Santorini with bad knees

Santorini is more about hills than stairs. However, there are some village that do have stairs to get around. You could probably research those and stay away.

Given your concerns, Santorini will present some problems. A lot of up and down inclines. Not a lot stairs but it is not level and lots of the walkways are not smooth. Lots of rough cobble stone. And taxis access will only get you close. Go to goggle maps and look at the street views.

Most of what's available in Fira in terms of shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants require a lot of step climbing. Find a hotel in Oia where most of the shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants are all on one level with no steps whatsoever. There are hotels on this level as well so there won't be many steps coming and going to your room. Close in the heart of Oia is the Aethrio Hotel. Further out is Olympic Villas, Anemomilos Hotel and Laokasti Villas. Communicate with the hotels to insure booking a ground floor room (Laokasti is all on the ground floor).

Thanks Lee. I had been looking at Fira, but I'll look at Oia now.

I'm afraid that's not how I remember Oia. There are no cars in central Oia, only walkways, and its hard to go more than 10m without steps. Look at Google Maps and see how many steps there are: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Oia+847+02,+Greece/@36.4613507,25.37535,43m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x1499cb8b1c44c1a9:0x400bd2ce2b9c750!8m2!3d36.4618199!4d25.3753101?hl=en

FYI there are a limited number of taxis on the island

It's true that you can't get into the heart of Oia in a car. That's what makes it so special. You can, however, take the bus or a taxi and be dropped off across from Laokasti Villas where the south end of the main pedestrian-only promenade begins. A taxi can also take you to a dropoff point next to the Oia Post Office where there's an archway that you would pass through to be on that same promenade near the north end. It's along that promenade that most of the shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants I mentioned are situated. That promenade is almost completely flat, with only an occasional one step up or down until you get to the north end, where more steps are required if, for example, you want to view the famous blue-domed chapels seen so often in travel photos. Along that promenade you will occasionally encounter a gentle incline, but no steps other that what I've mentioned. As for the hotels in Oia, most are down steps off that promenade. The three I mentioned are not down those steps. There may be a few others these days with one flight of steps involved, such as Maryloujohn Villas, Andronis Hotel and some of the Old Oia Houses.

If you still decide to stay in Fira, the easiest Hotel of all for those with bad knees is the long-established Hotel Atlantis, built in the 1950s and considered the "Grande Dame" of Santorini Hotels. It is all about Location ... is right ON the long level promenade that gives the caldera view, and right next to the Cathedral AND the major museum. Many restaurants nearby not requiring steps. Hotel has nice pool, seaview patio, and seaview balcony rooms if you can book far enough in advance to get one. Reviews on TA 4.5 out of 5 with helpful details. Just 2 floors... main & upper. No elevator, but gradual steps. Parking outside & taxis right at front. Years ago I recommended it to a couple where wife had 2 bad knees walked w cane, and husband could not lift suitcases. They raved about service, view, everything. Since then I've steered many people with disabilities or limited mobilty there... main thing is to book early enough to get seaview rooms. Of course, a venerable hotel doesn't have the latest whiz-bangs, but sometimes its restful to step back a few decades in one's surroundings.

What I remember about Oia is climbing lots and lots of stairs! If you stay in Oia research your hotel very well. We even climbed down and back up to Amoudi Harbor. The result was we couldn’t wait to leave Santorini. Loved all the rest of Greece though.

If you book one of the hotels I mentioned for Oia you won't have to deal with any steps, and you won't have to deal with any steps along the pedestrian-only promenade where most of the shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants are located.

One of the hotels Lee mentioned is Aethrio Hotel. We stayed there, and it was fantastic. We didn't care much for Santorini as a whole, but the Aethrio was a lovely oasis. High up with great views of the Aegean (though not of the caldera, thus less expensive). Nice pool, breakfast, rooms. We loved it.

I still remember stairs though.