Stay in Fira or Imerovigli?

We rented an apartment in Fira and I can say my 17 year old daughter was very happy we stayed there as she walked to the 25 hour bakery at least 3 times! … I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Fira is very busy but central. Imerovigli is more off the beaten track. I think of it as being a better place for couples than teenagers. And all the transportation goes from Fira. Have you looked at Firostefani? It is a short walk to Fira but quieter. It is right on the trail from Fira to Oia (which is a sidewalk for part of the way).

If you like hiking, make sure to do the trek from Fira to Oia or vice versa.

Santorini is not known for its beaches. Do your beach time on other islands. Five nights, in my opinion, is too long to stay on Santorini. Visit Paros or Naxos too.

Suki is right. The beaches are not great on Santorini. Your kids will be disappointed by that. Still, we went to Santorini with older teenagers/ young adults and they loved it. We were there 3 nights. Then we moved on to Naxos. I still remember my son’s enthusiasm when he told me “Naxos is even better than Santorini!”

I don’t know where else you are going but I agree you ought to consider shaving a night or two off your visit.

Could you share more -- what is the full length of your trip (not counting arrival day or departure? Are you flying into athens and out of Athens? What other stops in Greece do you plan? Are you sure that you have researched Santorini? We are wondering, because the beaches are black grit, and stepping on them in july is like stepping on a cast-iron frying pan. I agree with the others that better (sandy) beaches can be found on other Cycladic islands that you can reach in a couple of hours b y ferry. You cannot research an island by looking at online photos of beautiful bedrooms & bathrooms in hotels.

You'll also need to be realistic about activities like hiking, since you'll be going in the hottest month -- last year Santorini and other islands were up to 98-99° F in mid-day in July... people simply had to hide in the AC or sit up their necks in pools or in the sea. In no way could you do the Oia to FIra hike except at 7 AM, and teen-agers sleep until 11, I know, I had 2 of them. Your best bet would be to spend 2 nights in Santorini in a hotel with a POOL, just to see the "Famous View" and then skedaddle to a better Isle for all 3 of you. After all, after a few hours, our girls will be bored with the view, the shopping in Santorini is crazy-expensive & not geared for them, but for the cruise Crowds.

Since you are thinking far ahead, you may be able to book a hotel ON a lovely beach in one of the other islands -- Llike Naxos, Sifnos, or Antiparos. From antiParos, there's a 10 minute ferry to the Port town of Paros (Parikia) so you could have the best of both worlds. Here are some links taken by an actual vacationer, not a promotional website:
NAXOS SUNSETS -- https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157700728046481
BACK to NAXOS22 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720299940917
... Naxos has become more crowdy recently, but we can help you find very enjoyable beach accommodations
ANTIPAROS - https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632126687570/
An AntiParos Beach - https://antiparos.com/explore/psaraliki-beach/

Here's a VERY informative website about Sifnos - great bus system, a huge network of hiking trails and several sublime beaches http://sifnos.e-sifnos.com/index.htm
== And here's the kind of beach & the kind of lodging you'd find there.. http://www.giannakas-studios.com/en/location.html
... On daily ferries from Santorini, you can reach Naxos in 2 hours, Paros/Antiparos in 3, Sifnos similarly.

We all urge you to rethink a 5 day stay in Santorini, based mainly on internet scrolling.

I truly do thank you for the input!

We are doing an 10 night stay - flying directly in from Athens - 5 nights in Santorini, 3 in Naxos (already have our hotel booked but will definitely check these links out) and 2 in Athens.

I am not negating ANY of the points mentioned, but please trust me in that I have done EXTENSIVE research on how long would be a good time for our family to spend in Santorini. If I added up the hours I have spent watching you tube videos, reading guide books, reading travel blogs, and sites like these... we would be going into days of research. It is not just from scrolling through pretty pictures on internet sites.

Every group is different. As 5 nights may be way too much for some, it won't be for us. This is a bucket list place and we won't be going back (although I never like to say never, but most likely). We are very active but want to have some relaxation in Santorini as well. And yes, although my girls are teenagers, we are big travelers and it's not a thought in my mind that they would have an issue being up early. Suffice to say, I understand all the points mentioned and have already taken each one into account.

If anyone that traveled with teens could weigh in on the question asked and give any input there... it would be appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks for your good explanation ... and we do hope that after you return, sometime next August you'll come back to RS forum and give us a quick brief report on how your trip went, and which parts lived up to your expectations. Year in & year out we "vets" try to help newcomers, and we always appreciate feedback (which is alas infrequent).

If you care about beaches, you should remove one night from Thira and add it to Naxos. Seriously. The beaches in Santorini are garbaggio

Fira in July will be a madhouse. Stay in Imerovigli for the peace and quiet and walk into Fira when you want nightlife, shopping and a wide range of restaurants. The clifftop hike to Oia passes through Imerovigli. The best swimming on the island isn't at one of the beaches. It's below Oia in Amoudi Bay at the end of the seawall that begins on the wharf next to the Sunset Taverna. This is what you'll find there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKlp1VynWk

Thanks for the input.
Somehow, this question turned into me visiting beaches... I understand the beaches aren't that great, but will spend at least half a day checking them out as, again...why not? We are in Santorini. Not expecting the Caribbean. However, I would like to visit them all the same. Some beaches in the French Riviera or Italy aren't the best either but I am still glad that I had the opportunity to experience them for myself and visit. Some people spend their whole time staying by Kamari and Perissa and rave about it. So, I think it's all relative.

I will definitely check out Amoudi Bay as I have seen many posts and videos about this very spot and it looks so unique.
We have decided on Imerovigli. The 25 minute walk will be fine. I'd rather opt for the higher point on the caldera, a pool and a bit more space.

I'm sure I will be checking back on these boards a lot as the trip approaches, but I will definitely report back on my trip afterwards.
Thanks again.

We went to Amoudi Bay with our young adult children and really enjoyed it. They all jumped off the rock at least once.

We did visit some of the beaches as well and they are interesting as long as you have realistic expectations.

Nice black sand beach at Perissa as well as beautiful Red Beach near must see Akrotiri. We stayed in Oia 3 nights and rented a car.

Nice beach at Monolithos, without the tourist crowds of Perissa or Kamari. Still black sand, but is actually sand instead of rocks/pebbles, and you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas. Nice taverna across the road - Skaramaga's (or something similar). Excellent food, multi-generation family owned. Bus stops there 'now and then'. If you want to see a 'traditional' Greek village, go to Pyrgos. Narrow, winding streets, hike all the way up to the top where there are castle ruins and a church, plus a delightful restaurant with spectacular views of the island. It was our favorite stop in Santorini last month. It could be combined in a long day with a trip to see the excavations at Akrotiri, a brief walk to see Red Beach, and then get a ride back to Pyrgos on the way back to Fira. Maybe have dinner at the top of Pyrgos for the sunset, then get a cab or bus back to Fira. Lovely!