Pyrgos & the Inland Wine Villages
The half of Santorini that isn't on a cliff. Inland and to the south, on the slope running up to the island's highest point, sit the villages that were here before the caldera became a view: Pyrgos, the medieval former capital coiled around a Venetian castle; Megalochori with its bell tower and its bougainvillea; Emporio, a genuine fortified warren almost nobody visits; Exo Gonia on the ridge. Between and below them is the wine country — ash-and-pumice fields of Assyrtiko vines coiled flat against the wind. There is no sunset queue here, no cruise crowd, and no view tax. There is also no beach and very little English-language polish, which is the whole appeal.
Who it's for: Anyone with a car or the patience for two buses. Wine drinkers — every winery worth visiting is within ten minutes of here. People on a second trip, or a longer one, who have done the rim and want the island. Food travellers: the best traditional cooking on Santorini is inland, not on the caldera. Anyone travelling on a normal budget who still wants a view — Pyrgos's castle gives you both coasts at once, for free.
Things to know
- This is a car, ATV or taxi area. Buses reach Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio and Kamari, but every route runs through Fira's central station — so village-hopping by bus means going back to Fira each time.
- Pyrgos is roughly 5km from Fira (15–20 minutes by bus, 10–15 by taxi), and about the same from Athinios port and the airport, which makes it a genuinely convenient base if you have wheels.
- The Pyrgos kasteli walk is uphill on uneven stone the whole way, and the top is unshaded. It is free, it is open at all hours, and it is best at sunrise or in the last hour of light.
- Wine tasting prices split into two tiers: roughly €15–28 at the bigger view-driven estates (Santo Wines, Venetsanos, Estate Argyros standard flights) and €40 and up for serious guided tastings at the likes of Hatzidakis and Domaine Sigalas. Book ahead in July and August.
- Do not drive yourself between wineries after tasting. Santorini's roads are narrow, unlit and full of scooters, and drink-driving enforcement aside, this is the island's leading cause of visitor injury. Take a driver or a guided tour.
- Santo Wines' sunset terrace is the single most booked wine slot on the island and gets very busy from about 18:30. If you want the wine rather than the view, go at 11:00, or go to Venetsanos or a small family canava instead.
- The Agia Triada collection in Pyrgos — the island's Byzantine icon and relic museum — costs €5, is closed Tuesdays, and keeps short hours that vary by day. It is included in the wider combined archaeological ticket.
- Profitis Ilias is a working monastery at 565m, roughly 2–3km up from Pyrgos by road. Visiting hours are limited and can change without notice; dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees, no shorts) or you will not get in.
- Good Friday in Pyrgos is one of the great sights in the Aegean: more than two thousand flaming tin cans set on walls, roofs and terraces up the whole castle hill. If your trip falls at Orthodox Easter, build the evening around it.
- Bring cash. Several of the best village tavernas and small canavas are cash-friendly at best, and there are no bank ATMs in most of these villages.