Fira to Oia Walk — Attraction in Municipality of Thira

Ok. My review is one-sided from my experience but hopefully helpful to others. I'm writing a lot of detail with a brief summary at the beginning and end. I did it wrong so you don't have to :)

Do this walk in the Fira to Oia direction, with a friend, supplies and plenty of time. Don't do it in the Oia to Fira direction unless you have GPS/a GPX route to follow and you don't mind elevation and missing the views.

I am an experienced hiker but I underestimated this walk. This is my error but hopefully I can help you not to do the same thing. I read so many reviews that said it would be well-marked, and since Oia and Fira are both SO busy with people I thought I would have company. It was not well-marked at all, basically no signs or paint. I did the hike in the Oia to Fira direction, alone before sunset, getting to Imerovigli just as it was getting dark. Google Maps suggested it would take 2 hours for that part and it took me slightly more, which surprised me (would have been at least 2h45 at a fast pace from Oia all the way to Fira). I did have provisions with me so I knew I would be ok but I made a bad call with this hike.

In the Oia to Fira direction, I had a false sense of security on the first part of the hike as I met many people coming the other way and the trail was super easy to follow, wide and paved/maintained (checking Google Maps occasionally to make sure there wasn't a turnoff). When I got to The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Holy Chapel after the first climb from Oia, I made a mistake. In this direction it is super easy to get lost. I climbed to the peak after the chapel as this seemed the obvious route to continue. Then on my way down the other side the trail ran out and I found myself above a 4m drop. I partly retraced my steps to some abandoned buildings which were creepy and smelled like a dead animal, and scrambled down a slope to join a path. Now there was suddenly nobody around anywhere and I felt very uneasy. I guess everyone I met before had just gone from Oia up to the chapel/turtle rock and back again.

REMEMBER this point if you are doing the walk in this direction: you need to follow the track DOWN from the Assumption of the Virgin Mary chapel, which you can't see unless you go all the way behind the chapel. Don't follow the path to the peak which seems the obvious choice in this direction. I looked at satellite views afterwards to figure out my error.

After the creepy building I continued down an obvious (but lonely and dusty) trail now which eventually rejoined the main trail before the 'Diamond Rock venue' (on Google Maps). I only knew where I was going by checking Komoot. Then the trail joined the road for a bit - fine, ok - and when it left the road again I stayed left (i.e. road side rather than caldera side) up the hill with the Church of Prophet Elias. This was the correct decision for me, although the path is much further away and higher from the road than you might think from the map. By this time I was really worried about running into a dog or a person as it felt way more remote than I expected. I met one trail runner which made me feel a bit better.

After the Church of Prophet Elias all was ok, it's quite a dramatic walk up a proper road/path alongside luxury villas and hotels.

In the Oia to Fira direction there is loads of climbing (around 350-400m). The views I had were beautiful, but 90% involved turning around to look behind me (i.e. would have been better in the other direction).

Additionally, most of the path is really close to the Caldera edge, with some evidence of crumbling, so you might want to think about your appetite for (earthquake) risk.

Anyway at least I had a fairly unique experience and I made it back safely. 2 stars because it was not fun but I can see the potential :)

SUMMARY: Do not do this hike alone in the evening; it is not recommended in the Oia to Fira direction full stop, and make sure you take supplies - plenty of water, snacks and ideally GPS even if you do it in the Fira to Oia direction. Do it nice and early and get a bus...

I have done this hike twice now. The first time at the end of August from Thira to Oia and the second time in mid June from Thira to Oia and back again. First of all, in the summer I would definitely start early in the day (I left Thira at 7:00am) as it gets too hot later and also too crowded (not so much on the trail but in Oia as the cruise ships passengers arrive late morning). In mid June I left mid afternoon and got to Oia early evening, in time for a light dinner, before heading back again. I was fine with the heat as there was a breeze along the hike. Both times I left at the Atlantis hotel in Thira and walked through Thira, Firostefani, and Immerovigli. For the first portion you basically walk seamlessly through three villages. But it offers great views, not only of the caldera and the volcano, but also of the beautiful architecture along the way, including the old harbor with the cable car and Skaros Rock in Immerovigli. I did the Skaros Rock hike separately but you can certainly combine with this hike (add an extra 30-45 minutes, but note that officially the Skaros Rock area is closed). I had coffee and a croissant in Immerovigli before heading out of town and the resort areas. That's when the beauty of nature starts. There are two spots on the hike where you can buy water and fruit (but I would certainly recommend bringing plenty of water and some snacks). There are also some little churches and vista points with a 360 view of the island on the way. Bring change if you like to light a candle in the church and maybe a hoodie or long sleeve shirt to cover your shoulders. I stopped several times to take in the vista and for the most part hiked by myself. I met some walkers on the way but most of them only did smaller hikes around Immerovigli or Oia. There is one small portion of the trail when you have to walk on the main road, for about ten minutes. I found it easy enough and stayed to the side. When I did the hike one way only I went all the way to the castle in Oia and then back to the bus stop from where I took the bus back to Oia (bring change). Next to the bus stop in Oia is my favorite Souvlaki/ Gyros place! Oh, and there is also a good patisserie with great pies and baklava (and greek coffee) on the main walk way along the caldera in Oia (see photos). If you like to go all the way to the end of Oia you can also hike down the steps to Amoudi Bay (and maybe even jump in the water or enjoy the fish restaurants). That adds a good hour I would say at the end. The hike takes about 2.25 hours one direction and I found it moderate. I would definitely recommend to wear good shoes (and no flip flops) as it gets rocky and full of gravel. If you like to get away from the crowds, exercise and take in the beauty of the caldera, I would definitely recommend this hike. I enjoyed both directions for different reasons but probably enjoy Thira to Oia more as hiking down to Oia is a pretty spectacular view. Enjoy. (the photos are mixed...

This is a stunning and peaceful walk/hike. Highly recommended to spend a day doing this and visiting Oia to see the famous blue domes.

Are there toilets? Yes, there is a toilet along the way - if you follow the coast the whole way and go via the Church of Prophet Elias. It is a long drop toilet but is enclosed for privacy.

Time and length: It totals around 10km (6 miles). It took me 2.5 hours but I started from Firofestani from my hotel. If you started in the centre of Fira it would take you more like 3. This is based on walking at a moderate pace and only stopping for the odd photo or rest for water. A fast walker could do this in two hours with minimal stopping.

Difficulty: If you are an experienced hiker, it would probably seem a breeze. I'd say it's a medium difficulty if you are generally fit and healthy but don't have much hiking experience, like me. It was challenging, but totally doable.

Route and terrain: The trail has a nice mix of uphill and downhill, smooth and rocky, and you are rewarded often along the way with breathtaking views. You could follow the main road more if you wanted and it would probably be a bit easier but I wanted to stick to the coast for the views the whole way, which meant it was a bit more rocky and steep at some points. But extremely rewarding.

It is not really signposted much, but there are a couple of signs along the way which reassure you, some of which are hand sprayed. If you go via the Church of Prophet Elias as mentioned above you can stop at the toilet near there. That's about 30-50 minutes in.

Time to start: I would definitely start early as other reviews have suggested. There is no shade along the route! I started straight after breakfast at 8:30am but I went in late March in the low season when it wasn't baking hot so if I was doing it in summer I'd go earlier than that, take snacks and then get a nice breakfast in Oia. Going from Fira to Oia in the morning means the sun is on your back, probably better than walking into the sun. If you're walking back in the afternoon you may want to time it so that you arrive to see the sunset in Fira while having dinner.

What to bring: Good trainers or walking shoes Hat and sunglasses (shade is minimal) Water and supplies (there isn't an opportunity along the way to buy any, but in the high season there may be one or two small setups. I saw a little hut that looked like it would sell drinks about halfway, but it was closed) A light shirt to cover arms from the sun if walking in the heat of the day

Other things to note: If you get tired closer to the end there is a spot where you can hire a donkey to ride the rest of the way to Oia. When I passed it the sign said it cost €10 one way and took 30 minutes.

This route is not wheelchair or stroller friendly.

If you don't want to walk back, a taxi from Oia to Fira costs €30, or you can get the...