Going Greek: The Oia Obsession

“The sunset in Oia is the most photographed image in all of Greece,” I overheard a tour guide stating confidently. While it seemed like a fact that would be difficult to confirm, the camera totting hoards swarming the streets alongside Heather and me pointed towards its accuracy.

“This is not how I remember Oia,” I tell Heather, as an overly aggressive fellow tourist almost elbows her lens out of her hand.

Yup, Oia is stunning, and it’s the most famous — and expensive — village to stay in on Santorini. Don’t let these photos fool you. Heather and I are patient photographers and willing to stubbornly stake out a spot until that perfect moment when it almost appears that you stumbled upon this charming slice of Santorini solo, but make no mistake, I felt almost claustrophobic at the crowds. It was nothing like our deliciously deserted — relatively, anyway — base in Imerovigli.

It should have been a hint when we had to sit on the floor of the over-capacity bus to get here.

Still, it’s easy to see why the place is so packed. There’s simply no better example of the white-and-pastel-washed buildings clinging to the sides of cliffs, the bright blue domes against the equally cobalt Adriatic sea, the essence of all the images travelers conjure when they close their eyes and think Greece.

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

Slowly, we eked through the clogged cobblestone streets towards the Byzantine Castle Ruins, a key location for sunset spotting. Though it was still hours to go before the sun would make its final descent, there was a thick crowd of shutterbugs staking out the best seats. The views were hypnotizing and we made a game of picking out which charming cave house we would pick, should we ever win that lottery we never play.

I called the one with the pool.

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

Eventually, we abandoned our perch in exchange for more exploring. The “For Sale” sign in the second photo down made me giggle — maybe it was an omen that we should go buy a lotto ticket!

Eventually the throngs of people did start to weigh on us, and we wondered where we might find some respite. A glance at a map reminded me of the good things I’d read about Amoudi Bay, right below us at sea level. We set off without looking back.

A few hundred steps later — we declined the donkey ride down, and dodged poo piles instead — we arrived. Elegant sail boats bobbed in the harbor, the small bay lined with half a dozen seafood restaurants and a dramatic displays of drying octopi. And we had plenty of room to breathe.

We took a seat and watched the sunset with wine and tzatziki balls in hand.

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

Later, when the sky turned to black, we hitchhiked our way back up to the main road and hopped on another overcrowded bus back to Imerovigli. “That was absolutely stunning,” Heather said. “Let’s never go there again.” And dissolving into laughter, we vowed not to.

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

My previous visit to Oia had been during a twelve hour stop in Santorini on a Mediterranean cruise. We’d hopped off the ship, shot straight up to Oia and been charmed silly before making our way back to Fira and onto a sunset cruise for the evening. Despite it being the same time of year, the fever pitch of high season, we’d had the place to ourselves. So from my extremely limited experience, I’ve concluded Oia is best visited during the day, when you’ll have a bit of breathing room to appreciate it. Oia is beyond beautiful, there’s no denying that. But if your visit falls over high season and you’re somewhat claustrophobic, you might prefer to watch the sunset from elsewhere.

If all else fails, hide out in Amoudi Bay.

Photo courtesy of Heather Holt

Have you been to Oia for sunset? Did you think it was worth the hype?