Stacey Travels✨
@stacey_travels
Where the cliffs meet the Aegean, and time seems to slow down.
Sep 3, 2023
Amoudi Bay is one of those places where getting there is half the experience. From Oia, you make your way down the long staircase carved into the cliff, with the whitewashed village gradually disappearing above you and the Aegean opening up in front of you. At the bottom, the harbour feels completely different from Oia. It’s smaller, rougher and much more intimate, surrounded by huge volcanic cliffs and incredibly clear water. We made our way around the rocks towards the swimming area, which was much less straightforward to find than I expected. The route isn’t particularly well signposted, and some sections involve carefully picking your way over uneven rock. Once you reach the water, though, it makes sense why people bother. You’re swimming directly beneath the cliffs, looking out across the caldera with the boats coming and going nearby. It feels much more like discovering somewhere for yourself than arriving at a conventional beach.
Pass it on
Best time
Late afternoon. The heat is easier to handle when you’re walking back up the cliff, and the light around the bay becomes particularly beautiful towards the end of the day. If you want to swim, go earlier while the water and rocks are still comfortably warm.
Watch out
The walk back up. Those steps feel very different on the way back, especially in the heat. Take water and don’t underestimate the climb. Also, if you’re heading towards the swimming spot around the rocks, don’t assume there’s an obvious route. Navigation can be awkward and the r
What surprised me
How different it felt from Oia. You can be surrounded by Santorini’s famous white buildings one minute and then suddenly find yourself underneath enormous volcanic cliffs beside a tiny harbour. I expected Amoudi Bay to feel like another busy Santorini attraction, but the landsca
Would I go back?
Absolutely. Not necessarily for a full day, but I’d happily make the walk down again for an afternoon swim, a drink by the harbour and that feeling of being right at the edge of the island. It’s one of those places that feels worth the effort of getting there.
Don't miss
The seafood by the water. Amoudi Bay is a brilliant place to slow down over freshly caught seafood with the boats and cliffs right outside. Find a table overlooking the harbour, order whatever looks freshest, and take your time — the setting is every bit as memorable as the food.
Worth knowing
Amoudi Bay sits directly below Oia and is reached by roughly 300 steps down the cliff. The bay itself isn’t a traditional sandy beach — the swimming areas are rocky, and the appeal is really the dramatic setting, clear water and experience of being down beneath the cliffs.