Perissa is a seaside village in the southeastern end of Santorini, just 13 km from Fira. It belongs to the local department of Emporios of the municipality of Thira, and it's well-known for its long black-sand beach which is great to look and lie on.

Archaeologists during 1836 found out that Perissa is located in the area of the ancient city of Eleusis which is mentioned by the geographer Ptolemy as one of the cities of the island. At the same area and during Byzantine times there was another city, probably quite rich, which is evidenced by the existence there of rubble large basilica of Agia Irini. This city is said to have reached into decline during the reign of Leo III the Isaurian. This may be associated either directly with the volcanic eruption of 726 in Palea Kameni, or indirectly with the participation of the residents in the revolution of 727 against the iconoclast emperor (they considered the volcanic eruption as a sign of divine wrath against the emperor).

At Perissa beach you can find all the usual water-based activities plus a regular water taxi to take you round the headland to the neighboring town of Kamari.
Perissa beach is the neighboring beach of Perivolos, and has developed in the style of a beach resort. It was one of the first beaches to be developed on the island. It is host to organized activities such as diving, parasailing, and there are jet skies available for hire.

Taxi or bus from the port of Thira are the usual means of transportation when you stumble down from the ferry. The taxi from the port takes about 15 minutes to get you to the town of Perissa.

Having arrived at Perissa, it is easy to rent a scooter or an ATV to manage your routes. ATVs and scooters are the most popular options of travel on the island. Tourists can be seen driving ATVs on the main roads, which are safe to drive.
Local buses are available for tourists and locals alike. Public buses are actually large, air-conditioned green tour buses. Public buses use Fira as a hub and spoke out to the smaller towns from there.