Thirassia: The Quiet Island Opposite Santorini
Thirassia is the small, quiet island directly opposite Santorini across the caldera - the unspoiled opposite of its famous neighbour, with almost no tourism and a feel of stepping back in time. Where Santorini lives entirely from tourism, Thirassia has barely any houses and no crowds; it is a place for a day trip from Santorini, a walk up to the cliff-top village of Manolas, and views back over the volcano.
- Group
- Cyclades
- Opposite
- Santorini
- Main village
- Manolas
- Tourism
- Minimal
The island opposite Santorini
When the Santorini volcano erupted, two main islands were left facing each other in the Aegean: Thira, better known as Santorini, and the much smaller Thirassia opposite it - and they are opposites in almost every way. Until 236 BC Thirassia was still joined to the north of Santorini, until an eruption destroyed the land bridge between them. Because the island has no good sandy beaches it never developed into a tourist destination, so it has stayed unspoiled, and a visit can feel like a step back in time.
Villages and sights
The largest village, Manolas, sits on the caldera rim like a miniature Fira or Oia, with cave houses and windmills and wide views over the sea and Santorini. Below it lies the harbour of Korfos, with a pebble beach and the stairs that climb to Manolas, while Riva (Agia Eirini) is the quiet harbour in the north, with a beach of black lava pebbles. The Kimisis Monastery in the south is reached by a walk along the caldera rim from Manolas, past the abandoned village of Kera, and the old Agia Irini church north of Riva gave neighbouring Santorini its Venetian name, Saint Irini; the hill-top church of Agios Charalampos above Manolas has a cemetery and the finest views of all.
Getting to Thirassia
Most visitors come from Santorini: small boats cross from Fira to the harbour of Korfos, and from Ammoudi below Oia to Riva in the north, where a bus usually waits to carry you up to Manolas. From Korfos it is a 20 to 30-minute climb up the stairs to the Chora - hot work in summer, so carry plenty of water - or you can ride up by donkey. Walking between the villages over the hilltops takes about an hour to an hour and a half, past quiet churches and vineyards.
Where to stay on Thirassia
Zacharo Rooms, Manolas
There is very little accommodation on this super-quiet island. Zacharo Rooms sits at the highest point of Manolas, with basic rooms whose balconies look over the village, the port of Korfos, the caldera and the island of Ios. Each room has air conditioning, a TV, a fridge and a private bathroom; the village centre and shops are 150 metres away, the beach 2.5 kilometers and the port 3 kilometers, with free private parking.
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