White Beach and Black Beach, Akrotiri

Two Coves the Roads Never Reach

Most of Santorini’s beaches sit at the end of a road, even if the last stretch is a dirt track. White Beach and Black Beach, tucked along the rugged southern coastline below Akrotiri, don’t. There is no lane, no footpath, no stairway cut into the rock — the only way onto either one is by sea. That single fact shapes everything else about visiting them: what to bring, when to go, and which kind of boat trip actually stops there.

This page isn’t about the excavated Minoan town at Akrotiri itself, and it isn’t about the lighthouse a little further along the headland — both have their own guides. It’s for the narrower, more practical question: you’ve got a boat trip booked, or you’re thinking about renting one, and you want to know what these two beaches actually offer once you step off.

Why There’s No Way In by Land

The cliffs above White Beach and Black Beach are the same crumbling volcanic rock that defines so much of Santorini’s coastline — loose ash and pumice layers stacked over harder basalt, the kind of ground that erodes visibly year to year rather than staying fixed. It’s the same material, geologically, that shaped the red beach a little further north and the wind-carved gullies at Vlychada. None of it holds a safe path.

So unlike Kamari or Perissa, where you can drive to a beachfront road and park, or even Red Beach, which at least has a cliffside trail (albeit one that’s been repeatedly closed after rockfalls), White Beach and Black Beach have never had a route down. It isn’t a matter of local authorities failing to build one — the terrain simply doesn’t allow it. Every visitor, without exception, arrives by water.

White Beach: Sand Under Bleached Cliffs

White Beach takes its name from the pale, almost bone-white volcanic rock that rises behind it — a striking contrast to the black sand beaches most visitors associate with Santorini. The cliffs here have been scoured by wind and sea into smooth, rounded shapes, and the strip of shore below is narrow: a mix of sand and pebbles rather than the long, groomed stretch you’d find at Perivolos.

There’s no shade beyond whatever the boat you arrived on can offer, and no built structure of any kind. What draws people here is the setting itself — the closed-in feel of a small cove with tall pale cliffs on both sides, and water that’s usually clear enough to see the seabed several metres out. It photographs well precisely because it looks so different from the rest of the island’s coastline.

Black Beach: The Quieter Cove Next Door

A short stretch of coastline away sits Black Beach — smaller again, and backed by darker volcanic rock that gives the sand and pebbles here a deeper, near-charcoal tone. It’s easy to conflate with the far larger and better-known black sand beaches at Kamari or Perissa, but it has nothing to do with either: this is an isolated cove reachable only by boat, not a developed beachfront with sunbed rows and beach bars.

Because it sees less traffic than the bigger boat-stop beaches, Black Beach tends to feel more private, even in the middle of high season. Boats that stop here are usually smaller charters or private rentals rather than the larger cruise vessels, simply because there’s less room to anchor several boats at once.

Getting There: Your Three Realistic Options

There’s no fourth way to reach either beach, so the choice really comes down to how much control you want over your schedule.

Option	What it looks like	Best for
Caldera or coastal cruise stop	A swim stop built into a wider boat tour, often paired with Red Beach or Nea Kameni	Visitors who want the beaches as part of a bigger day, not the whole point of it
Taxi boat / water taxi	A direct, short boat transfer from a departure point like Perivolos or Perissa	Visitors who want to spend most of the day on one or both beaches
Private boat rental	Renting your own small boat, with or without a skipper	Visitors who want full control of timing and want to combine several stops on their own route

If you’d rather not plan the logistics yourself, a half-day boat outing that includes a stop at these southern coves alongside Red Beach is the simplest route in:

a Red Beach cruise with lunch and sunbeds that also works this stretch of coastline

For visitors who’d rather set their own pace and choose exactly how long to stay at each cove, a private tour built around the southern beaches is the more flexible option:

a private four-hour beach tour along Santorini’s coast

If you’re comfortable on the water and want to skip the guided-tour structure entirely, see our guide to renting a boat in Santorini without a licence — small motorboats of a certain size don’t require one, and the southern coast around Akrotiri is a common route for self-drive rentals. For a larger vessel and a skippered day, private yacht charters also work this coastline on request.

What to Expect Once You’re On the Sand

Bring everything you’ll need, because nothing is sold or rented at either beach. That means water, snacks, sun cream, and your own towel — there are no kiosks, no toilets, and no shade structures. The volcanic sand and pebbles hold heat the same way they do everywhere else on the island, so footwear for the walk from the boat to your spot is worth having, even for a short stop.

If you’re interested in what’s below the surface as much as what’s on the shore, the same steep underwater terrain that makes the cliffs dramatic tends to make for decent snorkelling close in. See our snorkelling spots guide for where this coastline ranks against the island’s other options, and our scuba diving guide if you’d rather explore it properly with a guided dive. If neither beach stop is quite enough time in the water, a dedicated dive session pairs well with a beach-focused boat day:

a beginner-friendly try-diving session

Safety and the Cliffs Above You

The same instability that rules out a footpath also means it’s worth keeping some distance from the base of the cliffs themselves, rather than sitting directly against the rock face — small rockfalls happen on this kind of terrain, as they do periodically at Red Beach a little further along. There’s no lifeguard presence at either beach, so swimming judgement is entirely on you and whoever’s boat you arrived on.

Because access depends entirely on sea conditions, both beaches are effectively closed whenever the water is too rough to anchor safely — most commonly during a strong meltemi in July and August. If a boat operator cancels or reroutes a stop here for weather, it isn’t a service failure; it’s the same call any sensible skipper would make.

When to Go

High season (June to September) brings the calmest, warmest water but also the most boat traffic sharing these small coves. The shoulder months — late spring and October — often mean quieter anchorages and a better chance of having a cove closer to yourself, though the sea takes longer to warm up in May than it does by early autumn. Outside of that window, most of the smaller boat operators that work this stretch scale back or stop entirely for winter, in line with the broader slowdown described in our Santorini in winter guide.

Combining the Beaches with the Rest of a Boat Day

Because a stop of thirty minutes to an hour is typical, most visitors treat White Beach and Black Beach as one leg of a longer outing rather than a destination on their own. A caldera-and-coast boat day commonly links them with a stop at Red Beach, sometimes with the volcanic islets of Nea Kameni and the warm springs at Palea Kameni added on for a fuller day at sea — see our caldera cruise guide for how those combinations typically work.

If your interest runs more toward what these beaches sit beneath than the swim stop itself, the excavated town at Akrotiri and the Akrotiri excavations guide cover that ground separately, and are best visited by road on a different part of the day, since the archaeological site itself has no beachfront access.

Anyone weighing this stop against the island’s better-known sand — Perissa versus Kamari, for instance, or the fuller rundown in our Santorini beaches guide — should keep the core distinction in mind: those are beaches you drive to and stay at for a day; these are coves you visit briefly, by boat, as part of something bigger. For travellers building out a longer stay around the water, our water sports guide and best shore excursions round out what else this same stretch of coast has to offer beyond the two beaches themselves.

If your day includes a broader loop of the island’s black beaches, a private tour that also takes in the Pyrgos summit and its viewpoint is worth considering as a land-and-sea combination:

a private five-hour tour combining the Pyrgos summit with a black beach stop

And for those combining the beach stop with the nearby archaeological site on the same trip, a guided walk through Akrotiri fills the other half of the day:

a guided tour of the excavated city at Akrotiri

Frequently Asked Questions About White Beach and Black Beach

Can you walk to White Beach or Black Beach from Akrotiri village?

No. There is no marked path down the cliffs on this stretch of coast, and the ground above both beaches is loose volcanic rock that isn’t safe to descend on foot. Every visitor arrives by boat.

Is there a road that gets close to either beach?

No road reaches the shoreline here. The nearest road ends well above the cliffs near Akrotiri, and from there it’s sea only — there’s no dirt track, staircase or goat path that locals use as a shortcut.

What’s the difference between White Beach and Black Beach?

White Beach sits beneath pale, eroded volcanic cliffs that give the sand and pebbles a bleached, almost lunar look. Black Beach, a short distance along the same coastline, sits under darker rock and has noticeably darker sand and pebbles. Both are small, quiet coves reached the same way.

Are there sunbeds, umbrellas or a taverna at either beach?

No. Neither beach has any fixed infrastructure — no sunbed operators, no umbrella rental, no snack bar, no toilets. Whatever you plan to eat, drink or sit on needs to come with you or with the boat you’re on.

Which boat trips actually stop at these beaches?

Most caldera cruises and private boat charters that work the southern coast build in a swim stop at White Beach, Black Beach, or both, often alongside a stop at Red Beach. Ask before booking, since not every itinerary includes them — some cruises focus only on the caldera side near Oia.

Is the water good for snorkelling at White Beach and Black Beach?

Yes — the same volcanic drop-offs that make the cliffs dramatic also make for clear water and interesting underwater terrain close to shore. Bring your own mask and fins if you have them, since rental isn’t available on-site.

How long do boats usually stay at these beaches?

It varies by itinerary, but expect a swim stop of somewhere in the order of thirty minutes to an hour rather than a full beach day. Check the stated stop time before booking if a long swim matters to you.