Beyond Santorini: Island Hopping to Thirassia and Anafi
If you’re planning a trip to the Cyclades and want to go beyond the typical Santorini experience, this Santorini, Thirassia, Anafi itinerary shows you exactly how to do it. You’ll discover how to pair Santorini’s iconic highlights with two quieter islands—Thirassia and Anafi—using easy local ferries, no car hire, and simple logistics. Expect practical tips, timing suggestions, and firsthand insights from my own journey, plus links to detailed daily diaries for deeper research.
Everyone knows Santorini—the blue domes, the sunset crowds, the Instagram fame—but far fewer realise that it’s also the perfect launchpad for exploring some of the Cyclades’ most authentic and least-touristic islands. Just across the caldera sits Thirassia, a place that feels paused in time, and a short ferry ride south lies Anafi, one of Greece’s most remote inhabited islands.
This 11-day Cycladic Island itinerary pairs the well-known with the wonderfully overlooked: Santorini’s dramatic landscapes, Thirassia’s slow village rhythm, and Anafi’s wild, windswept beauty. Each island is connected by local ferries, easy to explore without a car, and offers a very different flavour of Cycladic life. By the time you reach Anafi, it feels as though you’ve travelled further than just a few nautical miles—you’ve slipped into another era entirely.
Throughout this post, you’ll find links to excerpts from my travel diary. Feel free to click through and follow the journey exactly as it unfolded.
What Makes This Itinerary Special
- Contrast – From Santorini’s sophistication to Anafi’s remoteness in one short journey
- Fairly Easy connections – All islands linked by regular (sometimes irregular) ferries
- Authenticity – Thirassia and Anafi offer the Greece of 40 years ago
- No car needed – Islands are small enough to explore on foot (with occasional assistance by bus, water taxi and regular taxi)
- This is Greece beyond the Instagram photos—and it’s more beautiful because of it.
The Route at a Glance
Islands: Santorini → Thirassia → Anafi (with return to Santorini)
Duration: 11 days but could be done in 7-8 or stretched to 2 weeks (depending on the confines of the ferry schedules)
Transport: Local ferries between islands, plus water taxi from Santorini (Ammoudi Bay) to Thirassia
Best Time: May-October (Anafi has reduced winter ferry service)
Who It’s For: Travellers seeking authentic island life, walkers and explorers, with the option of spending a day or two on Santorini at either end.
The Island-by-Island Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival on Santorini
Getting There: Direct flights from many regional airports, domestic flight from Athens or ferries from Piraeus/Mykonos
Where to Stay: Consider Pyrgos Kallistis or Imerovigli for caldera views without the Oia chaos. If you want to be close to the port for your onward travel, Santorini is small – nowhere is far away.
Don’t Miss: If you have more than one day, I recommend the volcano and sunset boat tour on the boat Aphrodite, a visit to Akrotiri or a visit to one of the many vineyards. Stay away from the cruise ship crowds in Fira, walk the coastal path, and visit the quieter villages. You’re here to experience the island, not just photograph it.
Onward Travel Connection: There are regular connections with Thirassia from the port of Athinios with the car ferry F/B Kato Nisi. It operates year round but tickets are not bookable online. Note the boat comes into Riva Port
Schedules for the F/B Kato Nisi
During the season there are other connections from Santorini (Athinios Port) to Thirassia. Also operating throughout the year (dependent on weather) is the small boat service by Chania Lines departing from Ammoudi Bay (below Oia) and connecting both Riva and Korfos ports on Thirassia
Chania Lines schedule from Ammoudi to Riva and Korfos
🏩 Book Cueva Con Vista Studios Here
→ Read my Santorini arrival diary
→Read more about the volcano and sunset boat tour on the boat Aphrodite
Days 2-4: Thirassia
Population: 268. Tour boat tourists: Thousands for 2 hours, but not many climb the 270 steps to the village. Overnight visitors: Almost none. Thirassia sits directly across the caldera from Santorini—the same volcanic landscape, the same sunset views, but without a single hotel chain or tour bus. The island has two tiny villages connected by donkey paths and precisely zero crowds. Imagine Santorini in 1960.
Getting Around: On foot. The island is perfect for walking. 270 steps connect the village of Manolas with port of Korfos. Good roads connected the few villages of the island. Local boat connects the two ports on Thirassia with Ammoudi Bay. One local taxi to call in emergencies!
Where to Stay: Family-run rooms in Manolas village which sits on a plateau at the top of the island. I recommend Zacharo Rooms also known as Jimmy’s for fantastic views over the bay from their terrace and wonderful Greek hospitality.
Don’t Miss: Sunset from the ridge—same caldera, different world, walking the island’s stunning landscape, the 270 steps down to the port (and up again if you can manage it) .
Why Stay Overnight: Day-trippers from the tour boat get 90 minutes. Stay overnight and you’ll have the island to yourself by 4pm. There are several good tavernas and one ATM, but bring some emergency cash just in case.
Onward Travel Connection: At the time of travel, SAOS Ferries had a connection from Thirassia to Anafi via Santorini. That has now stopped and I don’t know if that service has been replaced. There are fairly good connections between Santorini and Anafi but may require another overnight on Santorini depending on the schedules.
🏩 Browse Thirassia Accommodation Here
Days 5-10: Anafi
The edge of the Cyclades. The edge of everywhere. Anafi is where Greeks go to escape Greece. Remote, undeveloped, and stunningly beautiful, this island sits at the far southeastern edge of the Cyclades. One main village (Chora), a handful of beaches, hiking trails to ancient monasteries, and silence.
Getting Around: Walk. The island has one bus that runs sporadically. Several taxis too
Where to Stay: Simple rooms in Chora. If you have a head for heights (which I don’t) I recommend Antonia’s Rooms up in Chora with dramatic views over the island. Camping facilities at Roukounas Beach.
Don’t Miss: Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi (stunning hike), the wild, dramatic landscapes, enjoy the beautiful beaches set in small, sheltered bays. Sunset and the picturesque alleys in Chora and the special goats cheese balls at To Steki!
The Reality Check: This is REMOTE. Several good tavernas, one ATM, but bring cash and supplies
Who This Island Is For: People who want to truly disconnect. If you need entertainment, skip Anafi. If you want wild beauty and solitude, you’ll love it.
🏩 Browse Anafi Accommodation Here
→ Read about my journey to Anafi
→Discover Klisidi Beach – a little piece of paradise!
Day 11: Return to Santorini for another overnighter
Ferry Back: Return to Santorini (2 hours). If you have a direct flight home from Santorini, I recommend another night on the island just in case the ferry connection fails. It’s never worth it to risk missing your flight home. Alternatively, return home via Athens – again, an overnight on Santorini and possibly Athens may be required.
Where to Stay: For an overnight stay anywhere between the port and airport works well. On the outskirts of Fira Town is IfestAu.4. Beautifully furnished studios, modern and minimal. It is walkable to Fira but the pavement is non-existant. Walk to Katerados for dinner at Katerinas Taverna. Also recommend Symphony Suites for beautifully stylis apartments.
Important: Anafi ferry service can be affected by wind (meltemi). Build in a buffer day to err on the side of caution
🏩 Browse Santorini Accommodation Here
→An overnighter on Santorini and homeward bound
Budget
Total Cost: £852
(11 Days, Solo Traveller June 2024)
This includes flights, accommodation, ferry tickets, and airport/port transfers. It does NOT include daily meals, on-island transport, activities, or sundries.
What’s Included in £852:
✈️ Flights (return to Santorini)
🏨 Accommodation (10 nights across all three islands)
⛴️ Ferry tickets (all inter-island travel)
🚖 Airport/port transfers
What’s NOT Included:
• Daily meals and drinks (budget €25-40/day)
• On-island transport (buses, taxis, water taxis – minimal costs)
• Activities (boat tours, museum entries, etc.)
• Sundries
Budget Tips:
💡 Flights: I got lucky with last-minute deals—book early or watch for sales
💡 Santorini: Most expensive island. Good value accommodation in Fira or villages away from beaches. Avoid Oia unless you’re splurging
💡 Thirassia & Anafi: Very affordable accommodation (€40-60/night)
💡 Ferries: Conventional ferries are excellent value
💡 Dining: Portions are generous—don’t order too many starters!
The Bottom Line: This is a budget-friendly itinerary. Thirassia and Anafi keep costs low, and Santorini is manageable if you avoid the caldera-view hotels and stick to buses for transport.
Why Skip the Car Rental?
Santorini: Buses connect major villages, beaches and the airport via Fira
Thirassia: Manolas village is easily walkable on foot. 270 steps connecting Manolas to Riva Port and a water taxi and regular taxi service connects both ports.
Anafi: One road, an occasional bus and several taxis, but walking is the point. These islands reveal themselves on foot, not from behind a windscreen.
Note: The hotels and guesthouses recommended here are places I’ve either stayed in myself or vetted through my work as a travel consultant with Hidden Greece. No generic recommendations – only authentic experiences.
Now follow this journey by clicking the next post below ↓
