Fortyone

Fortyone is a full-service beach club on Perivolos beach, the long black-sand stretch on Santorini's southern coast near the village of Ag. Georgios Emboriou. With a 4.6-star rating across nearly 1,900 Google reviews, it draws a consistent crowd looking for more than a plastic sun-lounger and a beer — the operation spans organized beach access, a kitchen running from brunch through late dinner, and a cocktail program that keeps things going until 11:30 PM.

Perivolos is one of the few beaches on Santorini where you can actually spend a full day without relocating. The dark volcanic sand holds heat, the water is deep blue, and the shoreline is flat enough that families and groups arrive in numbers. Fortyone positions itself as the polished end of the beach's hospitality strip, with a concept that the owners describe as blending Greek-Mediterranean gastronomy with sushi — an unusual pairing on Santorini that works because of a genuine focus on fresh fish and seafood.

The venue is part of a small multi-location group, with sites also operating under the Forty One name on Santorini's caldera and on Tinos. The Perivolos location is the beach-club flagship, and it's the one most relevant to a day on the south coast.

What to Expect

Arriving at Fortyone, the first thing you notice is the organized row of sun loungers set directly on the black sand, angled toward the Aegean. The volcanic sand here is darker and finer than the pumice-heavy pebble beaches on the island's caldera side, and it gets warm underfoot by mid-morning. Shaded seating options — including cabanas — mean that spending several hours here is viable even in July and August heat.

The food operation is more serious than most beach bars on the island. The kitchen draws on Greek-Mediterranean cooking with a strand of sushi running through the menu, with fresh fish and seafood as the main reference points. The menu runs from brunch through to a proper dinner service, so a booking for the evening is a realistic option if you want to stay on the beach rather than drive back to Fira or Oia for a meal.

Cocktails and wines are a deliberate focus. The drinks list is not a generic beach-bar selection — the team has put visible effort into the cocktail offering, and the wines lean toward Santorini's own Assyrtiko grape, which pairs well with anything coming out of the seafood kitchen.

Service runs across a long day (9:30 AM to 11:30 PM every day of the week), which is useful given that Perivolos is roughly a 15-minute drive from Fira and visitors often want to anchor at one spot rather than make multiple trips. The rating and review volume suggest that the kitchen and floor staff maintain a consistent standard through a high-volume summer season.

How to Get There

Perivolos beach sits on the southeastern coast of Santorini, approximately 12 km from Fira. By car or scooter, take the main road south from Fira toward Perissa and then follow signs toward Perivolos. The drive is straightforward and takes around 15–20 minutes. Parking is available along the road running parallel to the beach, though spots fill quickly in August.

Public buses run from Fira's central bus station to Perivolos and Perissa during peak season, with a journey time of around 20–25 minutes. Check the KTEL Santorini timetable before you go, as afternoon return services can be infrequent and the last bus back tends to leave before Fortyone closes.

Taxi and ride-hail apps such as Beat operate on Santorini, and a cab from Fira to Perivolos typically costs in the range of €15–€20 (verify locally — fares change). Given the late closing time of 11:30 PM, having a return taxi number saved is practical.

The beach itself is flat and accessible from the road with no steps, which makes it straightforward for guests with mobility considerations.

Best Time to Visit

Fortyone operates year-round daily hours (9:30 AM–11:30 PM), though like most beach businesses on Santorini it operates at full capacity from May through October. July and August are the busiest months on Perivolos, with sun loungers filling before 11 AM on clear days. If you want a lounger without a reservation or a wait, arriving before 10 AM in peak season is advisable.

Santorini's south coast benefits from the meltemi wind that blows from the northwest during summer — it cools things down considerably at Perivolos compared to the more sheltered caldera side. This makes the beach more comfortable in the hottest part of the day, though the wind can be strong enough in late July and August to make conversation and fine dining al fresco slightly challenging.

For the food side of the operation, early evening — around 7–8 PM — tends to offer the best balance of lower temperature, good light, and a kitchen in full swing before the late-night crowd arrives. September is often the optimal month overall: the sea is warm, the crowds thin compared to August, and the kitchen operates at the same standard.

Tips for Visiting

• Reserve sun loungers in advance during July and August. Perivolos is popular island-wide and Fortyone's organized beach section fills early on peak days. Check the website or call +30 2286 082710 to confirm reservation procedures.
• Bring cash as backup. Card payment is standard at most Santorini beach clubs, but the machine occasionally struggles on busy days. An ATM is available in Perivolos village, a short walk from the beach.
• The black sand retains heat. Bring proper beach sandals or water shoes — walking barefoot on the sand at midday in summer is genuinely painful on volcanic black beaches.
• Plan your return transport. The last public bus from Perivolos back to Fira runs well before Fortyone closes. If you plan to stay for dinner and cocktails, arrange a taxi in advance or use a ride-hail app.
• The sushi and Greek-Mediterranean menu combination is intentional. Don't dismiss it as fusion for fusion's sake — the kitchen centers on fresh catch from Aegean waters, so both the Greek and Japanese seafood preparations draw on the same core ingredient.
• Follow Fortyone on Instagram (@fortyone.santorini) before visiting to get a current read on what the kitchen is doing and whether any seasonal events or DJ nights are scheduled during your stay.
• Come for lunch if you want the full beach experience. Arriving around noon, spending a few hours on the loungers, and transitioning into a late lunch gives you the best value from the setting and avoids the dinner-time queue that can form at the bar in peak season.
• Perivolos and Perissa are essentially the same beach. The two stretch into each other with no physical break, separated only by the small rock of Mesa Vouno. If Fortyone's lounger section is full, you can walk east toward Perissa and find alternatives, though you'll lose the Fortyone food and drinks service.

What to Order

The kitchen at Fortyone runs a brunch-to-dinner operation anchored in Greek-Mediterranean cooking with a sushi strand running alongside. Fresh fish and seafood are the primary focus, sourced daily according to the venue's own description of how the kitchen operates.

For a beach lunch, the natural starting point is the seafood section of the menu — grilled fish, seafood plates, and whatever is freshest that day. The integration of sushi alongside traditional Greek preparations is distinctive for Santorini's south coast, where most beach bars default to straightforward mezedes and grilled meat.

On the drinks side, the cocktail list is a deliberate part of the concept rather than an afterthought. For wine, Santorini's Assyrtiko grape — a dry white that has a natural affinity with seafood and cuts through the heat — is the obvious local pairing. The island produces some of Greece's most distinctive whites from the indigenous vines grown in the volcanic soil, and a beach club of this caliber should have solid representation on the wine list.

Brunch options in the morning hours round out a full-day capability: arriving at 9:30 AM and progressing from coffee and food through to a late dinner is a practical way to structure a day at Perivolos without moving.