Santorini Cruise Access Changes After Wall Collapse Closes Fira Port

Following the collapse of a private wall bordering the Karavolades Stairs that connect the old port on the Bay of Fira to the island’s clifftop capital, Fira, the stepped road has been closed.

This loss of access has led to a significant change for cruise ships visiting Santorini, as all vessels will now need to accommodate shore tours entirely from Athinios rather than Fira.

Athinios is the main ferry port for Santorini and is approximately 2.2 miles south of the Port of Fira. Public buses and taxis run between Athinios and Fira, though Athinios can be much more crowded. Driving between the two can take 20-25 minutes.

As reported by Atlantea, the decision to shift cruise access to Athinios was made by George Nomikos, the president of the Municipal Port Fund of Thira. The closure of the Karavolades Stairs was decided by the Mayor of Thira, Anastasios Nikolaos Zorzos.

“All disembarkation and boarding of cruise visitors participating in organized excursions will take place entirely from the port of Athinios, regardless of the percentage they represent in the total number of passengers on each cruise ship,” the local media explained.

The wall alongside the road collapsed in the early morning hours of Monday, July 27, 2026, while the decision to shift cruise operations to Athinios was made on Tuesday, July 28. Undoubtedly the condition of the road and adjacent walls were assessed in that time period.

With the closure, it is not possible for cruise guests to walk or ride the famous donkeys along the road between Fira and the tender docks, limiting overall access and general accessibility options. This has led to the shift in how cruise passengers will be managed for the time being.

By requiring cruise ships to embark and debark guests from Athinios for all shore excursions, local authorities are trying to best manage crowds and ensure the cable car access is available for all visitors.

Just two months ago, Cruise Hive reported that the Municipal Port Fund changed policies to require up to 70% of cruise guests to disembark at the old port at Fira, with no more than 30% arriving through Athinios.

With the closure of the stepped road, this new policy must be temporarily relaxed until the road can be reopened.

There is no timeline available for when repairs may be made to the retaining wall along the stepped road or when that route may reopen for foot and donkey traffic.

What About the Cable Car?

The Santorini Cable Car is one of the most famous cable cars in the world. A one-way ride from the base to the top of the cliffs takes just three minutes and offers phenomenal panoramic views along the way.

While the cable car remains operational to and from Fira, overall capacity of the cable car and operational adjustments may be too challenging to accommodate all cruise ship guests without compromising the experience for other visitors.

At this time, it is unclear whether or not cruise ships will still be using tender service to the Port of Fira for guests who are not on organized tours. That decision may be made individually by different ships based on their overall capacity and operational needs.

Santorini is one of the most popular cruise ship port destinations in Greece with more than 1.2 million cruise guests visiting each year.

In just the next few weeks, vessels from Royal Caribbean, Oceania Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, TUI Cruises, and more all have planned visits to the island.

No cruise line has yet adjusted any itineraries to remove Santorini as a destination due to this tender shift, but such changes may yet be forthcoming as cruise lines evaluate their options to provide the best possible experiences for their guests.