Santorini Snorkeling Catamaran Cruise: Volcano Hot Springs

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/14

Duration5h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Swim in the volcano's warm sulfurous waters, then snorkel the hidden coves where few boats reach.

A 5-hour catamaran cruise from Vlychada port in southern Santorini takes you to the island's most remote snorkeling spots: the Black Mountain coves, the geothermal hot springs at the volcano, and the Red and White Beaches. Snorkeling equipment, lunch with seafood and grilled meats, an open bar with local wine and beer, and hotel pickup are included. You can choose a morning departure or a sunset cruise. A live English-speaking guide leads the route and explains what you're seeing as you pass the 19th-century Akrotiri lighthouse and sail around the volcanic caldera.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santorini Catamaran Cruise Highlights

Start cruise at Vlychada port
Sail past Red and White Beach
Swim and snorkel at Black Mountain coves
Sail under Venetian Lighthouse of Akrotiri
Swim at Hot Springs of the Volcano
Sail around the Volcano
Lunch and swim at Red Beach
Return to Vlychada port

The Experience

The boat leaves Vlychada port in the south and sails past the Red and White Beaches first—the Red Beach is famous for its mineral-rich soil that gives it an iron-oxide color, and the White Beach sits on rocks accessible only by water. Your first swim stop is at the hidden coves of the Black Mountain, where the water is clear and the rock formations rise steeply. This is when snorkeling gear comes out: goggles, fins and a vest if you need one, all provided.

The route then passes under the 19th-century Venetian lighthouse at Akrotiri, perched on a high cliff at the southern edge of the island, before heading into the caldera toward the volcano. The second snorkeling stop is at the hot springs—the water here is warm and sulfurous, heated by geothermal energy beneath the island. You float in water that feels different from the sea, and the minerals are said to have therapeutic properties. After that comes lunch or dinner on board: seafood, chicken fillet, grilled sausages, salad and dessert, with white local wine, beer and soft drinks available throughout the day.

On the return to port, there's another swim and snorkel at the Red Beach before heading back. If you book the sunset cruise, you'll see the colors change across the water as the light shifts—Santorini's sunset is what the operator calls "the most famous in the world," though the timing means you'll experience it from the boat rather than from land. The whole day runs 5 hours from start to finish, and the minibus picks you up from your hotel and brings you back.

What’s included

Snorkeling equipment, swimming aids and towels.
lunch or dinner on board with seafood, chicken fillet, grilled sausages, salad and dessert.
open bar with white local wine, beers and soft beverages.
hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned minibus.
live English-speaking guide.
printed safety instructions in seven languages.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Caldera Yachting Santorini

Is this one for you?Choose the morning cruise if you want the clearest water and the most time to explore each snorkeling site; pick the sunset option if watching the light change across the caldera as you return matters more than midday visibility. Both follow the same route and stops—the difference is timing and what you see in the sky.