The island is not big The other point to note is that Oia has a one way circulation, and sometimes you have to make a big loop to reach your destination inside the village.
Check out my article about Driving in Santorini. Need to rent a car? My tips:. If you are planning on exploring by bus everyday, Fira is definitively the only option for you. All buses depart and come back to Fira.
This way you don't have to plan an extra leg of your journey both ways, especially, as the bus from Fira to Oia is often full. If you are driving around by car, none of those villages are really ideal. They both have a lot of traffic, narrow streets and one way circulation to deal with. If you are planning on exploring Santorini by car, below is my guide to help you easily plan your trip :. The advantage of Oia is that it is made of several villages and it is quite long.
Therefore there is a large variety of viewpoints to choose from, many churches and many angles. It even has 2 bays where houses stretch down the cliffs and where you can walk to the bottom for different perspectives: Ammoudi Bay and Armeni Bay. In my eyes, I really think Oia looks prettier in terms of overall scenery and offers the best views. Fira is a more condensed village, with more yellow buildings.
The views towards the caldera are as good as in Oia, but the views with the buildings are more limited and less charming in my opinion. The main reason why people visit Santorini, is for those fascinating white houses right on the cliffs of the caldera. Both villages are typical with mostly white houses but also buildings with other colors.
However, in my opinion, Oia has many more interesting photo angles and buildings worth photographing. And, if staying there, I strongly recommend exploring it at sunrise. It offers a very different experience! Oia has windmills, more blue dome churches, the 2 bays with buildings down the cliff, doors leading to the sea Check out my article about the best things to do in Oia. In terms of sunset, the whole West coast of Santorini offers great experiences.
The most famous viewpoint is the castle in Oia, as you enjoy the whole Ammoudi bay with the sun setting behind the buildings. However, Oia is overly crowded at sunset and it is not enjoyable. Depending on the time of the year , the alignment of the sunset will vary. You can check it, on your travel dates, on The Photographer's Ephemeris. Let's start by clearing one thing up.
All organized day trips include pick up in both Fira and Oia : the wine tours, the boat tours see my favorite ones , the walking tours, the sunset tours Therefore there is no better place to stay in that regard. They all offer easy access to the best things to do in Santorini. Both villages offer the possibility to get down to water level where you will find their small ports:.
In Fira Town, the Vine serves wonderful food and wine with a fabulous view of the Caldera and the Orthodox cathedral floodlit at night. Dionysus, a more casual place, serves two different kinds of marvellous Dakos salads. Fira is a great town with lots of shopping and dining options and comfortable hotels. If you don't have your own car, its best to stay close to the centre where the bus stand is located so its easy to take the bus to all other cities and beaches in the island.
Great villages on the cliffs, superb beaches black, red, white , splendid sunset, I guess too many tourists usually, as in Covid time, it was just the limit. But you can find resorts on the low side of the island, near the beaches, and then it is exceptionnal.
We stayed in Fira for 5 nights and we felt it was just right. This place is brilliant and it is definitely worth seeing. It looks exactly as advertised and the Caldera views are amazing. The view on the island is fantastic and the sunset does live up to its reputation. But if you are looking for a peaceful, very enjoyable vacation with service-oriented staff and friendly locals, then Santorini might not the place for you. The island is definitely touristy and can be very crowded, and it is generally also one of the most expensive islands in the Aegean.
However, I believe it is possible to find your own secluded place to relax and enjoy the views and try and stay on budget. The island is definitely worth seeing though.
Great experience! I'm glad that I had accommodation in Fira and not on the east coast of the island, it was a wise decision after a read a lot of reviews and i really recommend it for those who want to see white buildings, sunset and not only to stay at the beach.
There is the central bus station very important if you want to see other island parts or to go to airport , the old port if you want to see the famous donkeys because they are on those stairs or to take a boat to visit the volcano , the view is amazing white buildings, sunset and so on, you don't need to go to Oia if you don't have time, it's enough to stay in Fira and there are a lot of restaurants, shops, everything you need.
The owner and the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Markos the owner was amazing, super friendly, helpful and very easy to have a conversation with! He gave me the best recommendations in santorini, as it was my first tome visiting and I travelled alone.
He made me feel very welcomed to the city and in the hotel. The room was beautiful, with a very modern rustic touch to it. The view over looking the scenery was exceptional. The location of the hotel is perfectly in the middle of Fira, which is accessible via bus, taxi.
Check-in and out were easy and fast. Dora is such an amazing and thoughtful host with quick response all the time. We received wines upon arrival, the room performs more than our expectation, great jacuzzi with ocean view, fabulous breakfast on the balcony… you can experience so much privacy comparing with other hotels.
The restaurant upstairs is perfect for a nice dinner with stunning sunset in Fira. This suite makes our stay in Santorini super memorable!! My stay at Gianna Suites was amazing! The room far exceeded my expectations - the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was a good size and the shower was well designed and didn't flood the bathroom like most other bathrooms in Greece seemed to.
The staff were friendly and helpful. I was in Santorini for an extended period of time and stayed in 3 other hotels whilst I was there - Gianna Suites was by far the best one I stayed at and the best value for money. Amazing boutique hotel, 7 min walk to main tourist attractions in Thira. Hotel itself is nice, clean, there are options for lunch and dinner by the pool bar and a la cart ,food is great, try Octopus with fava beans local dish, my favorite!
There is supermarket 5 min walk to get water and essentials. Staff is very experienced and friendly. Beds are comfortable. Enjoy Santorini!!! Calm is probably the best word to describe this hotel. It is beautiful and clean. It looks nicer than in photos online. Location is close to center of Fira, but far enough to be very peaceful.
But above all, the best thing about this hotel are lovely people who run it and work there. They give a feeling that they know every guest personally.
We loved everything about it. Casa Santantonio was a great place for our family of 4 to stay while in Santorini. It was off the main road in Fira, and a quick walk to everything - town square, restaurants, shopping, bus stop. Our host, Stelios, arranged our transfer from the airport to the hotel. And he made very good recommendations for things to do while in Santorini. He also arranged our day tour and catamaran tour, which we enjoyed a lot. The place had a small jacuzzi as well, and we used that to wind down after a long day.
The hotel is gorgeous and perfectly located within walking distance to the centre of Fira. The staff are super friendly - Christos could not do enough for us, and Fiona prepared an amazing map of the island filled with recommendations for things to do, bars and restaurants.
The rooms are exceptionally clean and comfortable and the breakfast has a great selection. The hotel is small and it feels exclusive and luxurious. The location is great, it's 5 minutes walking from Fira center. The breakfast is so complete and has a lot of options. But I must say the best thing about this hotel was Yannis the receptionist. It was my birthday and Yannis made my stay at Santorini memorable.
He organized the taxis, catamaran, etc. Also, gave us amazing restaurant recommendations that suited our taste. If you want the quiet part of Santorini island, then this is the best there is - location is right on the beach and only a few minutes walk to all of the restaurants, bars etc. Extremely clean and lots of sun beds to choose from - we never had an issue getting one! The bar near the pool was lovely and very reasonably priced. Already looking to book our next break here! The hotel is a very nice one, with a great location.
Only 2 minutes walking to the center where all the clubs and restaurants are. The highlight of our stay was definitely Stelios! Great person and always helpful, specially on making plans during your stay in Santorini.
We fully recommend it, you will have everything you need plus amazing staff for a great price! Thank you very much Stelios! The Location is great. You can take the Bus from here to all Destination The Hotel was lovely with a nice Charme of Santorini. The Breakfast was nice with all things you do. The Pool was big enough for swimming and you have enough Space around the Pool.
Great little hotel. Do not forget to make use of the pool like silly me did. Very central. Santorini accom is overpriced but this was lovely and quick walk to the centre of fira and the staff were helpful when I wanted to leave luggage or book a transfer.
Also free jug yes jug of wine and a bottle of water on arrival. Aircon is definitely am amazing thing. This property is perfect in everything Santorini has to offer.
Unbelievable views from every room! The hotel restaurant was the best restaurant of our 2 week trip to the Greek Isles!! The food was amazing, every person on the staff was incredibly awesome!
Definitely coming back soon and I will stay here again! The property was very clean and the staff was nice. The bathroom was very clean and the apartment was modern. The location is also perfect. However, 'Fira Downtown' is not the real name of the hotel. You have to search for 'Livin' Santorini' in Fira.
It's the same hotel. The location great and the view of course is amazing. Friendly staff and lovely pool area. The hotel felt very "Santorini" style. The spa staff were also great and the free shuttle was handy for getting into Fira at night when its busy and hard to park.
Great sunset viewing spot! We had a lovely week at Anatoli Hotel! This hotel had a perfect location for going around Santorini;public tranportation, restuarant, shopping center are all walking distance!
This place was incredible. Right in the heart of Fira with an unbelievably nice and accommodating host and staff. Highly recommend this place to anyone who is thinking about a trip to Santorini. The room is clean and nice, staffs are very friendly and welcoming. So I am torn between Imerovigli and Fira I guess. As far as Mykonos goes, still a great central location, walking distances as night.
Near a great beach or ease of getting to and from the beach. Room with a nice view, but again, doesnt need to be as nice as Santorini.
Fly from the US to Mykonos overnight flight. Imerovigli and Fira are about as different as you can get. Go with Imerovigli for romance, good restaurants, the best views. Go with Fira for shopping, nightlife, busy streets. The best easiest day trip from Santorini is Ios. The best easiest day trip from Mykonos is Paros.
Having decided on taking this trip just a week ago due to a family wedding in Sifnos, we are a little behind in getting reservations and are trying to decide between a few places that are available to us right now with tentative reservations. If you have knowledge of these hotels, what would you recommend between staying at the Remezzo Villas in Imerovigli, or staying in Oia at either the Alta Mare by Andronis or Andronis Boutique Hotel.
We are interested in the location and the caldera views from the hotel, and staying at a nicely kept up hotel with a pool that has some privacy from the passing crowds.
If you have an opinion on these or other suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. All are wonderful hotels with amazing views though only Remezzo will have sunset views. The big difference is location. Remezzo is on the quiet end of the already quiet Imerovigli. Alta Mare and Andronis are on the main Oia walkway and get lots of walk by traffic but the rooms themselves have plenty of privacy. Imerovigli has fewer restaurants but all very high quality.
Oia has more shopping and one small but fun bar. We will travel from Crete with the ferry perhaps from Chania which is where we will be the previous 4 days or from Heraklion depending on which ferry is running. Do you know where the ferries land in Santorini? Is it more convenient to go to Fira from there or is Oia also not too far away? Which one of these two would you suggest or other alternative?
Hope you have a chance to give me some of your valuable advice! Many thanks for a great website! Kind regards, Sofia Selberg. Fira is about 20 minutes driving time from the ferry port. Oia is about 40 minutes.
If you bus the difference is a little more as you need to switch buses in Fira for Oia. Hope you are doing great. I hope you will answer my email. It is my husband, my son 16 and myself. Thank you Dave. Always grateful! Linda, Dan and Jack. Both are nice places but Tholos has a far better caldera view. How is Keti Hotel for 2 nights? Will it be good for caldera view before moving to Oia for 2 nights in a hotel without any view but just to enjoy the village?
Is Ferry from Santorini to Mykonos safe? Wafa Khan. Keti hotel is great. One of my favorite moderately-priced hotels in Fira. Wonderful views. Hi Dave! Will be in Santorini 11th — 16th of April and trying to decide which village to stay in. While others say it should be fine on the Easter weekend.
Do you have any information on whether restaurants and shops will be open during the week days as well? Or will we be better off staying in Fira?
We prefer Oia to Fira, but dont want to end up being the only ones there with no food-options etc. Any advice will be much appreciated! Fira will have the most activity and the most restaurants open but Oia will have plenty as well.
Imerovigli will have the least open but there will still be something and Fira, of course, is a walkable distance away.
We are a couple in our early 70s trying to decide between Oia, Fira, and Imerovigli. We can walk short distances but more than 1 or 2 flights of stairs is a problem. Would you recommend Oia, Fira, or Imerovigli for us? Generally, I would say Oia has more of a flat area to walk around but fewer hotels that have easy access. In Oia, a central hotel that has not-too-many steps and great views is Aspaki.
Your email address will not be published. Oia is the more luxurious village with romantic restaurants and high-end shopping. Both Oia and Fira have some great places to eat and some average ones , but I would give a slight edge to Oia for the quality of restaurants. Oia has more fine dining restaurants, while Fira has more casual restaurants. Both Oia and Fira have good sunset views though the best are in Imerovigli. In Fira most hotels on the caldera have a pretty direct view of the sunset over the caldera.
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