Fira to Oia trail
Ten kilometres of ridge above the caldera, linking the two villages.
Duration
3 hrs 30 min – 5 hrs
Difficulty
●●○○○
Best time
Set off at sunrise
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The path follows the caldera rim for about ten kilometres, from Fira to Oia, through Firostefani and Imerovigli. It is the only way to see the caldera as something other than a fixed view: the cliff changes colour and profile every kilometre.
The first half is paved and built up; after Imerovigli the path becomes a dirt and stone track that climbs and drops sharply, with Skaros rock below. Allow three to four hours with stops.
Getting there
Start in Fira, following the rim north. Return by bus from Oia, half an hour.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- 1.5 L of water
- Cap
Rules on site
No shade and no water after Imerovigli: two litres a person, and do not set off after nine in summer. Closed shoes — the ground is loose stone over the second half.
Other places in Santorini
Oia and its sunsetWhitewashed houses stepping down the cliff, blue domes above the caldera.- Akrotiri archaeological siteA Minoan town buried by the eruption, its streets and multi-storey houses intact.
- Red BeachDark red sand and cliffs at the foot of old volcanic flows.
- The caldera by boatNea Kameni volcano, the hot springs and Thirassia, seen from the water.