Nea Kameni

Island

Island · Oia, Greece 36.4000°N 25.4000°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Nea Kameni

Time needed

1 to 1.5 hoursJetty to rim and back

Best time

Mild, calm daysSun on rock, wind at sea

Effort

Steady uphill walkGravel and cinder path

How hard

Is the Nea Kameni volcano walk hard?

The path from the landing to the highest point of the crater takes about 30 minutes at an easy pace. Most visitors in decent shoes manage it without trouble.

Landing fee

Do you have to pay to walk on Nea Kameni?

Boat operators can confirm before booking whether a landing fee applies on Nea Kameni and whether the tour price already includes it. Visitors who carry a little cash are covered if it is collected separately.

Hot springs

Can you swim in the Nea Kameni hot springs?

No. The warm springs are off Palea Kameni, a separate island, so the stop on Nea Kameni is the crater walk. A swim at the springs depends on the tour itinerary, and the water there is closer to lukewarm than hot.

Walk up through black lava to a crater rim where sulphur vents still steam, on the only part of the Santorini volcano that visitors walk on.

What makes it special

Nea Kameni is the youngest land in the Cyclades, raw lava in black and rust-red, and the landscape is often described as Mars-like. The most recent eruption here was in 1950, and the bare rock gives no shade anywhere on the walk.

The marked path tops out at the rim of the main crater, about 130 m above the sea. The smell of sulphur often hangs over the rim, and the crater below it is wide and bare.

On a normal day the crater is quiet, with no fire or flowing lava to watch. What you see is a stark field of dark stone around a broad hollow, closer to a moonscape than to the volcano of the films.

The view from the rim runs back across the Santorini caldera to the main island.

Visiting

Most boats leave from Fira's Old Port, and others sail from Athinios, Vlychada and Ammoudi. From the Old Port the crossing takes under ten minutes.

Perissa's beach has no departures, so from the south coast you take the KTEL bus to Fira, about 25 minutes, then go down to the port.

You land at a small jetty, where a marked gravel path starts uphill through the lava. No guide leads the climb, so you walk it at your own pace. When you have seen the crater, walk back down the same path to the jetty to rejoin your boat.

Tips

Wear trainers or other closed shoes on the loose volcanic rock, and carry water, a hat and sunscreen. Take the climb slowly when the sun is high.

If your tour includes a swim, pack swimwear and a towel. Choose an old, dark swimsuit, since the rust-coloured spring water stains light fabric.

Know before you goAs of November 2026, the summer meltemi wind can make the boat crossing rough. Access rules can also change with volcanic monitoring, and your boat operator will know whether the crater path is open.