Ammoudi Bay, Oia: The Steps, the Cruises, the Swim

How do you get down to Ammoudi Bay?

On foot, by taxi, or with your cruise. A long flight of steps runs down from Oia; nobody agrees on the count, and guides give anything from about 214 to nearly 300, with Santorini Dave counting 278. The steps are steep, reviewers call the climb back up gruelling, and donkeys also work the path. A road reaches the quay too, and Santorini Dave lists a fixed taxi fare of €10 between Oia and Ammoudi. There is no bus to Ammoudi: the bus from Fira to Oia costs about €2.20, and you walk or take a taxi from there. If you are on a cruise that leaves from here, the pickup drives you to the quay.

Which cruises leave from Ammoudi Bay?

Of the 149 Santorini boat listings we read on GetYourGuide, 26 name Ammoudi. Several catamarans run their morning trip from one marina and their sunset trip from the other, so the port depends on the time you book. Check the slot, not just the cruise.

• Private catamaran, from $129 per person — Starts and ends at Ammoudi on every departure, with Thirassia as the first stop. Up to 15 people. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
• Small-group catamaran, from $145 — Morning tours leave from Ammoudi; sunset tours leave from Vlychada. Up to 14 guests. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
• Traditional wooden boat, from $112 — The morning trip runs from Vlychada and ends at Ammoudi; the sunset trip runs the same route in reverse, starting here. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
• Sailing catamaran, from $85 — On the Luxury option, the morning cruise starts at Ammoudi and ends at Vlychada, and the sunset cruise ends at Ammoudi. Other options run from Vlychada. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The swim spot

Ammoudi has no beach. People swim off the rocks: walk past the last restaurant on the left and follow the dirt path for about five minutes, and you reach deep water facing the small islet of St Nicholas. Santorini Dave describes swimming out to the islet and jumping from a ledge there. It is open sea off rocks, so it suits confident swimmers.

Sunset at Ammoudi

Ammoudi faces west, and the sunset cruises time their return around it. The luxury and small-group catamarans both hold below Oia for the sunset on their evening trips. On land, the tavernas on the quay are a sea-level alternative to the castle viewpoint above. Sunset on the 15th of the month falls at about 20:37 in June and 18:43 in October, so evening departures move with the season.

• May — Sunset about 20:17.
• June — Sunset about 20:37.
• July — Sunset about 20:36.
• August — Sunset about 20:10.
• September — Sunset about 19:27.
• October — Sunset about 18:43.

Boats to Thirassia

Small local boats leave Ammoudi daily for Riva and Korfos, the two harbours of Thirassia, the island across the water. It is the shortest crossing between the two islands. If you want the island with the volcano and the hot springs in one ticket, the full-day trip from Athinios ($64) does that instead.