Budget-Friendly Bliss: Affordable Hotels in Santorini That Won’t Break the Bank
I’ll start by telling you from the start that it won’t be easy to find cheap hotels in Santorini. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.
If your question is “Where to stay in Santorini on a budget?” then you’ve landed in the right place because I have the answers you’re looking for!
That’s because when we decided to have a vacation in one of the most beautiful Greek islands, we were looking for the same thing! Affordable accommodation would allow us to spend one week on the island without breaking the bank.
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Table of Contents
Cheap Hotels in Santorini
A few things worth knowing when you want to travel to Santorini on a budget
As previously said, while plenty of other Greek islands will offer you a dream vacation for less, Santorini is not one of them.
With its dreamy caldera views and luxurious cave hotels, the island attracts tens of thousands of tourists every summer without having to compete with many other Greek islands.
That being said, there are a few ways you could land a more affordable vacation in Santorini:
Avoid going in peak season
You probably saw the images of enormous tourist crowds thronging Santorini. While accurate, those are a bit misleading.
First, the crowds gather only in a handful of famous locations, mostly in Oia and Fira. Equally importantly, most of them are coming on cruise ships, meaning they come in the morning and leave in the evening.
In fact, most of the island isn’t crowded, and even in Fira, the streets are breezy outside of the crazy hours.
This being said, avoiding peak season is always a good idea.
July and August will see prices skyrocket. Travel as early as May or June, or wait until September or even October, and you will find more affordable prices;
Choose to stay in the eastern part of the island, where you will find cheaper hotels. However, there are no caldera views.
Use an online aggregator to book your flight: Skyscanner.com will help you find the best combinations and optimize prices and timetables.
Stay in more locations than one and book a cheap hotel with a caldera view for at least a few nights;
Travel around by public transportation or rent a car online ahead of time. Discover Cars is a great aggregator that will help you save up to 70% on your car rental. Rent your car here!
Book any tours in advance with free cancellation in order to get the best prices online. Day trips and experiences can be easily booked through GetYourGuide – they have a wide selection of tours and a great cancellation policy.
Because you won’t find all-inclusive hotel options in Santorini, and restaurants tend to be on the pricey side, booking an apartment with a small kitchen and a refrigerator will save you some money.
Where to stay in Santorini on a budget
Before heading straight to some amazing and affordable hotels in Santorini, check out my comprehensive guide on luxury hotels in Santorini. It will help you put the word “cheap” into context:).
But here are a few of the options I would choose from when looking for cheap hotels in Santorini (outside of peak season).
Kamari
The place we chose to stay in mostly because we traveled during August and where we could find an affordable hotel despite this fact.
You will be close to the airport, have access to the sea and a black pebble beach, and also to so many local tavernas with delicious food at decent prices.
If you want to spend less and don’t mind staying in Kamari, on the eastern part of the island, choose to stay here. It has traditional Greek decor, a great pool, a sea view, and a private beach with small volcanic stones.
You can easily get around and travel to the rest of Santorini.
Also, in Kamari, you’ll find it easy to take some stunning pictures at this all-Greek resort. 5-star accommodation in a quiet location and at an affordable price.
80 m away from the beach, with a beautiful swimming pool and rooms with balconies, this family-run hotel will make you feel at home.
The interior design is simple yet stylish and elegant. If you book the Executive Suite, you can even have a private hot tub to relax in after a long day on the island.
If you want an apartment with a fully equipped kitchenette, refrigerator, and a small living room, this is the place for you!
Additionally, you will have access to the garden, while you will be a few meters away from the beach.
Akrotiri
It is a low-key, typical Greek village that is not often found on people’s lists when it comes to cheap places to stay in Santorini.
Akrotiri is famous for its archeological site, and most tourists come here to step back in time, not to stay overnight.
Right on the island’s Southern edge, Akrotiri is not far from some of the most stunning views in Greece.
A typical white Greek hotel offers an incredible view over the caldera. It is not a big place, which will give you a boutique hotel vibe, and it is not in the most crowded area of the Island – being set in Akrotiri.
Maybe one of the most stunning apartments in Santorini, the best part of this place, apart from the caldera view, is the fact that you can have it from your jacuzzi bathtub.
Firostefani
A few kilometers away from Thira, Firostefani is a great option with caldera views that actually extend Santorini’s capital.
It might be hard to imagine, but you can find great deals on this side of the island when you book in advance and choose the right period.
With luxury features such as a hydro-massage bath with stunning vires over the Aegean Sea, this hotel could be booked for a very affordable price when traveling in May or October.
It is a Cycladic-style house with a simple, colorful interior design and excellent reviews from previous guests.
Having a rooftop pool with a scenic view and a perfect location in a tranquil area yet within walking distance from the center of Santorini’s capital, this is yet another great place to stay on a budget.
In conclusion, who says you must give up the view to get a better price?
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