Santorini Staircase Closure Disrupts Cruise Ship Excursions

Karavolades Stairs, the well-known staircase connecting Santorini’s old port with the town of Fira, has been temporarily closed, according to local media reports.

The closure is expected to affect cruise ship visits to the popular Greek island, one of the Aegean Sea’s busiest cruise destinations.

According to Atlantea, the 558-step staircase has been shut after part of a wall belonging to a nearby private property collapsed. The local news outlet said the decision to close the route was made by the Mayor of Fira and that it will remain closed until further notice.

Cruise passengers arriving in Santorini typically travel ashore by tender boat, disembarking at the island’s old port. The port serves as the departure point for boat excursions around the island and provides access to Fira, which sits approximately 250 meters above sea level. As there are no roads linking the old port with the town, visitors normally reach Fira either by climbing the staircase or using the cable car.

With the Karavolades Stairs now closed, cruise guests who have booked shore excursions will instead be taken to Santorini’s new port. Business Daily reported that tender boats will transport these passengers to Athinios, where they will board tour buses for their excursions.

Although regulations introduced earlier this year limited the proportion of cruise passengers permitted to use Athinios each day, those restrictions are being temporarily suspended while the staircase remains closed.

More than 25 cruise ships are scheduled to call at Santorini during August, including vessels operated by Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises.