The hiking path to Skaros Rock

Skaros Rock is the symbol of how much Santorini has to offer besides picture-perfect towns, luxury hotels, restaurants and night life.

Santorini has plenty of hiking path and one of the most popular is the one that goes from the village of Imerovigli to Sakors Rock.

What is Skaros Rock in santorini

Skaros is a 20 m high rocky outcrop located on a small peninsula just near Imerovigli.

This rock was formed due to the intense activity of the ancient volcano that created Santorini and offers one of the most impressive views of the caldera.

In addition to the natural beauty of the place, Skaros Rock has also an interesting historical background.

In ancient times there was a castle, built during the 15th century to protect the island from pirates and to welcome the nobility of the Venetian empire.

On Santorini there were other castles, but that of Skaros Rock was the most important since the surrounding town was the capital.
Over time the capital was moved to Fira, which was easier to reach and closer to the sea and Skaros started to decline. Finally, during the 19th century a strong earthquake caused the castle to collapse and today we can only see its ruins.

The path to Skaros Rock

The path to Skaros Rock offers breathtaking views.
It starts by the famous church of Agios Georgios in the village of Imerovigli. If you’ve never visited it, I recommend spending some time on the veranda – the view of the caldera is gorgeous.

The path is made up of concrete stairs that are quite large and well kept. The stairs lead to the small Agios Ioannis chapel and finally they lead to the huge rock outcrop.

When you’ll there, you can choose between two directions.

You can take a look at the ruins and the abandoned cave houses and then literally climb the rock to reach the top and enjoy the view, or you can walk around the rock and reach the chapel Theoskepasti.

Of course you can follow both the directions, since they don’t take too much to be explored.

Useful Infos

Although there are more strenuous paths in Santorini, some parts of the path to Skaros Rock can be harsh and not suitable for everyone.
As already said if you want to reach the top of the rock you have to practically climb it. If you are not agile or trained you may get hurt. If you really want to give it a try, at least avoid wearing flip-flops and choose to wear more suitable shoes.
Remember to bring some water with you.

In my opinion, one of the best moment to visit Skaros Rock is at the sunset.
The wide view of the sea, the silence and the particular light of the sun that goes down make this place perfect for taking photos for your Instagram profile.

Sitting somewhere, even better at the top of the rock, and admiring the beauty of Santorini is truly a memorable experience.