Santorini is one of the few Mediterranean cruise calls where almost every ship anchors in the caldera and tenders passengers ashore rather than docking at a quay — and where you land makes a real difference to your day. Most cruise tenders land at the Old Port below Fira, from where a cable car, a long flight of steps, or a donkey carries you up the cliff; independent travellers arriving by ferry instead use a completely different harbour, Athinios, further down the coast.
Old Port (Skala) vs Athinios: two different harbours
These are easy to confuse and worth getting straight before you go ashore. The Old Port, also called Skala or Fira Skala, sits directly beneath Fira's cliffside town and has no road access at all — it exists purely for tenders and small boats, and the only ways up are the cable car, the steps, or a donkey. Athinios, by contrast, is a modern car ferry terminal about 10 km south along the coast, connected by road and used by all scheduled ferries to and from Piraeus, the other Cyclades and Crete. Some cruise ships tender their organised shore-excursion passengers to Athinios instead of the Old Port, since coaches can meet them there directly — check which port your excursion or independent tender uses, because the onward options are quite different at each.
Getting up from the Old Port: cable car, steps or donkey
The cable car is the fastest way up from the Old Port, taking only a few minutes to reach Fira, and it's what the great majority of cruise passengers use. Its capacity is limited, though, so the real time cost is usually the queue rather than the ride itself — on a busy multi-ship day, waiting can easily add 30–60 minutes each way. The alternative is the roughly 600-step zigzag path carved into the cliff, walkable in 20–40 minutes depending on fitness and heat, or a donkey ride covering the same route. Donkeys share the path with walkers and their droppings make the steps genuinely slippery in places, so wear proper shoes whichever way you go. On windy days the cable car can be suspended for safety, in which case steps or a donkey become the only way up — worth keeping in mind if you're planning a tight schedule.
Getting around once you're up: buses and taxis
Santorini's public buses, run by KTEL Santorini, start from a central station in Fira and connect the caldera villages — Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia — at reasonably frequent intervals in summer, with a separate route running down to Athinios timed loosely around ferry arrivals. Tickets are bought on board. Taxis are available in Fira too, though the island's taxi fleet is small relative to the number of cruise and ferry passengers on a busy day, so queues at the taxi rank can be long at peak times — the bus is often the more reliable option for reaching Oia if you're short on time.
Getting to Oia
Oia, with its famous blue-domed churches and caldera views, sits at the northern tip of the island, roughly 30–40 minutes from Fira by bus or taxi depending on traffic through the villages in between. It's a realistic add-on if you have most of a day ashore, but the round trip alone can take two hours or more once you account for waiting for a bus or taxi at both ends, so it isn't something to attempt on a short call without a firm eye on the clock.
A realistic port-day plan
On a short call, most of Fira's appeal — the caldera-edge cafés, the narrow lanes, the Orthodox Cathedral and the views back down to the Old Port — is within easy walking distance of the top of the cable car, so you don't need to go far to have a good few hours ashore. A longer call opens up Oia, or a walk along the caldera rim to Firostefani and Imerovigli, both flatter and quieter than the crush around the cable car station in Fira itself. Given how much of the day the cable car queue alone can consume, it's worth heading up as early as your tender allows rather than waiting until mid-morning when several ships' worth of passengers are converging on the same route.
If you're extending your trip by ferry
Santorini is a major hub for onward island travel, and if you're arriving or leaving independently rather than by ship, you'll use Athinios rather than the Old Port. See our guide to Athens to Santorini for comparing the ferry and flight options, our Cyclades island hopping guide if you want to build a longer route through the islands either side of a cruise, and our wider Greek island ferries guide for how the network as a whole fits together.
Combining Santorini with other Greek ports
Santorini commonly features alongside Athens's port of Piraeus, and often Mykonos too, on Eastern Mediterranean and Greek island itineraries. See our guide to Piraeus cruise port to Athens for the same kind of honest, port-day planning, our Athens to Mykonos guide for the neighbouring island, and our guide to Greek ferry classes if the difference between the various boats calling at Athinios is confusing.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the Old Port and Athinios in Santorini?
The Old Port (Skala), below Fira, is used only by tenders and small boats and has no road access. Athinios, about 10 km south, is the island's main car ferry terminal, connected by road and used by all scheduled ferries.
Should I take the cable car, walk the steps or ride a donkey up from the Old Port?
The cable car is fastest when it isn't queued, taking only a few minutes. The roughly 600 steps take 20–40 minutes on foot; a donkey covers the same path. On windy days the cable car can be suspended, leaving steps or a donkey as the only options.
Can I get to Oia on a cruise stop in Santorini?
Yes, if you have most of a day — allow around 30–40 minutes each way by bus or taxi from Fira, plus waiting time, so the round trip can easily take two hours or more.
How much time should I leave to get back to the ship?
At least 90 minutes before the boarding deadline, to allow for both the queue down from Fira and the tender queue back to the ship, which lengthen considerably when several ships are anchored on the same day.
Sources and further reading:
- Port information: Municipal Port Fund of Thira.
- Bus routes and timetables: KTEL Santorini (Santorini Public Buses).