About Oia-Santorini

Caldera sunsets, breathtaking views, miles of dark sandy or pebbled beaches, small domed churches & cobbled streets, houses carved into the dark volcanic cliffs. All this is Santorini and
more . . .




View of Oia-Santorini

Santorini (THIRA) is one of the most southern islands of the Cyclades. It lies between Ios and Anafi and has an area of 96 square miles. It is situated 130 naut.miles from Piraeus and 70 naut.miles from Crete. The island is 18 km long. Fira is the island’s capital and Athinios is its main port.

The Caldera & The Volcano

Although written documents that could tell us exactly what happened do not exist, historians try to put together the events of the 15th century BC when the whole island was buried under a thick layer of ash and lava at many points 30 metres deep….Strongili…Strongili’

Santorini Island & It's History
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF FIRA

The museum features remarkable finds from private collections, as well as from excavations of the Mesa Vouno, Sellada and Akrotiri sites, which date back to all the periods from the 3rd millennium BC., until the Roman years.


AKROTIRI - THE DIGS

Akrotiri is the best-preserved of all the prehistoric settlements discovered in the Aegean. Excavations confirm that the volcano erupted around 1500 BC.


THE ISLAND - MAIN AREAS

Fira - Firostefani - Imerovigli - Oia - Pyrgos - Megalochori - Akrotiri - Perissa - Perivolos - Messaria - Kamari - Monolithos


BEACHES

Kamari - Perissa & Perivolos
Red beach - Monolithos - Armeni - Ammoudi - Pori - Baxedes - Koloumbos

Oia - The Artisan Village

Oia is Santorini's second largest village. Less cosmopolitan than Fira, it is more picturesque and without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on the island. Its streets are paved with marble rather than the cobblestones encountered elsewhere on the island.

Perched on the Caldera, it boasts ruins of what was once a castle, and below that the tiny port of Ammoudi with its fish tavernas. One can reach the port by descending 214 steps or by car.

Oia reached the peak of prosperity in the late 19th & early 20th century. Its economic prosperity was based on its merchant fleet which plied trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially from Alexandria to Russia. Hence the two-story captain's houses built on the highest part of the village which are a reminder of the village's former affluence.

How To Get There:
Santorini is one of the most southwestern island of the Cycladic complex. It is connected on a daily basis both via airplanes and ship-lines with the biggest cities in Greece and many Greek islands (Cycladic Islands, Rhodes Island and Crete Island).
Via airplane:
From the International Airport of Athens “Eleftherios Venizelos” – using Olympic Airways or Aegean Airlines. The flight lasts 50'.
Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos ”: Tel. 210 353-0000
Santorini Airport: Tel. 22860 31666
Olympic Airways Athens: Tel. 210 966-6666
Aegean Airways Athens: Tel. 210 626-1000
On ship:
From the port of Piraeus to the Port of Athinios – approximately 8,5 hours
Piraeus Port Authority: Tel. 210 422-6000 to 2
Santorini Port Authority: Tel. 22860 22239