12 packing essentials every Santorini visitor brings in 2026
Grippy walking shoes are the #1 thing to pack for Santorini, and the reasoning comes down to availability. Sunscreen runs a close second, but Fira pharmacies stock SPF 50 at low prices while good trail shoes are hard to find on the island. You'll need them for the 10 km caldera path to Oia and the steps down to Ammoudi Bay.
We scored each item on three questions: how much does Santorini in particular call for it, how much use does it give per euro, and how often do travellers say they regretted leaving it at home? Shoes come first because most of those regret stories happen on the caldera path, which runs from Fira through Firostefani and Imerovigli, past Skaros Rock, and ends in Oia. That is roughly 10 km of pumice, polished marble steps and loose gravel, and it tends to take 3 to 4 hours. Sunscreen scored nearly as high, losing out because shops in Fira and Kamari stock it, while proper trail shoes are hard to find anywhere on the island. Wind protection came third. The meltemi, the strong north wind of the Aegean summer, can blow a hat off the edge of the caldera at Oia castle in seconds.
The most common mistake starts at Athinios port, where ferries from Piraeus dock at the foot of a switchback road and the crowd pushes hard toward the buses and taxis. A big wheeled suitcase then meets the cobbled lanes of Oia and the steps below hotels in Imerovigli. It loses. The second mistake is wearing a white or favourite swimsuit to the hot springs at Palea Kameni, where the iron-rich water can leave an orange tint on fabric. The third is underestimating the deck wind on catamarans leaving Athinios, which is the reason motion tablets and a windproof layer made our list.
Plan for October evenings as well as midday sun. The open_meteo reading at 02:00 on 20 October 2026 showed 17.3°C and clear skies, so you'll likely want a layer after sunset on the terraces at Pyrgos. Carry some cash. KTEL buses from the Fira terminal to Oia, Kamari and Perissa still tend to take euros on board, and at the 19 October rate of 1 USD to 0.8909 EUR, a €20 note comes to about $22.45. If you fly into Santorini International Airport (JTR), check your luggage allowance before you buy any bulky gear.
Our #1 pick is not right for everyone. Cruise passengers who ride the Fira cable car up from the old port and spend about 6 hours in Fira's lanes and around St. John the Baptist Cathedral before riding back down can manage in comfortable sandals, and the same goes for beach-only stays on the black sand at Perissa or Kamari, where water shoes matter more than trail shoes. Travellers with limited mobility will probably find that the covered walkways at Akrotiri and the floors of the Museum of Prehistoric Thera suit everyday footwear. For them, a seat on the bus past the vineyards near Episkopi Gonia will likely beat any hike.
The full list
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Grippy trail shoes or hiking sandals
The caldera path from Fira through Imerovigli to Oia is loose pumice and slick marble steps. Smooth soles slide on the descent to Ammoudi Bay, and decent trail shoes are hard to come by anywhere on the island.
Shop Grippy trail shoes or hiking sandals -
Reef-safe SPF 50 sunscreen
There is almost no shade on Red Beach near Akrotiri or along the caldera path, and the sun bounces off the white walls of Oia. Bring a full tube, because resort prices in Oia tend to run higher than at Fira pharmacies.
Shop Reef-safe SPF 50 sunscreen -
Packable windproof jacket
The meltemi blows across the caldera rim at Imerovigli and the catamaran decks leaving Athinios port, and October evenings at Pyrgos can feel cool after sunset.
Shop Packable windproof jacket -
Wide-brim hat with a chin strap
Without a strap, a gust at Oia castle or Skaros Rock can send your hat down the cliff. The brim also earns its keep in the open ruins of Ancient Thera above Kamari.
Shop Wide-brim hat with a chin strap -
Water shoes
The black volcanic pebbles at Perissa and Kamari get very hot by early afternoon, and the swim-in rocks at Ammoudi Bay are sharp underfoot.
Shop Water shoes -
Polarized sunglasses
The whitewashed walls and blue domes of Oia and Firostefani reflect a lot of glare, and polarized lenses will also cut the shimmer off the caldera water on boat trips to Nea Kameni.
Shop Polarized sunglasses -
Insulated refillable water bottle
Santorini's tap water comes largely from desalination and most locals buy drinking water, so fill a cold bottle at your hotel in Fira before starting the 10 km walk to Oia.
Shop Insulated refillable water bottle -
Soft duffel or travel backpack
A backpack carries easily up the stairways below Imerovigli and Oia hotels and on the crowded transfer from Athinios port. Wheeled cases tend to jam on the cobbles.
Shop Soft duffel or travel backpack -
Power bank (10,000 mAh)
You might wait two hours for the Oia sunset by the castle, filming and checking maps the whole time, and there are few outlets there. Phones also drain fast on the bus back to the Fira terminal.
Shop Power bank (10,000 mAh) -
Small euro notes and coins
KTEL buses from Fira to Oia, Kamari and Perissa usually take cash on board, and small tavernas in Pyrgos and Megalochori tend to prefer euros for small bills.
Shop Small euro notes and coins -
Dark swimsuit you can stain
Caldera boat tours from the Fira old port take you to the iron-rich hot springs at Palea Kameni, where the water can leave orange marks on light-coloured fabric.
Shop Dark swimsuit you can stain -
Lightweight scarf or shoulder cover
Monasteries such as Moni Profiti Ilia above Pyrgos and the Byzantine church of Panagia Episkopi expect covered shoulders and knees, and a scarf will also cut the wind at night.
Shop Lightweight scarf or shoulder cover
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