of the fishing harbour.)
I ate at Dimitris Taverna, which is the last restaurant on the left hand side of the steps before the path to the beach begins. It was delicious, the service was great and the view was even better. The Ammoudi Fish Tavern is another popular Amoudi Bay restaurant, with a roof terrace as well as the ground level seating area- and there’s an online reservation service if you want to book in advance. The Katina Fish Tavern was full on the day I arrived at Amoudi Bay; this little restaurant and its blue and white decor are clearly a fan favourite.
Whichever Amoudi Bay restaurant you go for, be prepared; the fish may be locally caught, but the prices are still high. Amoudi is directly underneath the most touristic destination on Santorini, after all. And talking of tourism, I highly recommend visiting Santorini in either Spring or Autumn, to try and avoid the crowds. Take a look at my pictures of a visit in October, which feature barely another human to be seen.
Can you swim in Amoudi Bay?
There’s nothing stopping a person from launching themselves directly off of the stone promenade into the sea at Amoudi Bay. But in all honesty that’s not something I’d recommend. There are so many fishing boats bobbing on the water that it wouldn’t really be worth it.
However. Just around the corner from the tiny port of Amoudi Bay, is Amoudi Beach. There’s not an inch of sand to be seen- for that you need to head over to Akrotiri’s red sand beach or its neighbour Perissa- but Amoudi Beach is popular for its own very unique reason.
Read all about Amoudi Beach and its cliff jumping spots over here.
Want more guides and tall tales? Sign up below.