8 Santorini Greece Outfits I’d Wear Again and Again

There is no island in the world like Santorini! The caldera views and whitewashed buildings are magical, and truly feels like you’re on another planet. Once your trip is set, you’ll need to know what Santorini Greece outfits to pack. After many visits, we’re here to share our best tips to help plan your trip! Here’s some fun Santorini outfit ideas, what to wear, and what to skip on your first visit.

Planning Your Trip to Santorini 

Pack Light: Let’s get this part out of the way first! That dreamy hotel you booked with an iconic view? It’s most likely down a steep staircase with over 200 steps.

Some high-end hotels will send someone to help with with your luggage, but don’t always count on it. Your best bet is make sure you can comfortably carry (not roll) your suitcases. 

Best Location: Our favorite area of Santorini to stay is Imerovigli. It’s centrally located, has amazing views of the island, and is slightly quieter than Oia or Fira.  These are a few hotels to give you an idea of the area. 

• Luxury: Merovigliosso – Kasimatis by La Perla – Ilioperato Hotel
• Fun: Whitedeck Santorini – Casa Bianca
• More Affordable: Merovigla Studios

For more info on all areas of the island, be sure to read our article about where to stay in Santorini Greece.

Seasons: Only go in the swing season if possible. Whenever we meet someone who didn’t enjoy their time on Santorini, almost always because they traveled in the peak summer months of July and August.

This time of year every hotel is full, and there are countless cruise ships in port. If summer is your only option, then consider a different island like Rhodes, Karpathos, or even Nafplio on the mainland. 

Exploring: The Santorini bus system is extremely cheap and useful. Another option is renting a car on Santorini or jumping on a scooter or ATV. However, we would not recommend this during the busy summer.

Skip the High Heals With Your Santorini Outfits

Normally, I mention shoes somewhere later in my posts as a casual FYI. Yet, this is too important to leave for later!

Make no mistake, there is nothing casual about walking around Santorini. The only way to describe it is as an uneven stair stepper. 

It may be a long wild staircase to even get to your hotel every day! Most of the the best places to stay (with the Santorini views you’ve seen in photos) are built right into the cliffside . 

You’ll need shoes that are comfortable, but also practical to go with your Santorini Greece outfits. Bring something comfortable that you can take on a mini-hike any time you go anywhere. 

I wore these shoes from Oluaki for years. They are white, lightweight, and easy to pack away. 

If you’re packing a pair of sandals, make sure to pick ones that have straps on the heal be more sturdy (something like this). You would be shocked by the amount of travelers we’ve seen walking around barefoot every night, holding their high heals in their hands. 

8 Santorini Greece Outfits to Pack

1. Travel Days

Our first Santorini outfit idea is one for your travel day. There are a handful of airports around Europe such as Milan, Naples, Paris, and Budapest that have direct flights to the island. You can easily check the Skyscanner app, which use to find all our cheap flights. 

If you’re coming from the United States, keep in mind the trip will be at least two to three flights. Once you make it to Athens, it’s easy enough to jump on one of the many hopper flights straight to the island. Here’s some easy tips for getting to Santorini from Athens for your first trip.

You can also book a ferry from the capital if you’re planning to spend a couple nights in the city first. We stayed at the Athens Hyatt Hotel on our recent visit, and the view from the pool were unbelievable! 

Either way, you’re going to be getting on and off flights, or hopping on ferries and carrying luggage. I usually wear something loose and comfortable for flights. A pair of nice stretchy pants and sweatshirt with a t-shirt underneath in case I get hot.

For long haul flights, compression socks, ear plugs, and an eye mask will completely upgrade your experience. I save this outfit exclusively for travel days and pack it away for the trip back. 

2. Long Max Dresses 

There probably isn’t a place in the world where long, flowing maxi dresses fit better than this island. When packing your Santorini outfits, I recommended at least having two of these!

Anything blue (like this) looks absolutely beautiful with the endless white and blue buildings as your backdrop. Also, you might not want to buy it in advance. There are countless cute shops all over the island where you can easily pick up a beautiful dress which will will be more meaningful then one you bought randomly online. 

3. Santorini Outfit Ideas for Cozy Lounging 

This is one that is super specific to what to wear in Santorini. Say you booked your dream hotel and can’t wait to wake up to go to the balcony for a hot cup of coffee. 

Unfortunately, 99% of the time you will have people to the left, right, above and below! It’s just how the island is designed. Also, depending on your accommodations, people walking past on foot might be able to see you while you’re outside. 

This really shouldn’t take away from the experience of this once in a lifetime view. However, we would plan to pack some pajamas that you’re comfortable being seen in. I would go for a set like this that I could sleep in, but also is totally normal to be out in public. 

4. A Hiking Outfit 

There are so many incredible hiking trails around Santorini! One of our all time favorite trails is this Fira to Oia hike, which takes you between two of the island’s most beautiful villages.

With that in mind, you should really consider packing a Santorini outfit that you can be active in. This means shorts, a t-shirt (or SPF shirt), sneakers, and a small backpack to carry water and snacks.

While the trail isn’t too extreme, it is a mix of dirt and volcanic rock. We saw several people without the proper footwear who had to turn around and missed the best sunset in Santorini in Oia.

5. Swimsuit & Cover Ups

One underrated thing about Santorini is the beaches! Beautiful Oia Village and Fira Santorini may get all the buzz, but there are plenty of places to swim if you have time on your visit. You won’t want to miss a dip at the stunning Amoudi Bay or the unique Red Beach.

There are volcano boat tours where you can swim in natural hot springs and sunset catamaran cruises are super popular for golden hour.

Besides luxury resorts on the Aegean Sea, there are many hotels that have unreal swimming pools. If it’s within your budget, you may be able to score a private pool villa, too! Now you know what having a swimsuit is such an essential part of your Santorini Greece outfits. 

6. Warmer Option with Waterproof Layer 

As we’ve mentioned, many of the accommodations are positioned up on the cliffside. It’s common to have some rain and windy conditions depending on the time of your visit.

We know no one wants to think about bad weather on vacation! However, it really is smart to be prepared when thinking about what to wear in Santorini.

Pack some kind of lightweight shorts or pants and a windbreaker for your trip. We’d recommend a waterproof jacket as well if you’re heading to the island during spring or fall.

7. Santorini Greece Outfits for Adventure 

There’s plenty of time for relaxing on your Santorini vacation. Still, you’ll want to pack a Santorini outfit for when you’re out exploring all the island has to offer.

For us, that meant renting a scooter and cruising all day long to scenic viewpoints and lesser known towns. Don’t miss out on the glorious Pyrgos Village on your visit!

Shorts, a breathable shirt, and warm coverup is a great Santorini outfit idea that will also look cute for photos. For example, we had one day where it was super windy, but we didn’t let that stop us from visiting Santo Wines for a drink on the cliffs.

Your active outfits should definitely be tailored towards the time of year and your daily adventures. Here’s a fun 1 day Santorini itinerary for inspiration. 

8. Classy Casual Night Out 

When it comes to dinner and a night out, it will most likely be near your hotel. It’s always nice to go somewhere you can walk to easily after a long day on the island.

Santorini has a mix of everything, from fancy wine bars to cozy craft beer bars. You can go out for a formal fine dining dinner and just as easily get a cheap takeaway gyro for sunset! 

Once again, make sure whatever Santorini Greece outfits you bring are unrestrictive enough to manage all those steps. We really can’t emphasize that enough!

→ Is Santorini Expensive? Yes… But This is How to Visit on a Budget

More Islands to Visit After Santorini

By now you can tell that Santorini is totally worth the hype! One thing we love about the Greek islands, is how easy it is to get between them by ferry. 

For this reason, we recommend including Santorini in a larger itinerary, and visiting more Cyclades Islands. Some of our all-time favorites are Naxos, Paros, Syros, Mykonos, and Ios. In the spring time, we even got a ferry from Santorini to Milos for just 19 Euros.

Have any questions about this article or want share more of what to wear in Santorini? Leave us a comment below!

Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake

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