What to do if you want to do an activity to see the island, but don’t want to spend money? That’s right, you go on a hike. But be aware: if you don’t want to arrive in Oia with pain in your legs and the sweat dripping off you, maybe you should take the bus…

It is about a 12km hike. It has a lot of up- and downhill walking, but you could probably do it in about three hours. We took five. No shame in taking breaks! And more time to take in the beautiful views couldn’t hurt either. 

 

The start:

Once you find the first sign, it couldn’t be easier to find your way. Most of the time you just follow the one path and when there is a crossroad, the signs are very clear. Our only problem was to find the first sign. 

After wandering aimlessly through the village for half an hour, we felt like we already did a hike before we even started. Pro tip: stay at the main square until you find the sign. Look in the corners first before you start randomly walking. The sign is not that big, but it really is at the main square not in some random alley. After that, it’s almost impossible to get lost!

 

The middle:

One thing about hiking in the burning sun, it is HOT. It might be smart to start a little earlier than we did, but if you love sleeping in, it is definitely possible to hike in the afternoon. Just make sure you take everything you need! Enough water is a must, just like sun hats. We forgot to bring those, so we stopped on the way to get ugly and way too expensive caps in the last store leaving Fira. It’s best to bring your own, but if you forget, make sure to stop on time cause there is nothing between Fira and Oia. On the bright side, we did also get ice cream in this store, which was delicious. But still, bring your own sun protection. The views on the way were amazing and there really is no other way to experience that. 

 

The end:

Sweating profusely and feeling the burn in our legs from all the up and down walking, we finally got to see Oia. The view that you get of the city in the distance makes it all worth it. Only a small way to go still and then it was time to sit down at the very first restaurant we saw for some ice cold drinks, which have never tasted better. After a good long rest, it was time to explore the city. A big recommendation is to find a good spot to watch the sunset, cause they really are beautiful at Santorini. Otherwise, it’s just fun to explore the small streets with the typical white and blue. It’s also nice to take a look in Atlantis Books, a small but very full bookstore on the main marble street. In Oia there are way more tourists than in Fira, so it’s more expensive and very busy. It was really nice to see, but it was better to have Fira as our main place to stay. After eating, we just took the bus back, cause we definitely weren’t walking another step.

 

PROTIPS:

• Bring sun protection (sunscreen AND hats)

• Bring enough water (about 1,5 litre per person, unless your are Noëlle, then bring 3 liters of water)

• Maybe don’t go in the hottest time of day

• Find the sign in the main square, don’t go wandering

• Make sure you have everything you need, before you get at the part without stores

• Wear comfortable shoes

In conclusion, you probably should prepare more than we did. But if we made it, you can too! Walking along the crater and seeing the iconic views of the water and the white houses in the distance really makes the sweat and tears worth it. No regrets.