Emporio Village in Santorini

Emporio village It is located on the south side of the island of Santorini very close – just 3 kilometers – from the black beach of Perissa and Perivolos, the best beach of the island.

All-white houses, perched on the rock, under the blue sky. With the windows open, looking at the deep blue of the Aegean. Whitewashed alleys, just enough to fit two. You walk among blooming bougainvillea. The shiny black rocks glisten under the strong sun.

Roaming the Emporio Village.

A medieval settlement, in a medieval castle well preserved, from the 15th century to the present day. Small whitewashed houses, courtyards full of flowers, winding streets, ornate doors, dozens of scattered small churches built by sailors, pots of aromatic plants. And the most elaborate bell towers.

The mills dominate the opposite hill. The strong light of the island is succeeded by the bright colors of the West. Here everything was done in human dimensions. The distances are short. You won’t care about a car. The pictures require you to walk.

The romance and beauty that the settlement exudes is based on its simplicity. And you don’t feel like you’re missing anything. You are fascinated by the architecture of the dome, the circle, in stone, clay.

In Emporio you relax, find lost parts of yourself again, feel happy, full.

A stone road with tall eucalyptus trees leads you from the central square of the village to the traditional settlement and its castles. You will get lost in the small, charming streets but you will find your way again. As if they do it on purpose to browse. 

You take deep breaths of crystal clear air and carry on. It takes time to enjoy it. Besides, hurry is unknown here. And the settlement rewards you every step of the way. You won’t find so much harmony and peace – no matter how far you travel. 

Nature here is generous and the beauty is immeasurable. It is the sea breeze, the view of the ocean, the musk from the churches and wild flowers, the blinding white of the whitewashed houses with the blue doors. But it is also found in people’s smiles.

No matter how far you travel the world, this place is a reason to return. In Emporio village with the beautiful grandparents who will always say good morning to you.

Every time a light goes on, a neighbor might come by and hang grapes on your door. It is their treat or welcome.

The beautiful Aegean cats were also standing in the alley for the welcome.

In the summer people meet in the courtyards. Someone brings wine, another sweet, another pie and the grill fires up to cook the fish.

Sailors and cattle breeders have always been the inhabitants of the village. They have their own products on their table.

And visitors are welcome. Besides, the doors are open. 

And they eat what they have in their pot. Farm eggs, the best local wine, tomato, white eggplant, round zucchini, katsunia (a type of cucumber), fava beans, products that grow dry in each family’s orchard. 

They cook simply and very tasty.

With them in the courtyards I enjoy the sunset, between laughter and wine. People in the village speak little. They all make eye contact. They understand a lot, say little.

They have been difficult years. But over the centuries the settlement endured. The elders remember the years of great poverty. But they avoid talking about the difficulties they went through. They stand and look into the sea. They look up at the blue sky. They smile with dignity, they give you some of their power.

Once you enter the narrow streets of Emporio, the whole world is different. In human sizes. At the end of every alley you gaze at the sea. The windmills that have been standing for centuries on the hillside. You walk between stone and time. And you turn back time. Unchanged, through the ages.

The settlement was created at the beginning of the 15th century. Initially they built Kastelli (name of the castle) to protect themselves from the frequent raids of pirates, led by Barbarossa. Caves and underground tunnels saved them. Kasteli, is the only one preserved and inhabited to this day in all the islands of the Cyclades, it was the most important and the most protected settlement of the island, it was the center where trade took place.

They built it in a strategic spot, difficult to reach from the sea. To enter the settlement there is only one entrance. The “Door” as the locals call it.

Much later, they also made an exit. Then the Tower of Goula was built. A family mansion. The tower lords and their cultivators lived there, they stored their products there. From the Tower of Goula, they entered Kasteli only through an underground tunnel.

What to do

In the village, three long paths have survived to this day. They were made by the locals, centuries ago, to move with horses and donkeys. Through the paths they transported their products from the fields to the local market, returned to their homes, transported the sick, centuries before the advent of the automobile in our lives. Anyone who loves hiking will definitely love Emporio. Also, anyone interested in taking good photos without the mass of tourists.

* The ideal way to start your day is to get up a little earlier and climb the built staircase, from the crossing of Potamos to Agios Spyridon. Easy climb, few minutes. On the left is the Castle Gate. Entering its interior, from the first steps, you turn back the clock of time. And you are in the Middle Ages.

* From Emporio Square, the narrow street leads straight to the entrance to the Cemetery. On its left side begins the path that goes up to the mills. The view along the route is breathtaking. Walking among flowering herbs, with bright yellow and purple flowers, whose smell breaks the nose. Walk directly to the mills, at the top of the hill. To your right stretches the exotic beach of Vlychada and to the left the huge beach of Perivolos and Perissa. From above, the image of the settlement is impressive. The mills of Emporio are among the most beautiful sights of the settlement. There are still the huge stone millstones where the millers ground the wheat and made flour, milled oats and fodder that they produced in the small plain that spreads out below the mountain. Owls, small raptors and migratory birds make their appearance visible at every turn. The journey takes about half an hour.

* The road of Potamos turns into a path and connects Emporio with the village of Pyrgos. On the path, which follows the foot of the mountain, you will come across small fields, horses, donkeys, wildflowers and dozens of bird species. Overlooking the sea and the small Cycladic churches. I always stop at the small churches with the cozy courtyards. In all the older ones planted a tree, built a small terrace to rest in the shade. Most have a cold mountain water tap.

Following this path I come across prickly pear forests, full of red prickly pears. The journey takes just over an hour. The trail is passable along its longest route, I walked it many times. You take deep breaths of crystal clear air and continue.

* An intersection at Potamos leads you to the parallel road to Katsinaros. Easy and short route, about half an hour that you will never forget. The rural road passes between rural houses and fields sown with olives, lemon trees, stables with donkeys. You will meet welcoming grandparents who will stop to say good morning. The road ends at a small church with a wonderful view and a large yard.

* Leaving Kasteli, there is an alley that leads to the Castrospito of Goula. You walk almost between the walls of Cycladic medieval houses, some captain’s houses stand out for their size.

When there was still no commercial navigation, some residents built ships with tree trunks and transported the local products, mainly wine, fava beans, sun-dried tomatoes first to Crete and later to the Bosphorus Straits in Constantinople and from there some reached the Russian palaces. Herodotus mentions that some wicked Cretans were selling Cretan wine as Santorini, raising its price to high! For a long time the sought-after local products traveled on the ships of local sailors all the way to Italy.

Go to Goula for the sunset. While hundreds of birds perch on its stone walls. Passing between Byzantine stone churches, with a view of the mills and the sea. Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the landscape.

Walking towards Goula you might only hear Cycladic songs. Even if the island is full of visitors, this and the other routes remain quiet. Certainly this route is ideal for anyone interested in the famous Cycladic architecture. In addition, on your way you will meet the famous cats of the Aegean and the view from the Kastrospito of Goula is unique.

Where will you eat?

– Breakfast is served by the two old barbershops that operate as traditional cafes and are located in the medieval settlement, outside Kastelli. In them you can enjoy a coffee but also a full breakfast with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt. In the two traditional cafes of the settlement in the afternoon we drink an ouzo with meze or a homemade juice. The service is good but the route also compensates you.

– On the beach of Perissa, for those who love fresh local fish, there is the fish tavern of Franjescos. It belongs to a family of fishermen with their own fishing boats (trawlers). Every morning they sell their fish in the village square but take the best ones to their shop. The vegetables are local from their orchard as are the fava beans.

– Where the beach of Perivolos ends, a small dirt road opens for a few meters. He leads you to a small tavern perched in front of the sea. It’s the “Lava” tavern. It serves fresh squid, grilled sardine, stuffed tomato, but I also find moussaka. It is one of the oldest taverns on the island, just like the others I recommend.

– In Perivolos there is the “Savvas” tavern. He belongs to a family of Emporians. Whatever you order is delicious and very fresh. The children of the family grew up and work wonders with the local products.

Another taste journey of Cycladic cuisine.

– And finally, don’t forget to go to Rakopagida: it is located at the intersection of Perissa – Perivolou. For local and Cretan meats, lambs and goats from animals that have been raised in the nono and have been fed with aromatic herbs. Those who love meat will find excellent roasts and stews cooked in a traditional way, it will be very economical and at the end, they will be treated to a local sweet and raki for the meeting.

– In Vlychada. Arriving at the exotic beach of Vlychada, on the left you will see the harbor with the fishing boats. From here they leave for fishing. They usually go off Anafi and return the next morning with their nets full of fish. Depending on the weather and the moon.

Where will you stay?

In Santorini, we recommend staying in the historic village of Emporio, across from the medieval castle, in the famous Kasteli, where many villagers still live in famous – for their unique architecture – cave houses. Cave houses under the castle gates, next to churches, intertwined with each other, amidst very narrow alleyways that can barely accommodate a person passing through. The people here – if you don’t know them – seem to still want to hide from the pirates of the past, especially from the wild and ruthless Barbarossa, the infamous pirate of the region.

Here, in this unknown yet familiar place, in the traditional and authentic village of Emporio time is relative, making you feel like it stops years back …

Here, the luxurious villas of the RockVillas Complex located, which are rock because they combine the incongruous: both a rock environment and luxury. Extreme combination!

On one hand, with respect to the architecture of the area, they have found a way to offer the sense of luxury and comfort in a rock decoration at the same time. They are equipped with all those characteristics that satisfy even the most difficult and demanding visitors in order to ensure relaxation, comfort, luxury, nature, authenticity, beauty, tradition, with a different approach. If you stay here you ll have memorable hospitality guaranteed.

Rock Villas Complex

2 villas (Rock Villa Legend & Rock Villa Myth) with a total area of 240 sq.m. that can accommodate up to 11 people, with highlights: a wonderful courtyard with pool & hot tub.

Consisting of a total of

Rock Villa Legend

A villa with a total area of 130 sq.m. that can accommodate up to 6 people, with highlights: Wonderful full equipped courtyard with pool

Consisting of a total of

Rock Villa Myth

A fantastic villa with a total area of 110 sq.m. that can accommodate up to 5 people, with highlights: Wonderful full equipped courtyard with hot tub.

Consisting of a total of

Nearby Areas

Perissa beach

Also known as the beach with the black sand at a distance of 3 km from the village of Emporio. Along with Perivolos beach, consist one of the longest beaches in the world at a length of about 8 kilometers. There, you can enjoy the sun, the sea, but also if you wish you can visit one of the unique beach bars for food, coffee and summer cocktails.

Perivolos beach

It is the cosmopolitan beach of Santorini. It is a continuation of Perissa beach, paved with black volcanic sand and crystal clear waters. You will find options for water sports as well as beautiful beach bars to spend pleasant carefree moments

Vlychada beach

It is also located on the southern coast of the island of Santorini and at a distance of 4 km from the village of Emporio. Also this beach consists of black sand and is organized with sunbeds and shops for food and coffee.

Additional in Vlychada you can find services to enjoy a horse ride.