Fira to Athinios Port by private taxi
A taxi from Fira to Athinios Port costs from €30 for the whole car, VAT included, at any hour. The drive is 9 km and takes about 10 minutes down the switchback road, timed so you reach the quay in good time before your ferry sails.
- From €30, whole car
- 9 km
- About 10 minutes
Updated 12 September 2026 by the Santorini Taxi team.
What to expect
Fira is our base, so a ride to the ferry starts close to home. For hotels on the main road the car comes to the door; for the caldera-side hotels below the pedestrian walkway, the driver meets you at the top of the nearest steps, since no car can reach the terraces themselves.
From Fira the road drops south past Megalochori and onto the switchback bends that carry every vehicle down the cliff face to the port. It is the same road the buses and hire cars use, so the descent is at its slowest whenever a ferry is already loading below.
The rank at Theotokopoulos Square is the fallback for a same-day ride, but it thins out fast in the hour before a popular sailing, when much of Fira seems to want the port at once. A booked car skips that, arriving at the agreed time with the price already fixed, whatever the ferry company or the route your boat is taking.
Athinios itself has no real shelter, so the plan is to arrive with time to spare rather than to wait around in the sun or the wind. Two travellers with cases take the saloon; a larger party, or anyone carrying gear back from a day on the water, should book the van for the extra boot space.
Where the driver meets you in Fira
- 1
Fira has two halves. Hotels on the main road and in the streets behind it get the car at the door; hotels on the caldera side sit below the pedestrian walkway, down steps a car cannot use.
- 2
For a caldera-side hotel the driver tells you the meeting point the day before, usually the road nearest the hotel's steps, and walks down to help with the bags when the lane allows.
- 3
For a pickup from the centre, the driver names a spot on the ring road or by the cable-car top station. Waiting is free for 15 minutes at any address.
- 4
Give the hotel name and the number of bags when you book; the driver knows which street sits above which steps.
Arriving in Athinios Port
For a ride to the port the driver drops you at the ferry area at the bottom of the port road, next to where the boats load. Allow about 15 minutes from Fira and 25 from Oia, and be on the quay 45 minutes before sailing; in July and August the hairpin road down the cliff backs up when two ferries load at once, so add 15 minutes.
Prices for this route
up to 4 passengers, 3 suitcases
5 to 8 passengers, 8 suitcases
up to 20 passengers, 20 suitcases
up to 7 passengers, 6 suitcases
Good to know
- The driver works back from your ferry's sailing time, not a fixed clock time, so tell us the sailing time when you book.
- Fira's taxi rank fills fast in the hour before the afternoon ferries. A booked car waits at your hotel instead of the rank.
- Caldera-side hotels in Fira are reached by steps. Allow a few extra minutes for the walk up to the road with the cases.
- The port has little shade and few seats, so there is no advantage in reaching the quay long before the boat leaves.
Questions about this route
How long before my ferry should I leave Fira?
The driver works backwards from your sailing time, allowing 10 minutes for the drive down the switchback road plus a margin in July and August, when the bends fill up before the busiest sailings.
Is Fira's taxi rank a better option than booking ahead?
The rank at Theotokopoulos Square is useful for a same-day ride, but it empties fast before popular sailings. A booked car is already at your hotel at the agreed time, with the price fixed in advance.
My hotel is on the caldera side, below the walkway. Can the car still collect me?
The driver stops on the nearest road and carries the bags down the steps to fetch you, or up if you are ready and waiting. Tell us the hotel name and the number of bags when you book.
Do you take passengers to Athinios at night?
Yes, at the same fixed price as a daytime transfer. Night ferries out of Athinios are common, and the switchback road down is quieter after dark than in the afternoon.