From Fira to Oia: a walk on the Santorini Caldera

The Santorini Caldera Trail begins in the capital, Fira, and continues to Oia, Greece's most famous village.

Throughout the route, you almost never leave the cornice, skirting from the summit the impressive cliffs where the various layers of volcanic rock inherited from the gigantic eruption of 1600 BC lie. They seem to be lined up like a geological mille-feuille: basaltic black, red, brown, orange, or white, with the thick layer of sandstone that covers Thira.

These tones contrast beautifully with the dark blue of the Caldera, sometimes wrinkled by the swell from the wind. The cliffs rise between 250m and 350m above the sea, and plunge underwater to a depth of 400m!

Perched on these promontories are several white villages, which will not only be the starting and finishing points of our hike, but also its highlights: Fira, Oia, Firostefani and Imerovigli, a string of little chapels and views like no other on Santorini.

It's worth noting that the Caldera hike can be done in either direction. Here, the starting point is Fira, where the spectacle begins as you stroll along the narrow streets overlooking the cliffs.

After climbing the stairs to the old port and enjoying the view down to the cable car, the coastal path becomes quieter as you progress towards Firostefani and then Imerovigli. Clogged with new hotels and guesthouses, you won't be able to tell the difference from Fira!

However, a stopover at Imerovigli is well worthwhile: the highest point in the Caldera is its church at 367m, so be sure to make a detour to the Agios Giorgios chapel, an unbeatable lookout point, and why not head down around Skaros. This large black rock, a promontory on the Caldera, was once home to a village and a Venetian fortress!

We then leave the town to drive past a series of top-of-the-range hotels that have only just been built in recent years: private swimming pools and direct views of the Caldera are a must!

On its pine-shaded heights, the church of Profitis Ilias offers a welcome break: inside, the icon of the Panagia, like the Mona Lisa, never leaves your sight...

The rest of the itinerary, where the view turns south, is magnificent: you enter the few unbuilt areas of Santorini, climbing through ancient cultivated terraces to another chapel dedicated to the Virgin, the only one of its kind in the world, with a panoramic view of the Caldera, the south of Santorini, Nea Kameni and Thirassia.

Then it's a gradual descent to Oia, with its folklore of shops and beautiful terraces, the conclusion of this memorable walk.

🥾 The Caldera hike :

• Distance: 10km
• Walking time: 3 hours on average
• Difficulty: easy (but beware of the heat)
• Difference in altitude: +150m

🕑 When to go hiking on Santorini's Caldera?

• Early in the morning, to take advantage of the light and fewer people, but also to avoid the heat of the day as much as possible.
• At the end of the day, to enjoy the fading light and the sunset on arrival in Oia.

👉 Best season for hiking the Caldera?

From April-May, when the cliff slopes are still green and dotted with colourful flowers. It won't be so hot either!