Perissa Santorini resort report and satellite view of Perissa

Perissa Santorini

Facing south east, at the northern end of a long 7km beach, is Perissa, an attractive alternative to Kamari which lies over the headland of the Mesa Vouno mountain to the north. The beach is another stretch of coarse grained black sand but notably less busy than its neighbour. It's noted for its watersports with windsurfing, parasailing and water skiing on offer as well as a couple of diving centres. The beach turns into Perivolos the further south you go and then into Agios Georgios with no markers to determine where one begins and another ends.
Perissa is the more popular of the beaches while Perivolos tends to be a little more up-market and to attract the clubbing crowds. Tavernas, cafes and bars run along the back of the beach with shops and minimarkets a little further inland. At Perissa the nearby Byzantine church of Agia Irini is worth a visit, especially at the end of August and mid September when festivals go into full swing in honour of the island's saint. The Basillica Agios Irini dates from the 5th century and excavation of the site started in 1992. There is also a museum here of fossils and minerals that opened in 2006 with displays of rare plant fossils.
One of the largest churches on the island, Timiou Stavrou can be found in Perissa square. The original church dated from 1835 but was destroyed by the 1956 earthquake and later rebuilt. There are regular buses for Perissa square to Fira which is about 13km away.
Nearby is the village of Emborio, well worth a visit to escape the beach crowds. It's the largest village on Santorini and one of the original fortified castles.