Oia

(to be pronounced Ía, stressing the »I«)

Oia is about ten kilometres from Fira, in the northwesternmost part of Santorini. It is an absolute must-see for each visitor, even if one only passes a very short time on the island. Natural grottos in the caldera offer room for many houses, in part rented as holiday flats.

It might have been the view onto the colourful spots that captivated so many artists: the domed roof’s blue, among them ochre and, again and again, shining white. Here too, entire busloads of tourists gather to watch the sunset, so it is recommendable to get to the castle – the best place for the most wonderful view. More than 200 stairs lead down from Oia to different beaches. There is, for example, at the northwesternmost end of the caldera’s cliffs, the dark shingle beach Amoudi (or Ammoudi). Three kilometres from Oia, it is big and popular and can be reached by regular buses.

The church of Agios Nikolaos, in the Armeni quarter, is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors. In the navigation museum there are relics of Santorini’s navigation history: photos, models and old parts of ships.

Beside the cultural centre, a lot of galleries entice with popular art. Handicraft, jewellery and hand-woven carpets from the Dominican cloister can be bought. Especially Oia’s fish tavernas convince the visitor with their maritime cuisine. From the port, tours around the island are offered. Several bars and discos assure nightly entertainment. The grottos, redesigned as cubic holiday flats, are fanciful.