A Santorini volcano hot springs tour is a short boat trip across the caldera to the dark lava of Nea Kameni, then on to warm, rust-coloured water where you swim. It joins the other Greek tours we cover for travellers.
Below you will find the departure points, the crater walk, the swim and the questions to settle before you book a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
What is a Santorini volcano hot springs tour?
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour is a boat trip to the volcanic islands in the flooded caldera. The boat lands on Nea Kameni, then stops at Palea Kameni for a swim in warm water. The short version lasts 3 hours.
The two islands are Nea Kameni, meaning “new burnt”, and Palea Kameni, meaning “old burnt”. They sit in the centre of the caldera ring, and Nea Kameni is the larger. Repeated eruptions of lava and ash built both islands over the past two millennia. Nea Kameni is small, uninhabited and nearly round.
The volcano is dormant at present, yet its active crater still gives off steam and carbon dioxide. Scientists monitor Nea Kameni closely, and it is a protected scientific site. One active sulfur vent is named Jorgo, after King George I of Greece. A Santorini volcano hot springs tour therefore visits a watched volcano, not just a scenic island.
Lengths run from 3 hours to 10 hours. The 3-hour trip joins two activities: a walk on Nea Kameni and a swim at the Palea Kameni hot springs. Longer cruises add other stops. Listings keep the volcano entrance fee outside the ticket for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
Santorini lies in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast of the mainland. Dozens of tourist boats visit Nea Kameni every day through the summer. A Santorini volcano hot springs tour is a shared trip on one listing, with other guests on board. Listings call the boats traditional, and one names a wooden boat.
Where do the boats leave from, and how do you reach the old port?
The boats for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour mainly leave from Gialos, the Old Port of Fira. The port is also called Skala. Reach it by cable car in about 3 minutes, or walk down 587 steps. Donkeys also use the zigzag path.
The Old Port lies below Fira, at the foot of a rocky cliff. It no longer takes commercial ferries. In summer it serves cruise ships and the excursion boats that visit the volcano. The operator’s team waits at the port to point you to the boat. One operator also keeps a travel agency office there.
The ticket for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour does not include the cable car. Each car holds six passengers and leaves every 20 minutes in summer. Tickets are sold at the terminals by cash or card, and not online. Reach the cable car, or start walking, 45 minutes before departure to avoid delays.
The boat returns to the Old Port, so plan the way back up as well. In high season, up to five cruise ships can arrive together in the morning. One port page warns that the ride up to Fira can then take up to 2 hours. Allow for that queue after your Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
Not every boat starts at the Old Port. One blog names three starts: Ammoudi, the Old Port and Athinios, the ferry port. Ammoudi is the small harbor below Oia, and about 214 steps lead down to it. Longer cruises list hotel transfers or meeting point pickup. Check the start before you book a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
What do you see on the hike up Nea Kameni?
On a Santorini volcano hot springs tour, the hike up Nea Kameni shows black lava and smoking vents. A gravel path leads to the top of a crater 130 metres high. The island is nearly round, about 2 kilometres across, and almost bare of plants.
The ground comes first on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour. The path is gravel, and the rock beside it is black. On the way up you pass lava fragments and rock formations. At the top, one cruise line describes black lava blocks, which are domes of magma that froze in mid-air.
Then the air changes. Near the top you smell a strong odour of sulfur and feel the temperature rise. A traveller who made the climb reports smoke wafting up through the vents. One local operator says the rocks are still smoking.
Nea Kameni has vents, and one is an active sulfur vent named Jorgo. Locals named it after King George I, because it was active the day after he visited Santorini.
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour also shows how closely the island is watched. Scientists from the Institute for the Study and Monitoring of the Santorini Volcano track it. It is also a protected scientific site. Hikers report seeing their instruments around the crater rim.
The rim is part of the walk, and visitors can complete a full circuit of it. From the top you look across to the white towns of Fira and Imerovigli. Palea Kameni, the other Kameni island, lies below. From the rim, a Santorini volcano hot springs tour looks over the caldera from near its centre.
How long is the walk to the crater, and how hard is it?
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour has a crater walk of 30, 40 or 45 minutes, say operators. The whole stop on Nea Kameni lasts between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes.
On a Santorini volcano hot springs tour the times differ from operator to operator. The first cruise line lists a 30-minute hike of three-quarters of a mile. The second lists about 40 minutes. One local operator gives 45 minutes up and 45 minutes back. Its hike takes about 90 minutes.
The climb is a choice. Two local operators say you can follow the path to the top if you want. The path leads to the active craters.
Operators disagree on how hard the walk is on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour. One local operator calls it not difficult and rates the walking as moderate. The first cruise line calls the hike steep and fast paced, on rocky and gravel ground. It recommends the hike only for physically fit and adventurous travellers.
The ground on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour adds to the effort. The second cruise line describes uneven ground, loose volcanic rocks and an incline. It adds that the smell of sulfur and the heat can be strong. It tells passengers with breathing problems to consider this before booking. The first cruise line says there is no shade.
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour is open to children, say two operators. They add that the walk is on uneven volcanic ground. One says infants must be carried, because the path is not suitable for strollers. Another says its tour is not wheelchair accessible, because of the uneven surfaces at the volcano stop.
What are the hot springs at Palea Kameni like?
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour brings you to warm water, not hot water. Travel pages give 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. Near the bay, the sea turns from cobalt blue to brown, red or orange, because the springs carry iron.
Palea Kameni is a volcanic island inside the Santorini caldera, and it holds a hot spring. The springs lie in the small bay of Agios Nikolaos. Operators call them natural mud baths, formed by the eruptions. Their pages for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour name this bay as the stop.
The colour change is the sign that you are entering the springs. One travel site explains it with minerals. The water carries iron and manganese, and iron turns into brown particles when it meets oxygen. That gives the sea its muddy look. On a Santorini volcano hot springs tour, this colour line shows where the springs begin.
The warmth is gentle. One travel site says the water stays between 30 and 35 degrees even in winter. One operator says the temperature changes with the months. Another says the spring water constantly mixes with normal seawater. Expect a warm swim, not a hot soak, on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
Do not worry if you see bubbles. One travel site says bubbling water is normal and calls the visit entirely safe. The tour listings describe the stop in simple words: swim, soak or dive into the springs. A Santorini volcano hot springs tour is built around this short volcanic bath.
How do you get from the boat into the warm water?
On a Santorini volcano hot springs tour, you swim to the springs. There is no beach at the bay. You climb down the stairs of the boat and swim about 30 metres to the warm water inside the bay.
The boat stops outside the bay. One operator says it halts 30 metres from the shallow water of Agios Nikolaos. Another says it anchors just outside the bay. Four operator pages give the swim as about 30 metres. Tour pages describe this same set-up for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.
The swim is in open sea, so skill matters. One operator says very good swimming skills are essential to reach the springs. A travel site adds that there is no shore access, no lifeguard and no steps beyond the boat ladder. It tells swimmers to stay within sight of the boat and crew.
The crew helps with the water. One operator says it hands out swimming noodles, and it keeps life jackets for emergencies only. One review says guests jumped in from the boat, and the crew extended the ladder for the others. Ask your operator how your Santorini volcano hot springs tour handles this.
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour still works if you do not swim. One operator says non-swimmers stay on the boat to relax and sunbathe at the springs stop. A travel site puts the swim at 2 to 5 minutes each way, depending on where the boat anchors. It also warns that rocks grow more slippery near the shore.
Which Santorini volcano hot springs tour adds Thirassia or a sunset off Oia?
The longer routes add Thirassia, and the sunset routes end with the sun going down at Oia. A Santorini volcano hot springs tour with neither extra lasts about three hours and visits only the two volcanic islands.
On a longer Santorini volcano hot springs tour, Thirassia is the third stop. One operator’s six-hour route visits Nea Kameni, then Palea Kameni, then Thirassia. Guests get two hours of free time there. They can swim at Korfos, eat at a taverna or walk through the village of Manolas.
Thirassia is the second largest island of the Santorini group, and it lies north-west of Nea Kameni. Operators put its size at 9 square kilometres, with about 300 permanent residents. A volcanic eruption split it from Thera, the main island.
The sunset routes work in two ways. On the sailing cruises, the boat anchors below Oia village as the sun goes down. On the full-day routes, the boat returns to Athinios port first, and a bus then drives guests up to Oia.
One operator offers both versions of the Santorini volcano hot springs tour from Athinios Port. Its five-hour sunset cruise runs on Thursdays and Sundays and stops at Thirassia for a dinner at a taverna. Its three-hour sunset cruises run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and skip both Thirassia and dinner.
Another Santorini volcano hot springs tour sells the Oia sunset as an upgrade. Guests spend two to three hours in the village and meet the bus 15 minutes after sunset. A second full-day route ends about 30 minutes after sunset.
Which season and time of day suit the trip?
A Santorini volcano hot springs tour runs through the summer season, and one operator lists sunset departures until 25 October. The Thirassia routes start in the morning, and the sunset cruises start in the afternoon.
Santorini has dry summers and wetter winters, according to the National Observatory of Athens. Tourism is the island’s main industry, particularly in the summer months. One operator says its Santorini volcano hot springs tour runs throughout the season. A second three-hour trip runs in the afternoon in high season only.
Sunset time shapes any Santorini volcano hot springs tour that ends at dusk. The sun sets at about 8:40 pm on 21 June and about 8:00 pm on 20 August. By 20 October it sets at about 6:35 pm. One operator moves its sunset cruise from 2:30 pm to 12:45 pm on 21 August.
The six-hour trips leave between 9:45 am and 11:30 am. Hotel pickups for the full-day sunset route start as early as 8:45 am. One sunset cruise leaves the Old Port at 3:30 pm and returns after sunset. The operator says it lasts from 4 to 5 hours or more, depending on the season.
The three-hour trips follow a shorter clock. One operator leaves the Old Port at 11:00 am and returns at 2:00 pm. A second operator lists departures at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm. The listings add one condition to any Santorini volcano hot springs tour: the sailing depends on favorable weather.
If the operator cancels for poor weather, guests get another date or a full refund. Pick a date with that in mind, and keep a spare day in your plans.
What do you bring and wear on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour?
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a swimsuit, towel, hat and sun oil on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour. Operators list shoes, towels, hats and sun oil, and they add a jacket if you join an evening cruise.
Shoes come first on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour. A traveller on one booking page says to wear water shoes or running shoes, because small rocks cover the ground. A second traveller says you need proper shoes for the walk up the volcano.
Water shoes also help at the springs. Another reviewer suggests them for the rocks there. One reviewer’s husband got a nasty cut on the rocks, and the reviewer wished the tour had advised water shoes.
Pack for sun and wind on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour. One tour page tells guests to bring a hat, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. A reviewer advises plenty of water and a big hat in hot weather. Another reviewer warns that it gets very windy, so hold onto your hat.
A small bag suits the boat. One booking page allows carry-on luggage. It stays your own responsibility, because the boat has no space to store it. Operators also differ on the volcano entry fee. One listing includes it, and another asks for cash on the day. Read your tour’s inclusions and carry cash.
Which questions do people ask before a Santorini volcano hot springs tour?
Is the volcano still active?
Operators call Nea Kameni an active volcano. Its last small eruption was in nineteen fifty. Scientists from the Institute for the Study and Monitoring of the Santorini Volcano watch it closely. The visit on a Santorini volcano hot springs tour is a walk to the craters.
Can children join a Santorini volcano hot springs tour?
Yes. One booking page answers yes for children and for infants. You carry an infant in your arms, because the path is not suitable for strollers. Another operator calls the cruise family friendly, and it notes the uneven volcanic ground and the swim at the springs.
Is a Santorini volcano hot springs tour wheelchair accessible?
Not on one listing. That operator says the tour is not wheelchair accessible because of uneven surfaces and walking at the volcano stop. Another operator makes the walk to the top optional. If mobility is a worry, ask before you book.
What happens if bad weather hits a Santorini volcano hot springs tour?
Weather and sea conditions can change or cancel the sailing. One cruise page says the boat follows the orders of the official authorities. A booking page adds that you get a full refund or a new date if the authorities stop the activity. Cancelling yourself less than 24 hours before the start carries a 100 percent fee.
Can you join if you cannot swim?
Yes, on one booking page. Guests who cannot swim stay on the boat and relax while the others swim. The crew hands out swimming noodles, and lifejackets are only for emergencies. A cruise-line listing offers no life vests and asks for strong swimmers. Ask your operator before you pay for a Santorini volcano hot springs tour.