Skip to Content

Tips for Quad Bike Hire in Santorini & Places To Go in Santorini on a Quad!

This post may contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you use these links.

Quad Bike Hire in Santorini is one of the best things to do in Santorini and the best way to see Santorini! All you need is a driving license, a bit of confidence, and a lot of common sense. Then you’re good to go!

To help you out a bit more, here are some places to visit with a quad bike in Santorini, along with some tips and information for hiring a quad bike in Santorini and hiring an ATV in Santorini, plus a map to help you plan your day!

Quad Bike Hire Santorini

Quad Bike Hire Santorini
Keep Reading for all my tips on Quad Bike Hire in Santorini!

Tips and Information on Hiring a Quad Bike in Santorini and Hiring an ATV in Santorini:

Where to Hire a Quad Bike in Santorini?

I was on a group tour in Greece, we stayed at New Haroula Hotel in Fira, Santorini and we hired our bikes from Zervakis Rental in Fia (google maps link here) which is the company the tour company always uses.

There are so many Quad Bike rental / ATV rental, Moped rental and Buggy rental shops in Fira and in Santorini but as our tour guide uses this shop all the time I fully recommend it and they were very helpful in getting us out on the road.

Quad Bike Hire Cost in Santorini:

Hiring a quad bike in Santorini for one day cost us €40.00 for 24 hours and we filled up with €10.00 worth of fuel however we definitely didn’t use all of this. Don’t be afraid to search around for the best deal and try to bargain a good price with the shops.

Hiring a Quad Bike in Santorini for 2 people:

Everyone on our tour shared a quad bike, mainly to save money and so there weren’t as many bikes on the road to make it easier to follow each other but in the end, I’m glad we did as after a stint of driving all of us said our thumbs really hurt so it was nice to let the other person drive next until it recovered a bit.

It’s also amazing sitting on the back and being able to fully take in the views. Plus a second person is useful to look at a map so I would recommend driving with 2 people to a quad bike.

Quad Bike Hire Santorini

Correct Side of the Road to Drive on in Greece:

Remember they drive on the RIGHT side of the road in Greece, initially, I was quite worried as I’ve only ever driven on the left but it was totally fine. Remember the saying – righty tighty, lefty loosey!

Most of the roads in Santorini are 2 way but on entering Oia there is a road that is 1 way during high season. Keep a look out for no-entry roads and if you think people are looking at you weird and you are the only ones driving down a road that way, consider turning around as you may be going the wrong way!

Driving License for Quad Bike Hire in Santorini:

Make sure you have a driving license to give to the rental shop to keep, they may ask for a credit card too.

What to wear for Quad Biking in Santorini:

Wear a helmet even if it seems like they are optional! Wear sunglasses because it gets very dusty!

Insurance for hiring a quad bike in Santorini:

Make sure you have travel insurance to cover you hiring and driving a quad bike!

Places to visit in Santorini on a Quad Bike

Fira

Fira, also called Thira is the Capital of Santorini. It’s a beautiful town overlooking the ocean and it has a totally different feel to that of Oia so if you are hiring a quad bike from Oia I would recommend making sure you check out Fira too.

Although Fira is located on the edge of the island like Oia and spills down the steep cliffside too I was surprised by the many inland streets of the town. I was also surprised to see a McDonalds, but either way, make sure you spend a bit of time here exploring it all. Although Fira get’s busy, I found it to be a lot less busy than Oia. Plenty of people park their bikes on the street but lookout for the car park signs too.

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Greece Fira

Oia

A visit to Santorini is not complete without a visit to Oia. Seen as we weren’t staying in Oia, Oia was our first stop from Fira on our quad bike tour around Santorini. The drive from Fira to Oia was probably the best out of the whole day whilst enjoying an ATV Santorini and on arrival in Oia we found plenty of places to park the moped and they were all signposted really well.

Oia is extremely busy, at least it was in June when I visited, so on arrival into the town I would suggest getting away from the crowds by heading straight down one of the promenades that are built into the side of the cliffs, the further you get from the centre the less crowded the streets become. There are plenty of side streets to take that are really quiet and plenty of churches, shops and cafes to dip into to take a break in before heading back out on your quad bike!

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Oia
Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Oia

If you’re a bit worried about going out on a quad bike on your own in Santorini or you want a guide to follow and explain where you’re visiting, these quad bike tours in Santorini look great:

 

Profitis Ilias Mountain Peak

For an awesome view of Santorini head up to Profitis Ilias Mountain Peak, the islands highest mountain at 567m / 1860ft. Pass through the town of Pyrgos and then take the steep road up the mountain. Be careful of the narrow roads, hairpin turns and coaches that also venture up there. At the top you will be treated to an amazing view!

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Mountain peak

Perissa Beach

Perissa is the second largest coastal resort on Santorini and is perfect for a spot of lunch, sunbathing and a swim before getting back on your quad bike to explore Santorini. The beautiful church of Timiou Stavro is a good place to head to as there is plenty of parking and from here it’s just a minute walk to the beach, or you can park up on the road along the beach too.

There are plenty of restaurants which have sun loungers on the beach, some charge even if you eat there, others are free if you eat there so be sure to ask before sitting down. The water on this beach is so gorgeous and very salty too so expect to be able to float more than usual. The beach is more black pebble with a mix of black lava sand than being completely sandy but its a beautiful spot to relax at.

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Perissa Beach
Quad Bike Hire Santorini, Perissa Beach

Paralia Kokkini aka Red Beach

This is Santorini’s famous Red Beach and is one of the most famous beaches on Santorini and one of the best places to visit on Santorini. It’s more the backdrop of the cliffs that are red and where the beach gets its name from as the sand a grey and brown colour of lava pebbles, reminding you that once again that Santorini is a volcanic island.

The beach is lined with loungers and will be very busy in the high season due to it being such a popular beach.

Note that this beach can be accessed via boat from Atrotiri Beach or by the coastal footpath from the car park at the end of the road from the Akrotiri Excavations which will take about 15 minutes.

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, red beach

(Photo from Santorini-View website)

Lighthouse of Akrotiri

Finally, if you’ve been to the highest point of Santorini you should probably go to the tip of the island too. On arrival to the lighthouse, there is parking alongside the road. After this, the lighthouse and then peninsular is just a minute walk away. The views here are incredible, and if you squint you can see the buildings of Fira balanced on the cliff edge in the distance. The only downside is that when I went it was extremely windy which meant we only stayed for amount 3 minutes taking in the view however the views on the drive there were also gorgeous so I’m still glad we went!

Quad Bike Hire Santorini, lighthouse

Map of Places to visit in Santorini by Quad Bike

Go at your own pace and have fun!


 

Liesa

Wednesday 15th of May 2019

Hi there we are going for a day trip from a cruise, can you hire the quad from the harbour,? Thanks liesa

TheWanderingQuinn

Wednesday 15th of May 2019

Hello. I’m not sure about that I’m afraid. There are loads of companies in Fira & Oia but I’m not sure about the harbour sorry.

Rachel

Friday 17th of August 2018

This looks like the best fun! I've never been on a quad bike before but after reading this feel I should! Santorini is on my bucket list for sure!

TheWanderingQuinn

Saturday 18th of August 2018

Good to hear! It’s such a beautiful island!