Picked up some flights for a week in Santorini in August but haven’t decided where to stay yet.
Any recommendations?
Fira and Oia seem the most popular choices but are expensive and I’ve read the towns become very busy peak season. Would we be missing out if we stayed on the east coast?

The main benefits of Fira and Oia are the caldera views. We stayed in Oia for a week (Aris Caves) and the views are stunning, and there are many really nice restaurants. However, there isn’t much there beyond that, and it gets over run by cruise ship passengers for an hour every evening for the sun sets.

Fira is much bigger, and livelier, but not as pretty (IMO).

Neither has a beach, depends how important that is to you.

Personally I’d maybe suggest staying on the other coast, then doing a few day trips to Oia/Fira. The boat trips from Fira are really good as well.

Whatever you do, do not take a donkey ride up the steps in Fira – they are there just for the fat Americans (seriously, it is so cruel to the poor beasts – a truly horrible sight). Last time we went, we stayed in Kamari – a nice enough little town. Of course all the beaches are black sand (don’t know if that bothers you)?

Been a few times. The villages on the cliff are fabulously pretty, with great views. Last time we stayed in one of the “cave” type hotels at Imerovigli. Thira is busy during the day, as mentioned above, but when the cruise passengers have gone (or before they arrive) it is OK. There are also some restaurants which have better food than the usual moussaka tourist stuff.

Kamari is spectacular – once spent some time camping on the beach and black sand got everywhere. There are a few nice beaches including one with red sand (very busy) and other quieter ones. We hired a little jeep thing and it was perfect for getting to less busy spots.

Also the excavations of Akrotiri (“Atlantis” type thingy) are interesting if they are still open. A boat trip to Nea Kameni is essential 🙂

Also the excavations of Akrotiri (“Atlantis” type thingy) are interesting if they are still open.

Yep, this is a must, also, see if you can get a tour, there are some very interesting things that you might not pick up just walking around.

Look at hiring a car, pretty cheap for a silly little small one. In fact, I’d say that’s a must too. I lived in Greece for quite a few years, so maybe I’m a little spoilt, but I have to be truthful I think 3-4 days was enough for Santorini, so you may want to move about the Island.

Quite famous for their Fava, Capers and Wine. Worth visiting a vine yard and hearing about how the vines grow as baskets on the floor and picking up a couple of bottles.

Apart from the Sunsets. Very good food and wine. Beaches…not so, but very clear water and good for Snorkeling.

We stayed in Fira, right on the caldera in a hotel called Antithesis. The hotel was basic, but the views from the terrace were STUNNING. Not cheap though, although it was one of the cheaper ones on the caldera. You can offset the cost a bit by not eating out and sorting your own dinner on the terrace with bread, cheese, wine etc from the supermarket, or a takeaway souvlaki, and a view pretty much unmatched from any of the restaurants.

Highly recommended.

Great walk all around the caldera to Oia, bus back. Plus, dead easy to get buses to the beaches.

Kamari – ace beach, fair few great places to eat and incredible swimming etc.

Short bus ride to Thira & Oia etc which are must do’s for the sunsets. Also snorkelling in the middle of the extinct volcano.

Enjoy your holiday but I wish you all the best being on the island in August. We went end of April / Early May 2015 at the very start of the season and were surprised how busy it was. Enjoyed a lovely week there, 22-25c each day however all the main viewing points were by no means quiet. We stayed in one of the cave type hotels in Imerovigli, nice to have brekkie next to the pool each morning overlooking the caldera from up high.

Akrotiri visitor site is well worth a visit and we did enjoy a day long boat trip with volcano trek stop off and dive off the boat and swim over to the volcanic mud pools.

Having grown up in Newlyn & Mousehole (Cornwall) I have to say that as lovely as the Santo sunsets are they’re not as impressive as a good Sennen beach sunset! 😉

Been once, albeit about 15 years ago and stayed in Kamari.

Of all the beaches I’ve been on around the world, this is my favourite for swimming. The water felt like getting into a lukewarm bath at 7 am (maybe the amount of absorbed heat from the black sand getting radiated back into the water day and night?). It shelves very steeply into the water at the Southern end where I was, so you’re in swimming depth very quickly. Crystal clear water, with a reasonable amount of marine life to look at.

It’s well worth getting up early to watch the sun come up over the horizon.

The East coast is readily accessible via public transport or car/moped hire.

I also went diving on the new volcanic cone that sits in the middle of the caldera. Worthwhile, if that’s your thing.

+1 for Akrotiri trip.