Hike from Fira to Oia Reviews - Hike from Fira to Oia, Santorini, Greece

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Hike from Fira to Oia

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lslay78
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Editor Pick

Shopping Around the Streets of Fira

  • July 2, 2025
  • Rated 3 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England

As the capital of the island Fira is the main place to visit if you want to spend some time shopping, although it has to be said that
Oia runs a close second

If you’re looking for department stores (who would be?) then you’ll be disappointed as Fira is just littered with small shops. With some relief many of them are air-conditioned and I know that we popped into to several of them just to cool down. There’s a great range from some real expensive jewellery shops on what is commonly called "gold street" or Ypapantis Street to give it its proper name, and this is reported to be one of the biggest gold markets in the whole of Greece. Most of the jewellers seemed to be selling upmarket designer collection and one off handmade articles obviously attract a premium price. However, there were numerous "lighter weight articles" and silver items that come in much cheaper. My wife cast her eyes over numerous items but at the end of the day decided that there was nothing that really grabbed her attention. Mind you she’s not, thankfully for me, a big wearer of gold and silver.

There are numerous fashion shops with expensive designer clothes, shoes and handbags and as a real contrast the cheap and tacky tourist shops selling over-priced t-shirts. Despite my aversion to t-shirts sporting "I’ve been to Santorini" or similar wording they do seem ever popular and there’s no shortage of customers or sellers. The ever-popular donkey taxi service is regularly featured on the shirts and there were literally throngs of tourists proudly wearing them. Of course no T-shirt wearer is completely dressed without a slogan carrying baseball cap and once again there’s no shortage of suppliers for this accessory.

Fira also panders to the perfumery needs of its visitors and there are numerous shops competing for business in this area.

But the great shops to visit in town are the ones selling works of art. Fira plays host to numerous galleries servicing the full range of art. There are the classic water colours portraying Santorini as it really is, fine paintings that looked like photo until close inspection, modern art (representational art as some like to call it) and some verging on the Pollackesque. There were some fantastic pieces of sculpture many of which would have required a mansion sized property to show them off to perfection and of course if you’re interested then they’ll arrange worldwide delivery. We have more than a passing interest in the paintings as our son has recently taken over a local studio in Nottingham. So anything that we think might be inspirational is fed back to him . Mind you he’s no known for taking the inspiration of others for the basis of his work and proudly hangs on to his independence and originality.

Our favourite gallery was the Santorini Art Centre on Marinatou Street where apparently you can also check out thr ancient wine cellar. When we were there this was closed!! However, t=some of the art was fairly stunning.

digress and should now take you back to the narrow cobbled streets of Fira. I’m sure that we didn’t get round to see all the shops as the back streets seem to be almost maze like. But just a wander round the streets - following your nose – will take you into some interesting areas. There’s some real fine marble work and of course there’s no shortage of local pottery in the shops. Indeed just out of town on the road to Akrotori (in the village of Firostefani) are the pottery shops of Andreas Makaris and Andreas Aliafragis. It’s only a ten minute walk and the views across the bay from Firostefani are worth the effort on their own. The pottery is of course fairly unique so if you’re brave to transport home fragile ware you may be tempted. We were just "window shopping"

On the main road out of town there are plenty of car hire companies and they are fairly predatory. So if you want to suss out a car hire bargain this is the place to be, but you will need to be able to resist their sales onslaught.

From journal A Day in Fira

Editor Pick

The Sun Gives a Show in Oia

  • September 26, 2025
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia

I have one reason to give you to come to Oia (pronounced ee-ya): the sunset. An hour before sunset, people start to converge on the old fort to fight it out for the best viewing spot. It was my general opinion that the fort was not the best viewing spot, but rather one of the stair-filled "streets" with the white walls to balance your camera, and some Greek architecture for the foreground.

I don’t recall ever having watched a sunset (and I’ve seen quite a few) where the crowd clapped at the end. It was a spectacular show with some sailboats in the water below with their own crowds watching the sun sink behind the volcano.

I recommend, however, getting to Oia much earlier in the afternoon to take a walkabout through the streets. You can descend down the steps here to get to the port, like in Fira, but unlike Fira, the only thing you’ll find at the bottom are fish tavernas and boats departing for tours. So we decided to stay topside and just enjoy the view. One view includes a spectacular white house with blue shutters, covered in pink flowers with the sea behind it. A few yards down you’ll find two photogenic windmills. At every turn, you’ll see the blue domed churches that you’ll see in almost any Greek brochure.

On all the streets in Oia, you’ll also find lots of shops selling the same things you’ve seen everywhere else. There are a few unique spots, so you may want to keep an eye out for them.

Restaurants here abound. Mostly it’s about checking out the menu first outside and deciding if your up for what you see. Again, those restaurants with a view are going to be able to charge you more. I say go where the menu catches your attention.

The bus ride from Fira to Oia took about a half hour, along steep and windy roads – which makes for quite a view (sit on the right side of the bus on the way to Oia from Fira). It was 1.80 euro each way for each person. Not bad.

From journal Greece Is the Word: Part 2 - Santorini

Editor Pick

Climb the Steps in Fira

  • September 26, 2025
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia

Fira is the capital of Santorini and is the center point for activity on the island. All of the bus routes begin and end here, and it’s only a 10-minute taxi ride from the airport (15 euros).

The main activity in Fira is going to be walking along the pedestrian streets along the island’s caldera. Be careful though, if you start walking down any stairs, you may find that you’ve started down the trek to the port of Fira, which is nearly 600 steps away (yes, they’re numbered, either to give you hope or take it away when you’re climbing up.) My suggestion to you is to walk down. Down is easier and then take the 4-euro-one-way-ticket cable cars back up. That way, you get to take all the photos on the way down without the muscle strain. There is the option of taking one of the hundreds of donkeys up or down (and watch out, the donkey peddlers will make you think you can’t go down the stairs unless you ride, but that’s not the case.) However, I’ve got to say that you can smell the donkeys all through the town. I noticed that the donkeys get awfully close to the stone wall, other donkeys and other pedestrians. And be careful of what the donkeys leave behind for you on the stairs, watch where you step.

The port at the bottom is worth a look. There are some restaurants and shops there, and is where a lot of the ships leave for day cruises around the island. The water is pretty choppy, as the island seldom has a weather report that doesn’t include wind. But to see how Fira’s buildings are built into the side of the island is worth the trip down. And it’s just fun to ride the cable car back up.

And if shopping’s your game, you won’t be wanting for anything in Fira. I can’t begin to understand how what seems like hundreds of jewelry stores can compete with each other. There are a lot of stores that peddle similar wares, but there are also stores which are unique in presentation and purchases. However, I’ll say that after three days on the island, I didn’t want to shop in the same stores anymore. It gets pretty old.

It’s really easy to walk to the bus terminal to take a trip to any other city on the island. If you’re unsure, ask which bus goes where, but many have signs in the front, and there’s a timetable posted at the terminal. Pay on the bus, and exact change will keep the ticket guy from rolling his eyes at you.

Any restaurant in Fira will serve you similar fare. Those with a view of the caldera are going to be more expensive than those that aren’t. Also, make sure to stop into one of the many sweet shops and have some dessert. I was fond of the chocolate crepes.


Don’t forget to find yourself a sunset spot.

From journal Greece Is the Word: Part 2 - Santorini

Editor Pick

Walking the Caldera - Fira to Oia

What's a Santorini trip without walking the famous caldera between Fira and Oia? It's approximately 12 km between the two towns but takes 2-3 hours to walk along the caldera on any good day. The caldera walk allows you to walk through two other tiny villages - Firostefani and Imerovigli. We printed out directions from here: www.cycladen.be/Fira-calderaEngFrame.htm and proceeded to start our walk in Fira. We started off our walk in Fira on a rainy morning although the clouds subsided by 10:30am and the sun was already out in full blazing mode right afterwards. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

Navigating through Fira is an adventure in all itself - you're tempted to do a bit of window shopping! It doesn't take long to reach Imerovigli - it's a very quaint town - much quieter than Fira and Oia. By the time the soil turns into a reddish colour, that's when the view is spectacular. Looking out onto the sea, you have Fira to your left and Oia to your right and cacti right behind you. There are plenty of hardy wildflower around along with a few lizard species that seem to scurry around your feet the entire way.

It's past the red cliffs that the trail becomes rockier and more slippery. I wore sneakers that had good traction and yet I fell a few times! You must be careful when walking on any path that is not sturdy. Keep your head up and try to maintain your attention to where your feet is going even though the view is so pretty!

I really loved how the churches were so isolated - seemingly in the middle of nowhere and yet it's part of the charm that appeals people to Santorini. The churches give you ample photographic opportunities so don't let it go to waste. By the time you see the highway, make sure you pay attention! That was our one mistake we made while walking back to Oia. After coming down from the red cliffs, you'll have to walk for a few minutes then make a left away from the highway near the rest stop selling drinks. You won't see the trail clearly and many people often walk past it not knowing it's there. If you miss it (as we did), it's a long walk back to Oia believe me, it's not the greatest feeling.

By the time we reached Oia, I was already sunburned and red as a beet. Not to mention, walking along the highway adds a lot more time than the caldera (we got to Oia after 4 hours from Fira!) Anyone visiting Santorini must do this hike - it's totally worth it and it's an unforgettable experience.

Tip: Start early in the day. The sun is unforgiving in the afternoon. Bring plenty of water, sunglasses, camera, sunscreen, and good running shoes. You can walk back to Fira after reaching Oia but taking the bus back is better!

From journal Tranquil Santorini

Hike from Fira to Oia

  • November 9, 2025
  • Rated 4 of 5 by lslay78 from Tacoma, Washington

This hike would be great in the morning, when the weather is cooler; however, fog may impair your views. We did this hike in the afternoon and probably started off a little late. After a nice lunch in Fira at a restaurant (whose name I can't find), we headed north out of town and travelled through the towns of Firostefani and Imerovigli along the "old road". We met up with a trail just before the the church of Profitis Ilias and had views of the eastern coast for a while. The trail eventually led back to a road and then up a steep grade of volcanic rock to find spectacular views of Oia. Along the way down to Oia, the chapel of Stavros was especially picturesque. We made it down to town in plenty of time for sunset, a shower, and dinner. If you aren't staying in Oia, you'll have to catch a crowded bus back to Fira after the sunset. Detailed Directions at www.cycladen.be/Fira-calderaText.htm.

From journal Too Few Days on Santorini

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