Red beach — Attraction in Municipality of Thira

The Red Beach is, truly, a breathtaking sight... but, there are some downsides:

It's a massive pain in the ass to reach. I suggest footwear that's made for rough terrain, and keep beach shoes in your bag.

It's very small, but very popular, so it can be a bit crowded.

It's far more rocky than Perissa's Black Beach.

This was not a problem for me, and I actually enjoyed it, but for those who may be more sensitive to some odors, there is a somewhat strong fishy smell to it, that overpowers the salt smell one usually expects.

It's red due to a large amount of red pumice, which floats. This means that there are massive amounts of pumice "beads" in the surf, and it gets... everywhere!

The benefits:

It truly is gorgeous!

There's a nice little Greek woman who rents beach chairs. I can't list the price as it fluctuates a bit with the popularity of the beach from day to day, but I'd expect to pay about 10 euros for them, give or take a bit.

There's a convenient little shop that sells water, beer, sandwiches, salads, and other snack items just about 10 meters from the beach itself.

Along the way, there are fresh fruit stands, with very reasonable prices.

It's gorgeous! Yeah, I know I already said that, but it's worth saying again.

If you're worried about the path to the beach, but would still like to see it, there are some fantastic views from above that are far easier to reach.

It's only about 10 or 15 minutes walk from the bus stop (should you choose to travel by car, taxi, four-wheeler, moped or whatever, there is a parking lot closer), which is right in front of the Akrotiri archeological dig site (which only costs 12 euros per person, and is completely worth it), so the two are easily connected to make a...

One of the most beautiful and wonderful beach. You can come here by car or by bus. There is a parking lot near by and few refreshment shops. If you are coming by bus you will have to walk a little. To go to the beach you have to walk a bit. There is a white colored church at beginning. Walk straight and there is a passage to the cliff. The path to the beach is very Rocky and you will feel like hiking when going there. The passage can be dangerous if not careful as rocks might fall down and can even hurt you badly. There are warnings boards for the same also. Once you cross the passage and reach the beach it's a amazing site. There are huge rocks and the cliff is made of red and black rocks. The rocks keep falling so be careful all the times. The beach sand is black because of the volcano stones. The water is crystal clear and cold. There are a lot of different types of rocks on beach red black brown grey etc. And it looks beautiful. If you are in Santorini you shouldn't skip this beach. I collected few very beautiful and interesting stones here while walk along the beach side. The giant mountain like cliff gives you a perfect red background for you to click pictures. On the other side there is a black wall of volcanic rocks.

The sunset is also amazing here and you can enjoy sitting on the top of cliff as you watch the sun go down. For that I would advise to get out of beach area and reach near the entry point during the sunlight else it can be dangerous after dark. You can enjoy watching the sun go down from the cliff top near entry area.

Overall this beach was an amazing experience. Make sure to go here and have enough time to enjoy the...

Visited Red Beach in the late afternoon and it really lives up to the photos — towering red cliffs, dark pebbles, and insanely clear water. The short walk from the parking area is on a rocky path (10 minutes or so), so proper shoes help. You can also come by boat taxi from Akrotiri if you don’t want the hike.

Swimming was great and there’s decent snorkeling along the rocks, but it’s a pebble beach, not soft sand. Very limited shade and no real facilities, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and beach shoes. It can get busy in peak season, but the crowd thins out toward the evening and the colors at sunset are gorgeous — the cliffs turn a deeper red and the water looks almost electric.

Do pay attention to the rockfall signs and avoid sitting right under the cliff face; it’s there for a reason. Parking fills up quickly earlier in the day, so come either early morning or after 5 pm. If you’re into history, the Akrotiri archaeological site is nearby — easy to combine.

Not the most comfortable beach on the island, but for dramatic scenery and a memorable swim,...