10 Travel Notes for Oia, Santorini, Greece

Απολαύστε ηλιοβασιλέματα – savor sunsets

Oia, Santorini, Greece is an otherworldly place in the Cyclades islands.  White cave houses on the cliffs of the volcano caldera dotted with cerulean blue church domes and windmills. Probably one of the most photographed places on earth. Words cannot adequately describe this magical place, so beautiful, relaxing, and peaceful. To really appreciate Oia you need to spend more time than just a day trip from Fira or a cruise liner.  The beauty of this town comes from the wonderful Greek people if you take the time to get to know them during your visit. The Greeks are incredibly warm and gracious.

The town of Oia hosts 2 million visitors a year, for a village that you can walk from end to end in 20 minutes, this number is staggering. Most visitors spend a few hours running from one photo op to another to complete their Instagram bucket list. But this town is to be enjoyed at a meandering pace wandering the pedestrian walkways where you find yourself taking in one breathtaking vista after another around every turn.  Oia is not for the faint of heart; there are stairs everywhere and that rise up and down all over the cliff side.

If you take Greece apart,

In the end, you will be left with an olive tree, a vineyard, and a boat…

Which means that with these items you can rebuild Greece…

Odesseas Elytis, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1979

1. Getting to Oia, Santorini, Greece

Air– There are no direct flights from the United States to Santorini, so we flew into Athens first and took a 40-minute flight to Santorini. Additionally, there are several direct flights from European or Middle Eastern cities you could take as well.

Sea – You can also choose to take a ferry from the mainland or another Greek island to arrive here. The ferry schedule is limited in the off-season. Santorini is also a common stop for Mediterranean Cruises, so the ships bring a considerable number of visitors into Fira, the main port on the island. Oia is a popular cruise ship excursion in the mornings, after lunch, and for the famous sunsets. So keep that in mind as you negotiate the rhythm of Oia.

2. Where to stay in Oia, Santorini, Greece

There are so many choices of places to stay on the island. You can pick from exclusive hotels with private hot tubs or infinity pools or remote villas on the coast. It really comes down to personal preference. We like to have a kitchen to cook in, so we tend to lean more toward renting an apartment rather than a hotel.

The past few times we have stayed in the town of Oia we have chosen Evilio Houses, which means “houses full of sun.” These houses are light and airy. Pares, our host, could not have been more attentive or welcoming. He arranged airport transfers, boat trips, car rentals, and dinner recommendations.

On this last visit, our host Pares recommended “Bougainvillea House,” a house with multiple terraces and a roof deck to view the sunsets. In the summer the ancient bougainvillea loggia in the front is in full bloom, making it one of the favorite photo spots for wedding parties.  This house is on one of the highest Western points of Oia near the windmills with stunning views of the Aegean.

3. Transportation in Oia, Santorini, Greece

There are a variety of methods of transportation on the island, and we traveled by bus, taxi, boat, rental car, and on foot. Many people also rent ATVs, motorcycles, or Vespas to explore Santorini. Cars are relegated to the edge of town in Oia. I would be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to rent a car for a day or two and traverse the rest of the island. It is well worth driving down the coast and visiting the beach towns and historical sites along the way. But I will warn you that the roads are switchbacks on the hills and there are not a lot of guardrails.

Santorini Donkeys

Donkeys have a long history on Santorini. Before cars were available, donkeys were the primary way of transporting supplies and people around the island. Today the donkey vendor walks down with a string of donkeys to stand at the bottom of the 300 steps at Ammoudi Bay and the 587 steps to the Port at Fira. I understand that it is the livelihood of the donkey owners, but I don’t support the riding of donkeys up the steps.

4. Dining in Oia, Santorini, Greece

Coffee and Crepes

Vitrin was our favorite coffee/tea/crepe spot in Oia. After a week of stopping in for early morning coffee, one night we ducked in after dinner to find the crew closing down. Recognizing us, the host opened the kitchen to supply us with a perfect late-night dessert of strawberry crepes. Life is good on Santorini!

Restaurants

Candouni

Candouni – Such a fun family-run place with great food and live Greek music. We ate here several times, and we became friendly with Spiro, the Host, and his brother Panos, the Chef. Spiro has his finger on the pulse of his restaurant. He flies around noticing every detail and making sure that his patrons are well cared for. He has a quick wit and imparts Greek wisdom to the diners that come from near and far. Panos creates beautiful dishes of delicious local fare. Some days you will find their mother preparing desserts or their children helping out in this busy establishment.

Roka

On our first night after 18 hours of traveling, our host Pares recommended we try Roka for dinner, where we were immediately told we needed to relax. Greece like many of our vacation spots is on “island time” so it takes a day to adjust from the pace of the northeast. Roka is off the beaten path, but you may still need reservations in the offseason. The food is excellent, the service exceptional, and the courtyard cozy and inviting.

Gyros

Pito Gyros is “the place” for gyros. In a little alley by the bus station, it has outstanding food and a reasonable price tag. The pitas are soft and fresh, filled with delicious grilled meats. They also have a variety of vegetarian options. PitoGyros has a beautiful outdoor dining area and a large take-out business.

Meteor Bar

Meteor Bar is a classy, cozy jazz bar with an outdoor cafe section. The owner, Kostos, is a friendly, music lover. We stopped in several times for afternoon cocktails and to enjoy the cool jazz and the tiny balcony with a caldera view. The bartenders, Panos and Goran, and waiter, Philippos came from Athens for the summer season, offering up specialty drinks and lively conversation for travelers.

Terpsi

Terpsi was a place we went for brunch with a caldera view of the famous blue-domed churches.

Ammoudi Bay

Ammoudi Bay is one of our favorite spots, so we have eaten at all four of the restaurants along this little stretch of land. Octopuses are drying in the sun and fishermen pull up in their boats and offer the restaurateurs the live fish that they caught that day. At that time, they agree upon a price, and the fish is placed in a tank where it swims around until a patron selects it for their meal. The fish is fresh, and the food is good, but these are very touristy eating establishments, and you are paying for the amazing view. We tried: Fish Taverna Katina, Ammoudi Fish Restaurant, Sunset Ammoudi, and Dimitris Ammoudi Taverna.

Sunset Ammoudi has the most upscale menu with a price tag to match. Katina serves more traditional dishes and is a little more reasonable. Dimitris Taverna and Ammoudi Fish Restaurant fall somewhere in between, but all these restaurants are the exception to the rule of “the better the view the worse the food.” The food in Ammoudi bay is fresh and excellent.

The Good Heart was a family-run restaurant by the side of the road on the southern part of the island where we stopped for lunch after a visit to Akitori. The Good Heart was a great little spot where we ordered way too much food, but everything looked so good and tasted even better. One thing to note is that the prices at restaurants outside the towns can be half to two-thirds the price of restaurants found in Fira or Oia.

5. Savor Sunsets in Oia Santorini, Greece

“Sunsets” is a daily ritual in Oia. Every day of the year, anyone visiting the island makes their way up to the upper Western part to stake their claim on a place to watch the legendary sunsets of Oia. At the height of the season, it is so crowded you cannot walk the streets for an hour or more before sunset. The Old Castle is a popular viewing site.

Oia is a town renowned for its celebration of sunsets. Thousands of tourists from around the globe make the pilgrimage to Oia to watch this daily phenomenon.  It is a big party with everyone chatting with their neighbors and jockeying for the best position to watch. As the sun sinks into the horizon, the crowd hushes to a whisper. Once the last bit of the golden orb has vanished, a round of applause breaks out, signaling the end of another beautiful day.

6. Beaches in Santorini, Greece

Greece is a popular destination for visitors celebrating their summer holiday. The majority of beaches on the Eastern coast of Santorini are soft black/dark grey volcanic sand. We were visiting around Easter, so beaches were not a priority for us this time of year.

Our catamaran trip took us around to the Red and White beaches. The Red Beach is on the southern coast is Terracotta colored and rockier in texture. It can be reached by boat or by a trail from above.
The White Beach also on the southern coast is made up of powdered pumice stone. This beach can only be reached by boat coming from the Red Beach.

7. What to bring to Oia, Santorini, Greece

The flight to Athens is 10 hours. Nick absolutely swears by his Bose noise-canceling headphones. These headphones allow him the ability to shut out airplane noises to sleep. After taking the headphones on a few trips, he recommends getting headphones that have longer battery life. The newer Bose 35 headphones can last for 20+ hours.

Travel Pillows

Speaking of sleeping, a travel pillow is essential, especially if you are taking an overnight trip to get there or back. Nick and I have our favorites, he uses Ostrich, and I prefer Trtl. The Ostrich neck pillow covers his eyes and ears/headphones. It is slightly padded and surrounds the head completely.

The Trtl neck pillow does not replace my bed, but it does give me good neck support particularly because I am usually in an aisle seat without something to lean on. It is fleece and wraps around my neck which is nice for the cool overnight European flights. My head leans slightly to one side or the other without falling forward which is a problem I had with the u-shaped foam or blow-up neck supports. It also wraps up flat and is easier for packing in carry-on luggage than the u-shaped foam supports.

I am going to give a “shout out” to my MZ Wallace Madelyn bag that I brought on this trip. It was a birthday gift and was the perfect carry-on bag. I can fit my laptop, electronics, toiletry bag, travel purse, and travel documents inside. One of my favorite features is the pocket on the back of the backpack that has a zipper along the bottom that allows you to conveniently slip it over the handle of the roller bag so it won’t slide off.

8. Things to do in Santorini

Hike from Oia to Fira or vice versa.

One day we got up early in the morning, layered clothing, put on hiking shoes, and filled water bottles for a hike from Oia to Fira. This hike travels along the inner edge of Santorini along the caldera up the hill and back down the caldera edge again to Fira. This hike can take two to three hours, so it is good to start early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. The views are amazing, and some people choose to do it every time they visit the island. After finishing we had a celebratory lunch in Fira and took a bus back to Oia in the afternoon. You can also walk back if you prefer.

Tsipouradiko was the restaurant where we had a well-earned lunch after the hike from Oia to Fira. The name means a Greek restaurant where tsipouro, ouzo, raki, and similar beverages are served. Traditionally, people do not order main dishes but share appetizers. 

Cooking Class

One evening we took a Greek cooking class at Kokkalo. We made traditional Santorini Salad, Tomato Fritters, and Mussels with tomatoes and Feta. See the recipe for Greek Salad.

Boat Charter

On our first visit to Santorini, we took a Sunset-Oia.com catamaran charter trip around the island. We sailed from Ammoudi Bay through the caldera around to the southern tip of the island. Halfway we stopped at an island with a single goat herder, to explore the hot springs. Nick and a few others braved the chilly waters to get to the springs. The crew served us a traditional Greek lunch as we got to know the rest of the travelers made up of a group of Chinese students and a few British and American visitors. After lunch, we traveled around the southern tip of the island where we could see the snow-capped isle of Crete to the South. As we rounded the coast, we came upon the red and white beaches. At the end of the tour, we disembarked and took a tour bus back to Oia.

Wine tasting

On one of our last days, we took a walk out of Oia to the rural area on the northern part of the island. On the way, we came across a small vineyard called Domaine Sigalas. Luckily for us, Santorini produces mainly white wine (our favorite.) We stopped in to find that there was a restaurant where we had a flight of 12 wines with our lunch. There are several Santorini vineyards that offer wine tastings. If you explore the island, you will see everywhere even along highways, grapevines in the shape of little round baskets. The vines are trained this way to protect them from the winds and to conserve moisture.

9. Places to see in Santorini, Greece

Apart from the towns along the caldera, there are a number of places to explore on the island. Unfortunately, we were not able to visit the ruins of Old Thira or the lighthouse this time. But we rented a car to drive up and down the coast to the southern tip of the island.

Ammoudi Bay

Ammoudi Bay is a fishing port just down 300 steps from Oia. There is a long pier and along the edge are four seafood restaurants. The smell of grilling seafood draws you in to choose a table. Watch out around high tide as the waves sometimes make their way over the bulkhead and you may end up with wet shoes if you aren’t paying attention.

Cliff Diving

There is a path to the south of Ammoudi bay around the bend to the caldera. From there you can swim to the island where there are cliff diving decks ranging from 13 to 45 feet high into the caldera.

Akrotiri

Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan town that was buried by the volcanic explosion 3600 years ago. The excavation site is amazingly intact and accessible to visitors.

10. What to bring home from Greece

Our absolute favorite thing to bring back from Greece is honey. It is an excellent topping for the delicious Greek yogurt that we also wished we could bring back. There are so many different flavors of honey that you can even do a honey tasting on the island. Other things we selected were olive oil, Santorini wines, and Vinsanto, a fortified wine.

Other items available are Greek-made pottery, jewelry, and clothing.

5 Travel Tips for Oia, Santorini, Greece

• You cannot flush toilet paper; it must be placed in a trash bin. (Perhaps one of the most surprising things for tourists to discover.)
• Oia is crowded even at times during low and shoulder season. May and September may give you the best balance of good weather and relief from crowds.
• Learn a few Greek phrases. The Greeks love it.
  Good Morning – Kalimera (pron. cally-mare-ah)
  Good afternoon/evening – Kalispera (pron. cally-spare-ah)
  Good night – Kalinihta
  Please – Parakalo
  Thank you – Efharisto
  Oia is pronounced Eee-ya.
• Dress in layers. Weather on Santorini is unpredictable, rain is infrequent but wind off the Aegean is very common. We had one week of all sunsets and another week with no sunsets.
• Always be respectful of the privacy of the residents, and do not open gates, or climb on walls or roofs. So often I see tourists invading residents’ property to get a better photo – something most people would never do at home.