I wasn’t going to write a full blog post on hiking Fira to Oia at first, but realized I needed to once I started writing about it during my 3 Days in Santorini post. I had so much information I wanted to share that was way too long for a subsection of a post. Keep reading for all of my thoughts, tips and insights into the hike!
For other related articles, check out how we paid for our 18-day trip to Europe or my recommendations for 24 hours in Athens.
When to Start the Fira to Oia Hike
We got started a little late, around mid-morning, and it was so hot. I felt like we were a part of the Maze Runner: Scorch Trials. I am not even kidding. There wasn’t a lot of coverage from the sun once we passed Imerovigli. We packed hats and some light shirts to cover our shoulders, but it was still really hot. I ended up using the shirt I brought for my shoulders to cover my face since I opted against a hat.
We were hoping to get on the trail a bit earlier but decided to sleep in a little and enjoy breakfast by the pool. I don’t regret that, but I definitely wished we had gotten onto the trail earlier. If you’re traveling during the hot and dry months, try to wake up earlier and get on the trail. You’ll thank yourself later.
What to Wear
As I mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of coverage so it’s quite hot. I recommend wearing light, comfortable clothing and good walking shoes. You don’t need hiking shoes, although there is a lot of mixed terrain that I’m sure would be easier to navigate with them. We both wore normal tennis shoes and handled it just fine.
I wore a travel dress with built in shorts which were great for hike. I also packed a light weight jacket so I could cover my arms and shoulders to avoid getting sunburned. The one thing I wish I wore that I didn’t was a hat to cover my face. I went back and forth on if I should wear it or not and decided against it. It is kind of windy though so you’ll want to make sure it is a hat that won’t fall off.
I also recommend packing a bag with large waters, a bathing suit, and maybe a towel for when you get to Oia. You’ll want to head down to Ammoudi Bay for the infamous cliff jumping!
What to Expect Hiking Fira to Oia
A lot of people told us that this hike was “easy”, but I’m not sure I’d say that. On the hike, you’ll walk along pedestrian pathways, take stairs, walk along main roads and up and down hills full of a mixture of terrain. I wouldn’t recommend the hiking the full distance for anyone who may not be able to handle the mixed terrain. However, we saw people of all walks of life along the trail so even if you can’t or don’t want to hike the full trail, I recommend checking out at least a little bit of it. With that being said, let’s jump into what to expect.
Time and Distance
The full trail from Fira to Oia is about 6.5 miles. Since we hopped on at Firostefani, we saved half a mile or so, but we ended up hiking down and back to Skaros Rock. The hike takes around 3 hours – 4 hours. You don’t have to hike the full trail. You can always hop off in a village and call a taxi if you don’t want to go the full 6.5 miles. You’ll also want to factor in personal factors like fitness level and the number of pictures. And, you’ll want to take pictures along the way! We probably stopped for 100+.
I read that going from Fira to Oia was more downhill while the reverse was more of an incline. However, I’m not sure if I agree. It’s going to be a bit of both no matter which way you go.
Skaros Rock
Skaros is a rock formation off the Aeagan Sea once you get to Imerovigli. There are plenty of signs directing you there so you can’t miss it. There isn’t much at the rock, but it gives you a great view of Santorini to look back on. Some people will climb the rock to get to the top – I was perfectly happy looking at the rock from ground level. It requires a bit of rock climbing to get to the top.
Once you’re ready to leave Skaros Rock and back on the trail, you’ll have to walk up a decent amount of stairs. That was tough, but worth the view. We got some great photos too. Heading over to Skaros will add about 30 minutes to an hour onto your total hike time.
Along the Fira to Oia Trail
We loved walking along the trail. The scenery, terrain and landscaping was constantly changing which kept us on our toes. You walk through a lot of various squares throughout the towns you pass which was a great way to see different parts of Santorini. We loved seeing the different hotels along the way too!
Once you get past Imerovigli, you won’t see anymore towns until you get to Oia. If you need to purchase a water or something, I recommend making sure you get it before you get out of Imerovigli. There is snack shop about halfway between Imerovigli and Oia that you can get water at, but there won’t be a lot of options. You also won’t have a lot of coverage from the sun once you pass the last town, so dress accordingly!
The terrain gets interesting once you pass Imerovigli as well. We walked up and down hills, along dirt, along what I would refer to as “mars rock”, main roads and grassy areas. I felt like we went on multiple different hikes within our one hike. It keeps the hike interesting because you will need to stay alert to what is coming up next.
Along the way you’ll pass plenty of people, small churches and buildings, and ample beautiful views of the caldera and the town of Santorini. We probably stopped every few minutes to take videos and photos of the views. All in all, we had an amazing time hiking from Fira to Oia. Once we were done, we grabbed lunch in Oia and headed straight to Ammoudi Bay for cliff jumping!
Tips & Tricks
- There isn’t a lot of coverage or protection from the sun once you get past Imerovigli. Make sure you are prepared with water, sunscreen, and a hat if you’d like.
- It’s also very windy along the path so you’ll want to make sure your hat is secure if you bring one or else you might lose it.
- Bring a large water. We didn’t bring one quite large enough for ourselves and ran out of water maybe a quarter of the way through. ROOKIE MISTAKE!
- There was, however, a snack shop in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t stop but we should have just to rest and get some water. Again, another rookie mistake.
- Bring a bathing suit so you can cool off in the water at Ammoudi Bay!
Well, there ya go. That’s my ultimate guide to hiking from Fira to Oia. I hope this guide helps you prepare for your trip. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I’m tired just thinking about this hike… but I’d do it all over again!