Megalochori

The village of Megalochori is the first village we encounter once we disembark at the Santorini port of Athinios. Situated along the west coast of the island, this small traditional village of white houses is perched on a rock, 9 kilometres from the capital Fira between the villages of Pyrgos, Emporio and Akrotiti.

Traditional architecture, with vaulted houses and narrow natural stone paths, characterises the village of Megalochori.

From Megalochori it is easy to reach some of the most beautiful beaches of the island, such as Vlychada, with its peculiar rock formations, and the famous black sand beaches of Perissa and Perivolos, which are only a ten-minute drive away.

Megalochori is Santorini’s wine mecca, as three of the island’s main wineries are located here, and attracts a good number of tourists due to its central location on the island and its proximity to the famous beaches of Perissa, Perivolos, Agios Georgios and Vlychada as well as the remote Plaka and Thermi on the caldera side.

Staying in Megalochori

Choosing Megalochori as a base for your stay on Santorini offers numerous advantages, especially for those seeking a more authentic and tranquil experience than that offered by the more touristy resorts such as Fira and Oia.

The central location on the island makes Megalochori an ideal starting point for exploring both the west coast with its spectacular caldera and the east side with its famous beaches. Santorini’s main attractions, such as the archaeological site of Akrotiri, Mount Profitis Ilias and the picturesque village of Pyrgos, are all within easy reach.

Recommended hotels in Megalochori

Things to do in Megalochori

To walk around Megalochori is to immerse oneself in the authentic atmosphere of the Cyclades, among traditional houses, white churches and a maze of cobbled streets. The village is characterised by its typical architecture with neoclassical houses, vaulted dwellings and traditional ‘cave houses’ set into the rock. Many of the historic houses are surrounded by high walls with inner courtyards and solid entrances with wooden doors, built in the past to protect against pirate raids.

The heart of the village is the small central square, where several traditional taverns and craft shops selling local products and souvenirs are located. From here, narrow streets lead into the labyrinth of the old town, where every nook and cranny offers evocative glimpses and an atmosphere of times gone by.

The church of Panagia Isodion, located on the main square, is notable for its icons and its peculiar calendar of saints composed of 365 miniatures depicting the saints of the Greek Orthodox Church, one for each day of the year. Also very special is the arch-shaped bell tower one encounters when travelling along the village’s main street: a unique piece of architecture that creates a passageway under which both people and cars can pass.

Other noteworthy churches are those of Agii Anargiri, not far from the main square, and the churches of Agia Anargyri, Isodia tis Theotokou and Agios Nikolaos Marmaritis, located along the road leading to the village of Emporio.

But the real attraction of Megalochori are its vineyards and wine cellars. The plain surrounding the village is in fact famous for the cultivation of grapes, which grow luxuriantly here thanks to the island’s special volcanic soil. During harvest time, a characteristic spectacle is the roofs of the houses completely covered with bunches of grapes placed to dry in the sun, a traditional technique used to concentrate the sugars and produce the famous local sweet wines.

The cellars and vineyards of Megalochori

Megalochori is considered the wine capital of Santorini, being home to some of the most important wineries on the island. The winemaking tradition here is thousands of years old, with cultivation techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation, adapting to the special conditions of the volcanic soil and the island’s windy climate.

The most famous of these is undoubtedly the Boutari Winery, one of Greece’s best-known wine brands, which has contributed significantly to the enhancement and promotion of Santorini wines. The winery’s facilities, characterised by modern architecture that blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape, offer visitors the opportunity to participate in guided tours and tastings to discover the secrets of local winemaking.

Next to the Boutari, other important wineries in the village are the Gavalas Winery, run by the same family for five generations, and the Antoniou Winery. Both offer interesting wine-tasting tours that allow visitors to sample the typical wines of Santorini, mainly produced from the indigenous Assyrtiko grape variety.