10 Tips for Hiking from Fira to Oia on Santorini

The Fira to Oia Hike is a beautiful hike giving you views of the caldera and the surrounding blue waters. After spending a few hours hiking between these two beautiful towns we learned a few things that are important to know if you are going to attempt it yourself! Here are 10 tips for hiking from Fira to Oia on Santorini to make it a little more enjoyable!

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Tip #1: Buy Water Ahead of Time

Regardless of what season it is, we recommend you buy plenty of water ahead of time before starting the hike. We started around 11 in the morning and wish we had started earlier to avoid more of the mid-day sun. Even if you are not hiking during the hotter months, there are not many markets or restaurants along the coastal path. There’s also no guarantee you’ll find anything open depending on the month and time of day so plan ahead and buy water the day before. The last third of the hike feels very remote and not a place you want to find yourself without water!

I really like this Camelbak sport water bottle because it’s so easy to drink while hiking because of the sport top. Dave prefers this Nalgene bottle because it’s seriously indestructible and holds more water. Plus they’re both reusable so we can continue to use them wherever we are!

Tip #2: Wear Close-Toe Shoes and Clothes You Can Move In

The hike starts off on a nice paved walkway before becoming stairs for a little as you increase in elevation. If you choose to hike out to Skaros Rocks there are more stairs as well as a dirt path to reach the rock. Then on the last stretch of the hike the path becomes loose gravel. This can make it really dusty and messy. Because the terrain changes so significantly from start to finish we recommend sneakers or other close-toe shoes that you will be comfortable in on different surfaces. We both love our Merrell Moab 2 WP Hiking Shoes because they give so much more support for long days like this.

I wore a t-shirt and my favorite workout leggings while Dave wore running shorts and this Under Armour shirt. It was extremely hot so we knew we would be more comfortable in breathable clothes. We also both chose short sleeve shirts to protect our shoulders and back from the sun all day!

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Tip #3: Start Hiking Early

We started hiking around 11 AM. We would recommend leaving earlier than that, especially during those hotter summer months. This allows you to beat the heat a little and avoid hiking in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day.

Definitely don’t forget sunscreen as there is not a lot of shade on this hike. We always bring this reusable container with sunscreen just in case we need to reapply throughout the day! After trying a bunch of different kinds we always bring this sunscreen because it doesn’t immediately sweat off like other kinds!

The second reason we say to start early is really to make the most of your time in Oia once you finish hiking. Obviously this depends on your itinerary and where you’re staying on Santorini. For us, we stayed in Fira and after completing the hike spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in Oia. So we knew we wanted to spend as much time as we could before going back to Fira for the night.

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Tip #4: Take the Detour and Hike Out to Skaros Rock

After walking through the towns of Firostefani and Imerovigli you’ll get a glimpse of a big rock out in the distance. That is Skaros Rock. It is an additional detour as you have to hike out to it and then hike back to the main path to continue along to Oia.

We spent about 1 hour and 15 minutes including getting there, exploring and then walking back to the path. We highly recommend doing it if you have the extra time!

The views from Skaros Rock are exception as you get such a great perspective of the entire island. Turning around and looking where you came from you’ll see the white and blue buildings of Imerovigli on top of the brown cliffs. You can see all of Fira and the rest of the western side of Santorini. Looking towards your destination you can spot Oia at the northern tip, the neighboring island of Thirassia and the trail ahead of you!

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Tip #5: Stop in Imerovigli

There are not a lot of restaurants and amenities along the way from Fira to Oia. If you are looking for water or to stop for lunch you will find a few places in Imerovigli but after that you will find almost no amenities, even public bathrooms, until you walk into the town of Oia.

We stopped at a small restaurant in Imerovigli for about 45 minutes to enjoy a nice lunch and take advantage of the bathrooms and shade from the restaurant.

Tip #6: Walk Along the Coast the Whole Time

Walk along the coast the entire way from Fira to Oia! This is hands down the most important tip on this list as it will impact the views you get throughout the hike!

Anytime you come to a spot where you see more than one path, choose the path that runs parallel to the coast. This coastal path will give you stunning views of the caldera the entire way. There are spots where you can go inland a little and grab a bus or taxi to Oia if need be but this takes you away from the best views. We loved walking along the cliffs and seeing the ocean all day!

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Tip #7: Take Your Time

In full disclosure I would not say we are crazy intense hikers so we didn’t hike particularly fast. It sounds cliche but really this hike is more about the journey along the way as it is about the destination of Oia. Take your time and enjoy the insane views this hike gives you!

Starting early allows you to stop whenever you want, take a lot of pictures and choose to take detours like Skaros Rock or to stop for lunch. The landscape of the island both behind you and in front of you is amazing and it’s so worth it to not rush!

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Tip #8: Stay in Oia for Sunset

One of the best things to see once you’re in Oia is the sunset. Because of the location of Oia on the island, it gets such incredible views of the sun setting over the water.

The sunset in Oia was by far the best sunset we saw in Greece and definitely worth sticking around for. We recommend finding a table for dinner before sunset so you have a good spot without having to fight the crowds of more popular places like the Oia Castle.
We tossed a change of clothes in our daypack so we could change once we got to Oia and enjoy dinner before going back to Fira at the end of the night!

Tip #9: Visit the Blue Roof Churches in Oia

If you’re in Oia only for a short duration the other thing you definitely want to do is see the blue roof churches. You will mainly find them in Oia so if you’re staying in Fira like we did you want to see them before leaving.

There were a decent amount of people taking pictures but with a little patience you can get your photo opportunity.

Tip #10: Take the Bus Back to Fira

Count on taking the bus back from Oia if you are staying in Fira or another town. We got to Oia around 4:15 PM and definitely would not have been able to hike back to Fira that night. The path is not lit and definitely not suitable for hiking at night. So plan to take the bus back to Fira from outside of the town of Oia. It was really easy to find and we had no problem getting on!