Perivolos beach is where Perissa's long black-sand shore turns stylish. Walk south from the great rock of Mesa Vouno and the tavernas and budget sunbeds gradually give way to designer loungers, cushioned daybeds and beach clubs with DJs — this is the fashionable, cocktails-on-the-sand end of Santorini's longest beach. It is the same warm, calm water and the same volcanic sand as Perissa, just dressed up: fewer families with buckets and spades, more rattan shades and afternoon house music. Here is what Perivolos is actually like, what the sunbeds cost, and how it differs from Perissa next door.
TL;DR — Perivolos beach at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Where it is | The southern continuation of Perissa beach, about 1–2 km south along the same black-sand shore |
| The vibe | Chic beach clubs and cocktail loungers — the polished end of the coast |
| Sunbed set (2 loungers + umbrella) | Roughly €15 at a Perivolos club, indicative — often free if you order food and drinks |
| Sand & sea | Black volcanic sand, calm shallow water, gets scorching underfoot by midday |
| Watersports | Jet-ski, paddleboard and similar hire along the strip in season |
| Best time to go | Afternoon into early evening, when the beach bars fill and the DJs start |
What Perivolos actually is
Perissa, Perivolos and Agios Georgios form one near-continuous run of Blue Flag black volcanic sand along Santorini's southeast coast — roughly 7 km from the foot of Mesa Vouno south to Agios Georgios, the longest such stretch on the island. There is no hard boundary; you simply walk from one into the next. Perivolos is the middle section, roughly 1–2 km south of central Perissa, and over the last couple of decades it has grown into the coast's best-known cluster of beach bars and clubs. The sand is the same dark grey-black volcanic grit, the sea is the same gently shelving, usually-calm water, and Mesa Vouno still looms behind you to the north.
What changes is the styling. Where Perissa's seafront is lined with family tavernas and straightforward sunbeds, Perivolos leans into designer loungers, four-poster daybeds, cocktail menus and a soundtrack that drifts from lounge music at lunch to proper DJ sets in the afternoon. It photographs well and it draws a slightly older, more style-conscious crowd, without ever tipping into the exclusivity of a private club — the beach itself is free and public, as all Greek beaches are.
The beach clubs and bars
The strip is defined by its venues, and a handful set the tone. Wet Stories is a polished beach bar and restaurant with rattan-shaded loungers, a Mediterranean menu and cocktails that carry the day into DJ evenings. JoJo goes for a boho look — a macramé-draped entrance, driftwood decor and cushioned loungers on the sand, with easy music from sundowners into the night. Chilli Beach Bar keeps it more relaxed, with thatched umbrellas, sunbeds and a full bar right by the water.
For eating, Sea Side by Notos is the design-led option — a wooden pergola, deep sofas and a menu running from fresh seafood to showy desserts that doubles as a lounge — while Lava Taverna and the meze spots toward the Perissa end keep things simpler and more traditional on the sand. We round up the whole scene in our Perissa beach bars guide and the dining options in where to eat in Perivolos. You can also see the venues plotted on the /landmarks/perivolos-beach page and across /nightlife and /restaurants.
What sunbeds cost
Prices vary by venue and by how organised the club is, so treat these as indicative and confirm on the day. At a Perivolos beach club, a set of two loungers with an umbrella runs around €15 in high season, and the more polished spots naturally sit at the higher end of the range. Perissa next door tends to be cheaper — often €7–15 for the same set-up, and sometimes as little as free-to-€10 at the quieter tavernas.
The single most useful thing to know: at most beach bars along this coast, the sunbeds are effectively free if you eat and drink there. Order lunch or a round of cocktails and the lounger charge is usually waived or folded into your bill, which is why the beach-club model works — you are paying for the food and the setting, not just a place to lie down. In practice, most people pick a bar, settle in for the afternoon, and never pay a separate sunbed fee at all.
| Perissa | Perivolos | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Village, family tavernas, budget-friendly | Chic beach clubs, cocktails, DJs |
| Sunbed set (indicative) | ~€7–15, often free with food | ~€15, often free with food |
| Best for | Long beach days, easy tavernas, families | Sundowners, style, afternoon music |
| Crowd | Mixed, families, backpackers | Older, style-conscious, couples |
Watersports and getting there
Perivolos is also the coast's watersports hub. Along the strip in season you'll find hire for jet-skis, paddleboards, pedalos, canoes and towable rings, plus the occasional windsurf or wakeboard operator, all making the most of the usually-calm, gently deepening water off the black sand. Prices vary by operator and are set on the day, so ask at the beach-bar desks and compare — a paddleboard hour is an easy, low-commitment way to get out on the water, while the powered toys cost more. As with the sunbeds, treat any figure you're quoted as indicative and confirm before you commit.
Getting to Perivolos is straightforward. From central Perissa you can simply walk south along the beach or the beach road — it is a flat 20–30 minute stroll, and the two blend into each other with no real boundary. If you'd rather not walk in the heat, it is a short drive, taxi or bus ride, and there is parking behind the beachfront bars. Most people staying in Perissa treat Perivolos as an easy extension of their own beach rather than a separate trip. For the logistics of reaching the wider area, see the /getting-here page.
How Perivolos differs from Perissa
If you are deciding where to lay your towel, the split is simple. Perissa is the village end — walkable to shops, buses and the Church of the Holy Cross, backed by everyday tavernas, and the natural choice for families and longer, low-key beach days. Perivolos is the going-out end — you come for the beach-club afternoon, the cocktails and the music, and you'll generally pay a little more for a more designed setting. Many people split the difference, basing themselves in Perissa and strolling south to Perivolos when they want the livelier scene. For the wider picture of where these beaches sit among the island's shores, see our best beaches near Perissa round-up, and for how the black-sand coast compares with the other resort strip, Perissa vs Kamari. The full list of village sights is at /landmarks.
The practical upshot: you don't really have to choose. Because Perissa, Perivolos and Agios Georgios are one unbroken beach, you can lay your towel wherever the mood takes you on the day — a quiet taverna sunbed near the village one morning, a cushioned daybed with a cocktail at a Perivolos club the next. That flexibility, plus the calm shallow water and the sheer length of the sand, is what makes this coast such an easy, unhurried base compared with the busy, view-obsessed caldera side of the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Perissa and Perivolos beach?
They are two ends of the same long black-sand beach. Perissa is the village end below Mesa Vouno, backed by family tavernas and budget sunbeds. Perivolos, about 1–2 km south, is the chic end — designer loungers, cocktail bars and DJ afternoons. Same sand and sea, different atmosphere and slightly higher prices at Perivolos.
How much are sunbeds at Perivolos beach?
A set of two loungers and an umbrella costs around €15 at a Perivolos beach club in high season — indicative, so confirm at the venue. At most beach bars the sunbed charge is waived if you order food and drinks, so in practice many visitors settle in at a club for the afternoon and never pay a separate fee.
Is Perivolos beach sand black?
Yes. Perivolos is a black volcanic-sand beach, the same dark grey-black grit that runs the length of Santorini's southeast coast from Perissa through Perivolos to Agios Georgios. The sand gets very hot underfoot by midday, so bring sandals or water shoes and a beach mat if you are walking across it barefoot.
Is Perivolos good for a beach club day?
Very much so — it is the beach-club strip on this coast. Spots like Wet Stories, JoJo and Chilli Beach Bar offer loungers, cocktails and afternoon DJ sets on the sand, and Sea Side by Notos adds design-led dining. Come for the afternoon-into-evening scene; it is livelier and more stylish than Perissa next door.
