Pyrgos
Pyrgos is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Santorini audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type village
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Santorini Santorini guide
About Pyrgos
Santorini's highest and quietest village, an inland maze of medieval lanes climbing to a ruined Venetian castle, with wide views over vineyards, the caldera, and the open sea.
Pyrgos, or Pyrgos Kallistis, is an inland village about 7 kilometres from Fira, built amphitheatrically up a hill that gives wide panoramic views. The 2021 census recorded 1,078 inhabitants. It is Santorini's highest village and stands at the foot of Mount Profitis Ilias, the island's highest peak, whose 567-metre summit carries a monastery founded in 1711 by the monk-brothers Gavriil and Ioakim.
At the summit of the village stand the ruins of a Venetian fortified settlement, the Kasteli, built around 1580 and the most recent of Santorini's medieval kastelia. After the cliff-top settlement of Skaros was abandoned, it became the island's administrative centre. Its perimeter houses form the defensive walls around a single entrance, and it contains old churches including the Theotokaki, traditionally dated to the 10th century. Pyrgos is considered one of the island's least tourist-altered villages.
Did you know? When the cliff-top settlement of Skaros was finally abandoned, the fortified hill-town of Pyrgos took over as Santorini's administrative centre. Its Venetian kastro, built around 1580, is the youngest of the island's medieval castles.
How long should you spend at Pyrgos?
Plan about ~60 min at Pyrgos. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Pyrgos worth visiting?
Pyrgos is one of the 12 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Santorini, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Santorini
Day 1 of the Santorini in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Pyrgos
Preview the Santorini tour free in the Gingerguide app.