Perissa is seaside village with a magnificent and interminable beach. The dark sea and the surrounding green make it one of the most beautiful on the island. The rocky bulk of Mesa Vouno, the reminder of ancient Aigiis, rises east of the village.

Perissa is effectively a village that "opens" in April and "closes" in October, with lots of taverns, few good hotels and plenty of rooms to let. It is also location of the best (and most historic) campground on the Santorini, whose beach bar is the scene of the liveliest beach parties and happenings.

One of the island 's largest churches Timios Stavros ("Holly Cross") is located in Perissa. On the S.E. coast, not far from the village is the monastery of Perissa. It is a 19th century building and has a five -domed church. The monastery was built on the ruins of the old church of Aghia Irini, which, it is believed, had given the island its name.