Following a devasting earthquake that essentially levelled the village in 1956, Oia was reborn into the picture-perfect quintessential Cycladic village you see today. Built on a steep slope of the caldera and known for its remarkable sunsets, many of its white-washed homes are impressively carved into the cliffs. Take a quick look around, and you will lose count of the number of blue-domed churches that populate the beautiful caldera landscape. Despite its small size, you definitely won’t get bored here. To help you get the most out of your time in Oia, below we present our guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Oia.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in Santorini
Santorini Itinerary Ideas (1 to 5 days)
Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on Santorini
How to Get Around Santorini
About Oia
Oia’s history is tied to the water. Although the recorded history of Oia dates back to the 13th century, when the Duchy of Naxos was established by the Venetians here, things started to change as Oia’s harbour, Ammoudi Bay developed as an important centre for maritime trade in the late 18th and early 19th century. 1900s. At its peak, 170 sailing vessels were housed in Santorini, and many seagoers and shipwrights who repaired sea vessels lived in Oia. The village’s architecture also reflects its maritime lifestyle. Houses built into the cliff rocks were identifiable only by their arched entryways so sailors could hide from pirates.
Oia’s history took a drastic turn in 1956 when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Santorini severely. Oia was hit the worst among Santorini’s villages as it was built on soft rock and the town was almost completely levelled. Afterwards, the town remained largely abandoned for the next two decades. Then, the decision was finally made to build Oia again from the ground up with tourism in mind, which is in part why the village looks so picture-perfect.
Orientation – How to Get to Oia
Oia is located near the northern tip of Santorini, about 20 km north of its capital and largest town Fira. The village is easy to reach from Fira, the airport, and the ferry port.
By car: You can rent a car from several locations across the island, including the Santorini Airport and the Santorini Ferry Port (the main exception is the Santorini Old Port). Oia is about a 25-minute drive from the Airport, and a 35-minute drive from the New Ferry Port. If your hotel or accommodation doesn’t have parking, this large public lot has free parking.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Santorini.
By bus: To get to Oia from the Santorini airport or the Athienios Ferry Port, you will need to take a pair of buses (a first one to Fira and then a second to Oia- all Santorini bus timetables can be found here*). It’s also important to know that tickets are only sold on the bus and they take cash only. All tickets are one-way only and typically cost about €2 or less for an adult (2024), depending on the destination and start point.
*Note that the timetables listed are the current timetables, which change throughout the year with increased service during the summer high season.
By walking: There is also an 8 km hiking trail that connects Oia to Imerovigli. Continue another 2.5 km and you will make it to Fira.
By private transfer: Taxis aren’t a great option on Santorini – there are roughly only 40 taxis that operate on the island, meaning it can be very difficult to find one at times. Your best option is to pre-book and private transfer, either via Welcome Pickups or from one of the following services:
By Group Tour: An another option if you have decided to stay elsewhere on the island is to join one of several group tours of Santorini that include a visit to Oia.
To reach Santorini from anywhere in Greece (or Europe), your main options are either to fly into Santorini Airport or to book a ferry into the Santorini New Ferry Port. If you would like to have more information on how to best travel to Santorini from elsewhere, check out Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go.
Although Oia is fairly easily reachable from anywhere on the island despite being at one extremity, the latter fact makes it a less convenient base to stay in during your time in Santorini if you intend on visiting many villages and other attractions (e.g. beaches, vineyards, archaeological sites) around the island. Driving will take longer (and traffic can get congested in summer), taxis or private transfers will be more expensive, and using the bus system will always require that you first transit through Fira to connect with a second bus.
Best Time to Visit Oia
Time of Year
Our favourite time of year to visit many places in Europe, and this includes Santorini, is during the after-summer shoulder season, primarily in September and October. The weather is usually still great without being too hot, the days are still long and the seas are still warm, and there are definitely fewer crowds than in the summer.
Time of Day
Oia is without a doubt Santorini’s most popular village to visit. As a result, it gets crowded, particularly in the late afternoon close to sunset and/or when many cruise ships dock for the day. So, if you would like to explore Oia at a leisurely pace without the crowds, your best bet is early in the morning, preferably before 9 am. After that, you run the risk of sharing the sites, viewpoints, and walkways with busloads (literally) of other tourists.
Having said that, no two days are the same, as the size and number of cruise ships that disembark tourists in Santorini varies quite a bit day-to-day. Thanks to CruiseGig you have access to not only the number of ships that will dock in Santorini on a given day, but also at what time they are expected to do so. Having this knowledge at hand can help you pick the best time and day to visit Oia.
Best Things to See and Do in Oia
Search for the famous Oia Blue Dome Churches
The sheer quantity of beautiful white-washed and blue-domed churches in Oia is part of what has made Oia so famous and spectacular to see. There are so many of them, and they are quite easy to see and reach if you wander a bit, so don’t become too obsessed with finding one particular. Just be careful when exploring around the churches as much of the area surrounding them is private property. Ideally, you want to visit them early, preferably before 9 am. After that, hoards from the tour buses and cruise ships will likely arrive and the areas around the churches will get very crowded.
The most famous blue domes are probably those atop the Church of Saint Spirydon (Agios Spiridonas), which boasts a matching blue dome and blue bell tower.
Another very photogenic church is the Church of Saint Anastasi (Agios Anastasis), In addition to its signature blue dome, it is adorned with a distinctive pink bell tower.
Both churches are located just south of the main promenade, and there is a popular viewpoint to see them both in the same shot.
Although you won’t get a shot with the caldera here, the Church of Panagia Platsani is still one of Oia’s most beautiful ones with stunning architecture and an imposing six-bell tower. This one is hard to miss as you will find it in Oia’s main square, just off the main promenade. It was originally built inside Oia castle but was rebuilt in its current location after the major earthquake of 1956 destroyed it.
A short block away, along the main promenade, you’ll come across another beautiful blue-dome church (below, the one with the flags; we couldn’t find its name after the fact). Take the alleyway just beside the church to get to the blue-dome viewpoint described above.
Finally, the Holy Church of Agios Georgios (above) is another Oia church that is a pleasure to admire, as it is not white-washed like the others, but rather features a creamy yellow stucco exterior, with a blue dome and a large campanile. The church is probably the first one you will see if you are making your way into town from the east (such as via the Fira-Oia hiking trail).
Wander Oia’s streets and try to get lost
You can see many of Oia’s beautiful sites either from on or just off the main pedestrian promenade, which is about 1 km long, starting near the yellow church described and ending at Oia Castle. However, if you just stuck to the main road, you would be missing out on a lot in our opinion.
For starters, the main promenade can get quite busy and packed at times, so venturing away from it can offer a nice breather and a much quieter atmosphere. Second, we found some of our favorite viewpoints by just wandering around some of Oia’s side streets and hidden alleyways.
Don’t worry about actually getting lost, it’s a small town with the sea on two sides and desertic landscapes on the other two. Walking in a straight line, you can cross the length of Oia along the pedestrian promenade in about 20 minutes, and its width in about 5 minutes.
Head down to Ammoudi Bay
If you have the energy and the knees to climb down (and then back up again) 278 steps down to sea level, then we highly recommend you descend to Ammoudi Bay. The top of the staircase is located at the western end of the pedestrian promenade near the castle entrance. Alternatively, you can visit Ammoudi Bay by taxi via a long road descending into the bay from the opposite side from which the staircase is located. The fixed price for a taxi between Oia and Amoudi is 10€. Although there is a small parking lot adjacent to Ammoudi Bay, the road down is narrow, and the lot is often full. For this reason, even if you have a rental car, we recommend walking or taking a taxi to Ammoudi Bay.
Ammoudi Bay, historically an old fishing port, now mostly caters to tourists with several seafood restaurants with outdoor patios right on the edge of crystal clear waters. Expect at least 20 minutes to make it to Ammoudi Bay from the top of the staircase and back (not counting time spent exploring and sightseeing).
Once at the bottom, you can walk another 300m along a coastal trail through rocky terrain to reach Ammoudi beach (about 5 minutes each way), which isn’t a beach per se but rather a place people go to jump into the water off short rocky cliffs.
Take a Boat Tour
Ammoudi Bay is a great place from which to take a boat or catamaran tour around the waters of Santorini. There are many tour operators to choose from, and they are very comparable. So pick the option that best suits you in terms of price and schedule.
Visit Oia Castle Ruins
We didn’t take many pictures of the castle itself (it’s the rocky outcrop behind the orange and yellow buildings in the below picture; the other two pictures were taken from the castle), as it’s mostly ruined with some partial walls left standing, but it has an interesting history and provides excellent vantage points from which to admire Oia and Santorini’s coastline. It’s also a very popular spot from which to watch the sunset (more on this below).
The ruins are all that remains of the 15th-century Venetian castle (one of five on Santorini, along with Skaros Rock and Pyrgos Castle), originally built to protect the island from pirate invaders. Sadly the castle was ruined (along with most of Oia) during the 1956 earthquake that devastatingly shook Santorini.
Hike the Imerovigli (Fira) to Oia Trail
This is not only your best way to escape the crowds you’ll find elsewhere in Santorini, but it’s also your way to experience one of the most beautiful volcano caldera walks in the world. Although the hike is often referred to as the “Fira to Oia hike”, the hiking trail proper doesn’t begin until you reach Imerovigli. The path connecting Fira to Imerovigli is more consistent with an urban walk than a hike, albeit a very beautiful one at that, with a stunning mix of white-washed buildings and open caldera views. The walking trail between Fira and Imerovigli is about 2.5 km in length, and it takes most people about 35-45 minutes (one-way). For the most part, the trail is a winding cobblestone walkway with lots of small ups and downs (and the occasional staircase), but that for the most part goes uphill towards Imerovigli. Expect to see beautiful caldera views, a stunning coastline, and the occasional flying dress photoshoot.
The Imerovigli to Oia segment is much longer, about 8km in length, and you can expect it to take you about 2h-2h30 to complete (one-way). Most people take the bus in the other direction. Regardless of where you start, the hike is generally walked towards Oia, as the path slope is for the most part downhill (with a few exceptions). You’ll venture along a beautiful dark volcanic coastline interspersed with the occasional white-washed church.
We generally recommend starting the hike early in the morning, as the heat builds up quickly during the day and there is little to no shade along the trail.
For more information on these trails, we’ve written separate guides for the Imerovigli to Oia trail and the Fira to Imerovigli walk.
Watch the Sunset
Oia has a reputation as being THE PLACE to watch the sunset on Santorini. Well, we have to disagree. Don’t get us wrong, the sunsets are very beautiful here (they are beautiful everywhere on the island, to be honest), but Oia’s reputation has led to large crowds for sunset, particularly around the castle. A quick Google Image search shows what we mean:
If you are staying in Oia, you would be better served by trying to find a secret spot far away from the castle to watch the sunset. Even if you have your own private hotel deck from which to watch the sunset, you still might find yourself surrounded by nearby strangers. Alternatively, you could also go on a sunset cruise or a sunset wine-tasting tour.
Go on a sunset cruise
Go on a wine sunset tour
For the best sunset experience in Santorini, we highly recommend staying in Imerovigli. Not only is the village perched higher on the caldera, but it also gets a minute fraction of the crowds that Oia gets. That’s why we chose to base ourselves in Imegovigli during our stay in Santorini. For other options, check out our Guide on the Best Sunset Viewing Spots in Santorini.
Best Day Trips from Oia
Being located at the northern tip of Santorini means that day trips from Oia take a little longer than from elsewhere on the island. But that shouldn’t be seen as a deal breaker if you have your heart set on using Oia as your base in Santorini. Keep in mind the island is fairly small (you can drive from one end to the other in about 45 minutes in ideal traffic conditions). So if you are driving, leaving from Oia only adds 10-15 minutes to your journey, depending on where exactly you are going. If travelling by bus, starting from Oia can be a little challenging because aside from visiting Fira, every other destination will require that you take two buses.
If you have your own rental car, everything is easily accessible, particularly if you want to venture to one of Stantorini’s famous volcanic beaches or visit one of its enchanting vineyards. If travelling by bus, the easiest and simplest day trip is to Fira. You can also choose to walk the hiking trail one way and take the bus in the other direction.
Some of the best day trips you can take from Oia are not by land but by sea. As we discussed earlier, there are many boat and catamaran tours that depart from Oia. Although some tours just focus on watching the sunset, day tours focus on visiting various spots around Santorini (like Red Beach and White Beach). Day tours also often visit some of the other smaller islands of the Santorini archipelago such as Thirasia and Nea Keameni, where you can go for a short hike or swim in hot springs.
Preparing a trip to Santorini?
You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in Santorini
Santorini Itinerary Ideas (1 to 5 days)
Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on Santorini
How to Get Around Santorini
Preparing a trip to Greece?
You might be interested in these Greece pages:
Top Things to See and Do in Greece
Two-Week Greece Itinerary (including Mykonos and Santorini)
Greece Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
How to Travel Around Greece
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steeves Greece
Lonely Planet Greece
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage for travellers. Includes Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. Primarily geared towards long-term travellers, digital nomads, and expats.
e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Santorini Travel Guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Oia and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Santorini.
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