Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
What separates the two is character rather than geography. Perissa is the older, cheaper, more backpackerish end. Perivolos is where the beach bars are, with loungers, music and table service running down to the water.
What the beach is actually like
Three things decide whether you enjoy it:
- The sand is black, because Santorini is a volcano and the sand is weathered volcanic rock. There is no pale sand anywhere on this island.
- Black sand gets extremely hot in full sun. Sandals matter more here than on a pale beach, and the walk from the road to the water at two in the afternoon is memorable for the wrong reason.
- It is long and flat, so it takes crowds without feeling crushed, and the water shelves gradually rather than dropping away.
The strip runs for kilometres, which means the experience changes every few hundred metres: busy and loud in front of the big beach bars, quiet within a five-minute walk of them.
Beach bars, and what you are actually buying
The beach-bar model here is straightforward: you take a lounger and umbrella, and you order from the bar behind it. Some charge for the set, some fold it into a minimum spend, and the further you walk from the main clusters the cheaper and quieter it gets.
Loud music is the default at the busiest ones and absent two hundred metres away, so the choice is genuinely yours. Our sunbeds and free beaches guide explains how the arrangement works across Greece, including what you are entitled to if you bring your own towel.
Who it suits
Good for: groups, long lazy days, people who want food and drink within reach of the lounger, and anyone who finds the caldera villages beautiful and exhausting.
Less good for: anyone hoping for an empty cove, or for shade that is not rented. The strip is open and treeless.
If you want the quieter version of the same coast, walk south towards Agios Georgios; if you want the more organised version with a village behind it, Kamari is the other side of the headland.
Getting there, and the blue-flag point
Perivolos sits on the flat south-east side of the island, away from the caldera. Buses run from Fira to the Perissa and Perivolos strip in season, and driving there is simple by Santorini standards, with parking behind the beach.
One signal worth reading properly: several beaches on this coast, Perivolos included, have carried Blue Flag awards. That is a certification about water quality and facilities on a specific date, not a permanent property of the beach, and never a safety guarantee. Take the current position from the awarding body rather than from a page like this one.
Last checked August 2026. Awards, facilities and bus routes change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is Perivolos beach like?
A long, flat strip of black volcanic sand on Santorini’s south-east coast, lined with beach bars, tavernas and small hotels, with gradually shelving water.
What is the difference between Perissa and Perivolos?
They are two ends of the same continuous beach. Perissa is the older, cheaper end with more budget accommodation; Perivolos is the beach-bar end with loungers and table service.
Is the sand at Perivolos black?
Yes. Santorini is a volcano and its beaches are weathered volcanic rock, so the sand is black or dark grey and gets very hot in the sun.
Are there free sunbeds at Perivolos?
Loungers belong to the beach bars and are paid for, directly or through a minimum spend. Space to lay a towel exists, and it is easier to find away from the main bar clusters.
How do you get to Perivolos from Fira?
By bus in season, or by car in around twenty minutes. It sits on the flat side of the island rather than on the caldera.
Next
Read best beaches in Santorini, Perissa, or where to stay in Santorini.