Santorini - Fira/Oia options
#1
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Santorini - Fira/Oia options
Hello all,
We have three days in Santorini in early June and wanted to make sure we see/do all we can.
One of the "must dos" seems to be the 3 hour hike from Fira to Oia. We have a 6 year old kid and a not-so-fit wife so we certainly cannot do a strenuous hike. Anything beyond a 30 min walk at a stretch is probably out of question. So we are looking for some easier alternatives.
What other alternatives are there to see as much as we can of the 4 mile Fira-Oia hike without really walking it all the way up? Here are some alternatives I found in my research:
1. Hiring mules
2. Hiring ATVs
3. Driving and making stops along the road.
Can someone please comment on these and add if there are any other suggestions worth exploring?
Thanks!
We have three days in Santorini in early June and wanted to make sure we see/do all we can.
One of the "must dos" seems to be the 3 hour hike from Fira to Oia. We have a 6 year old kid and a not-so-fit wife so we certainly cannot do a strenuous hike. Anything beyond a 30 min walk at a stretch is probably out of question. So we are looking for some easier alternatives.
What other alternatives are there to see as much as we can of the 4 mile Fira-Oia hike without really walking it all the way up? Here are some alternatives I found in my research:
1. Hiring mules
2. Hiring ATVs
3. Driving and making stops along the road.
Can someone please comment on these and add if there are any other suggestions worth exploring?
Thanks!
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
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That hiking trail is a narrow, uneven pedestrian-only gravel footpath that is too strenuous for what your stated situation implies. Please don't ride the poor abused animals. I don't think they've ever been used on that trail anyway.
If you begin the hike in Imerovigli you can walk for about 2.3 miles to the first place where the trail returns to the main road. There's a small snack shop there and you can flag down a bus the rest of the way to Oia or back towards Imerovigli and Fira. Or you can take the bus to the snack shop and walk the 1.3 miles to Oia, or you can start in Oia and walk to the snack shop.
There's nothing much to see along the road if you're driving except for the long-distance views across the island toward the east and some islands in the distance.
If you begin the hike in Imerovigli you can walk for about 2.3 miles to the first place where the trail returns to the main road. There's a small snack shop there and you can flag down a bus the rest of the way to Oia or back towards Imerovigli and Fira. Or you can take the bus to the snack shop and walk the 1.3 miles to Oia, or you can start in Oia and walk to the snack shop.
There's nothing much to see along the road if you're driving except for the long-distance views across the island toward the east and some islands in the distance.
#3
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Thanks brotherleelove2004!
That seems a good idea - breaking up the trip in two parts.
We can start at Imerovigli and hike up 2.3 miles to the snack shop you mentioned and then take the bus up to Oia. After spending 3-4 hrs in Oia, we can start from Oia and walk 1.3 miles to the snack shop. And then take the bus from there to Fira.
That seems a good idea - breaking up the trip in two parts.
We can start at Imerovigli and hike up 2.3 miles to the snack shop you mentioned and then take the bus up to Oia. After spending 3-4 hrs in Oia, we can start from Oia and walk 1.3 miles to the snack shop. And then take the bus from there to Fira.
#4
Join Date: Apr 2013
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From Imerovigli, there is a paved and lit pathway that is enchanting. It's not hiking per se, just walking.
We walked to Fira from there, and passed little restaurants, wine bars, shops and markets along the way. It is not strenuous.
We walked to Fira from there, and passed little restaurants, wine bars, shops and markets along the way. It is not strenuous.
#5
Join Date: May 2003
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3-4 hours in Oia is a long time. Good for a meal and a look see but what you should be sure to do is go to Akrotiri. We took a public bus there. Also go to the museum in Fira.
http://www.santorini-islandguide.com/ancient-santorini
http://www.santorini-islandguide.com/ancient-santorini