Vlychada Marina: Santorini's South Coast Port and Beach

Location and Distances

Vlychada Marina lies about 10 km from Fira and 6 to 7 km from the airport. The beach is measured at about 13 km from Fira by one source. Akrotiri archaeological site is 6 km away and Red Beach 7 km.

If you stay in Oia or Imerovigli, operators advise picking a cruise from Ammoudi because the transfer is shorter. If you stay in the south, Vlychada is the nearest port and the one to pick. The two ports serve different halves of the island, and Ammoudi Bay has its own guide.

• About 10 km from Fira
• About 6 to 7 km from the airport
• Akrotiri site 6 km, Red Beach 7 km

The Marina and the Fishing Harbor

Vlychada marina has about 46,000 square meters of water and close to 980 meters of quay, of which about 700 meters is usable. It takes boats up to 20 meters long with a maximum draft of 3 meters. The harbor operates 24 hours as a working fishing port, and one travel guide describes it as a small circular harbor next to waterfront tavernas, with a tavern in the harbor serving fresh fish.

Cruises Departing From Vlychada

The table below lists the cruises whose departure harbor names Vlychada, with the US dollar card price from each listing, the group size where the listing gives one, and the departure point as the operator states it. Standard cruises last 5 hours and morning cruises 4 hours across the island's operators. One operator moves its Vlychada start earlier to 14:15 from mid-September to March because of the earlier sunset.

Check availability for starting times, since pickup times shift through the season.

Pickup and Meeting Points

Most of these cruises include hotel pickup, which begins about 20 minutes to 1.5 hours before departure, and almost 1.5 hours before on one sunset listing. One operator meets guests next to the ATM 30 minutes before departure, and the same operator's listing describes the meeting point as the ATM behind the mini market building at Vlychada. Arrive at the exact point named on your voucher.

Good picks from the marina include the Santorini Star Catamaran at $111 for a small group of 18, the Vista Gold Catamaran at $96 with a BBQ meal and open white wine bar, and the Renieris Classic Catamaran at $98 with three swim stops. For a full shared-boat overview, see the section on big shared catamarans, and for small boats the section on small-group and luxury catamarans.

• Hotel pickup on most cruises starts 20 minutes to 1.5 hours before departure
• One operator meets guests at the ATM behind the mini market, 30 minutes before departure
• Private option: the Sail Away catamaran takes up to 4 guests for $944 per group

The Pumice Cliffs

The pale cliffs behind Vlychada beach are pumice and tuff from the Minoan eruption of about 1600 BC, with a tephra blanket up to 60 meters thick. Wind and water have carved them into shapes that one snorkeling guide compares to a lunar landscape. The rock is weakly cemented, and similar cliffs elsewhere on the south coast shed rock, especially after rain or in strong wind.

Do not climb on the pumice cliffs, because material can come loose without warning.

• Cliff material: pumice and tuff from the Minoan eruption
• Tephra blanket up to 60 meters thick

Vlychada Beach

Vlychada Beach has dark volcanic sand and is a long beach, though the sources disagree on its length. The dark sand holds heat, so footwear is worth carrying. Water safety is rated moderate because of rocky patches, and water shoes are advised.

A free informal parking lot sits at the beach. Wikivoyage describes the southern end as a nudist beach. Divers list it as a 10 to 15 meter dive with underwater statues and amphoras.

Tomato Industrial Museum D. Nomikos

The Tomato Industrial Museum D. Nomikos occupies the old tomato factory at Vlychada, which was founded in 1945 by Dimitris Nomikos, closed in 1981 and opened as a museum in 2014. It was the first factory to produce canned tomato products in the Balkans. The museum sits in the Santorini Arts Factory complex and offers guided tours in five languages, plus activities such as tomato cooking, paste-making and can-sealing.

On the museum's own site, admission is EUR 12 general and EUR 10 reduced for ages 8 to 18, students, unemployed visitors and people over 65, with free entry for ages 0 to 7 and for people with disabilities with an attendant. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 between April and November and closes on Mondays. One older guide lists EUR 10 and shorter shoulder-season hours of 10:00 to 16:00, so check the museum's own site. There is a cafe, online ticket booking and wheelchair and stroller access.

Bus From Fira

A KTEL bus runs from Fira to Vlychada, one bus guide lists the fare at EUR 2.70 one way, and one beach guide lists three departures a day taking about 20 minutes. Three a day is not a turn-up-and-go service, so check the timetable at Fira bus station before you set out, especially for a late return after a sunset cruise. By comparison, buses from Athinios, the main ferry port, to Fira cost about 2 to 3 euros.

• KTEL bus Fira to Vlychada: EUR 2.70 one way
• About 20 minutes, roughly three departures a day
• Free informal parking at the beach if you drive

Transfers and Pickup

Most Vlychada cruises on this site list hotel pickup, though it depends on the option you pick. On the Spiridakos Sailing Catamaran the Joy option has no transfers. Pickup begins about 20 minutes to 1.5 hours before departure.

That makes the transfer the simplest option if you are not staying in walking distance. From the airport, the port is 6 to 7 km away, though no fixed airport transfer fare is stated in the sources. Cruise-ship guests should note that tendering at the Old Port plus transport can cost 2 or more hours, so a 5-hour cruise from Vlychada fills nearly a whole port call, and the cruise-port page explains the options.