Oia city in Santorini: A Traveler's Guide. From Airport Transfer to Secret Viewpoints, Accommodation Prices, Hidden Beaches - Everything You Need to Know Before Your Trip in 2025
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Ia (Oia, Oia) is the largest resort town on Santorini. It is located 10 km from Fira, at an altitude of 100 metres, in the northern part of the island, on the edge of a huge caldera. The town attracts above all with its unusual architecture and location, magnificent sunsets, viewpoints and sights.
In this article I will tell you how to get to and around the city without any obstacles, where to stay overnight and what to eat. In addition, I have compiled for you the most interesting places and, excursions around the city and a list of its best beaches.
The town of Ia on Santorini: Is it as beautiful as it looks and is it worth a visit?
Ia is a small village in Santorini, Greece, located in the northern part of the island at the top of a picturesque cliff overlooking the caldera. It is one of the most beautiful and photogenic places in the country, as well as one of the most luxurious resorts in Europe.
Ia is a traditional Cycladic village with charming white houses on narrow streets, windmills and blue-domed churches, sun-drenched verandas and incredible sunsets.
The chic town of Iaia, white and quiet
It is a very peaceful place with no traffic. The only road open to cars connects the historic centre on the hill with the old fishing port of Ammoudi.
Sitting in the restaurants here is a pleasure. The only road open to cars connects the historic centre with the ancient fishing harbour of Ammoudi.
There are very few motorways here, so it is a pleasure to walk here
How to get to Ia on the island of Santorini
The easiest way to get from Santorini Airport to the capital of Fira is to take a bus to Ia.
If you come to the island by ferry, you will be dropped off at the foot of the rock on which Fira is located. The only thing left to do is to go up to the town by cable car, donkey or on foot and take a bus to Ia.
May be useful: From Crete to Santorini – what is the best way to travel: with an excursion or independently by ferry? Nuances of both options
Buses during the day depart every half hour from the central bus station and will take you to your destination in 20-25 minutes. The fare varies between 2-4 euros. It is worth bearing in mind that during the summer period buses in Santorini are often overcrowded and only take seated passengers. So if your hotel doesn’t offer a shuttle service to and from the airport, it’s worth considering taking a taxi.
It may be useful: by clicking on this link and submitting a transfer request you can get advance quotes from Santorni airport drivers, with photos of the car and prices, so you can not only save money, but also find a comfortable transfer.
Location map of Ia in Greece
It is better to book a car in advance for the arrival of your flight (be it a ferry or a plane), as taxis on the island are few, and they are mostly taken by the more diligent Greeks.
By ordering a car in advance, you will be sure that the car will come just for you, and the driver will not be tempted by other passengers.
Another option for travelling around the island is a car. Car hire is extremely popular on the island, although the locals are not averse to inflating prices for tourists.
You may find it useful: I have an extensive article about car hire in Greece on my website, where I have explained all the intricacies of this service in the country. If you, like me, like to be independent of public transport schedules and routes when travelling, I advise you to spare a few minutes and read it.
For those who are going to travel around Santorini on their own: in order to find a great option of car rental in Santorini airport and in Greece in general, based on the ‘price/quality’ ratio, I recommend using the following three services to compare offers of different car rental companies: DiscoverCars, EconomyBbooking, AutoUrope.
Sightseeing in Ia
The Ia is one of the main symbols of Santorini. It is a picturesque village literally overhanging the sea, full of traditional white Cycladic houses that are scattered along the coastal cliffs.
Here you can wander almost endlessly through narrow winding streets and staircases that can lead anywhere and reward you with magnificent views of the caldera. The cityscape is also colored by the bright blue domes of churches and a few windmills.
The quiet streets of this city are a pleasure to walk through
Mills of Ia
One of the main attractions of Ia are the traditional windmills. They are bigger than small houses, but they are as white in color as everything around them.
The mills are one of the most interesting sights, and there are always a lot of tourists here who want to capture the beauty on their cameras. They look especially picturesque in the sunlight at sunset.
The mills here are a separate art form, so I recommend walking near them and seeing all of them
The old port of Ia
The Greek island of Santorini, the pearl of the Aegean Sea, was inhabited by the peoples of the sea as far back as the V-IV millennia B.C. The volcanic origin of the island determines the color of its beaches – white, red, black – it is an unforgettable sight! The beaches on Santorini are spread out on the outer side of the island. The sea is very clean and transparent.
The port is nestled among the rocks, so it too can be called a local landmark
At the foot of Iya is the Old Port of Ammoudi, one of the main attractions of the island. The magnificent view from Ammoudi combined with the blue-green waters, the colors of the sky, the red rocks and calderas, create breathtaking scenery. Thousands of people from all over the world come here to enjoy the fabulous sunsets.
Church of St. Sozonte
The Orthodox Church of St. Sozonte (Savior) is one of the most visited churches. The church was built in 1680 in memory of the Christian martyr Sozont.
Living in pagan times, the shepherd Sozontus revered the Holy Scriptures and shared his knowledge with others. He was killed by the servants of Emperor Maximian for destroying a pagan idol. Sozontus’ memorial day falls on September 7 (September 20, New Style).
The church, like most here, is very beautiful, you can recognize it by its blue domes
The church is located on an elevated position with a picturesque view of the Aegean Sea and the village. The church is reached by a steep, winding staircase with many steps.
Caldera
A caldera is a depression formed by the subsidence of soil from a volcanic eruption. Calderas are located all over the world, but the caldera of Santorini is particularly beautiful.
You can’t even believe that there was once a volcanic eruption here
It was formed as a result of a powerful volcanic eruption, which according to some sources occurred in the 15th century BC, according to others – in the 16th century BC. This eruption later led to the demise of the Minoan civilization.
The caldera, filled with sea water, is amazing to see and is sought after by tourists from all over the world.
Venetian Fortress in Ia
The Venetian Fortress in Ia, located in the northwest of the island of Santorini, is one of the city’s popular attractions.
The fortress is located on the very edge of a promontory. The fortified fortress was used for surveillance. When pirate ships came close to the island, the locals were immediately alerted.
The fortress serves the city as a viewing platform to this day
Nowadays, the fortress is a popular tourist destination. It is considered to be a great observation point, offering magnificent views of the caldera, the city and the sea. It is also a great place to watch the famous sunsets in Ia, which are a real spectacle. You can watch them from the shore or, having rented a boat, from the sea.
It is worth noting that one of the scenes of the movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” was filmed on the territory of the fortress.
Amoudi Bay
One of the gastro attractions of the bay can be called fish taverns, where new guests and regular customers are always welcome. The main reason is that all dishes are prepared from fresh fish, which was swimming in the depths of the sea just an hour ago.
The beach itself, like most Greek bays, is amazingly clean, and the water is a transparent turquoise color. Some extreme athletes manage to pierce the water by jumping off a cliff. This is a suitable place for diving. Not far from the bay is the chapel of St. Nicholas.
Like I said above, there are so many reasons to come here
The stunning sunsets that Amoudi Bay offers are a must-see.
You can walk to the bay from the village of Iya by climbing a steep staircase, you can take the cable car for five euros, or you can ride on a donkey.
Maritime Museum
The prosperity of Ia in the past century was directly linked to the development of the merchant marine. The sea routes connected the shores of Santorini with the Mediterranean countries and trade was active.
Today, one of the town’s mansions, which belonged to the Birbili family, is a maritime museum. Among the exhibits are personal belongings of sailors, marine equipment, models and sketches of ships, old photographs, historical documents, and thematic literature.
It was once an ordinary house, but now it is a luxurious museum with many exhibits
Beaches of Ia on the island of Santorini
The best beaches in the neighborhood of Ia:
- Armeni is a small beach with dark blue water, accessed by a staircase of 286 steps.
- Ammoudi is another beautiful beach, surrounded by picturesque red rocks and located near Armeni beach near the fishing village of the same name.
- Kataros – a small quiet beach overlooking the island of Thirasia, located 1km from Ia.
- Baxedes is a beach northwest of Ia with black volcanic sand.
Where to eat in Iaia
Comfortable cafes with dizzying views fill Iia from all sides, you can hardly get around them all even for a two-week vacation. All the better: choose the most notable table in the most delicious cafe, and for 3-4 times the owner will certainly treat you to a glass of ouzo at the expense of the institution.
But there are a couple of places in Ia that are worth knowing about:
- If you’re looking for a hearty lunch, check out Papagalos restaurant on the main pedestrian street.
- For traditional Greek cuisine, look for Poka.
- And real songs of Hellas’ peoples – in Souvlaki and Singing (entrance fee is 10 euros, but dinner to the colorful musical program will be remembered for a long time).
Where to stay in Ia on the island of Santorini
There are hotels in Ia for all tastes and pockets, I will name you a few of them. For example, budget apartments with free wi-fi – Soulis Apartments, medium-priced hotels Aspa Villas, Ecoxenia Studios or Santorini Resorts, as well as all kinds of boutique and luxury hotels, where you will have to pay from 400 euros for one night. Of course, there are also villas for rent in Ia with amazing sea views.
You may find it useful: see more hotels, villas and apartments in Ia at this link
In most of the hotels you will observe exactly this kind of view, a paradise for the eyes