Is Oia, Santorini Worth Visiting?

Oia is Expensive

Lodging in Oia is significantly more expensive than in other parts of Greece. We found that average Airbnbs cost between $45 and $90 per night in Crete. However, in Santorini, it was a struggle to find an Airbnb for less than $200 per night. That was so expensive that we opted to only stay for three nights compared to eight nights in Crete.

The shopping in Santorini is very spendy, too, especially in Oia. Instead of finding small, local merchants, international luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, and Chanel dominated the storefronts and exclusive art galleries.

Dining also costs much more in Santorini than in other parts of Greece, and even more than where I live in the United States. We used a Greek Salad as our measuring tool as we looked at menus since they are identical at every restaurant. In Crete, a Greek salad large enough to feed two to four people, depending on if it was eaten as a main or a side, was always 4 to 6 Euros ($5-$7). In Oia we saw Greek Salads for 9 to 16 Euros ($10-$18). Just to give you an idea.

I will preface this by saying that we went to Santorini after a week in Crete, an entirely self-sufficient island that grows all of its food locally. Food doesn’t get any fresher than the farm-to-table norm of Crete. Santorini is much smaller than Crete and therefore doesn’t have as much land to dedicate to agriculture. The land that it does have for agriculture is used primarily for vineyards and wineries. The seafood in Santorini is very fresh, but the landfood is all imported and therefore not as fresh. For example, I found that the tomatoes were not as red, and the olive oil was not as green and flavorful as what we ate in Crete.

We found that the lodging hosts were very kind and helpful people. Greeks made great hosts and went above and beyond in the hospitality department no matter what island we were on. Our vacation rental host in Finikia arranged our transportation to and from their lodging, met us in the village parking lot to avoid getting lost, and would chat with us and answer all of our questions about the island. 

We had a MAJOR travel snafu (that is a separate article to write), and the kind hosts at Annio Flats Hotel went above and beyond to make sure that we made a last-minute ferry back to Crete that was a scramble and change of plans, and meant we couldn’t spend the night with them after all. They even offered to drive us themselves if our transportation to the ferry port didn’t work out. (As a side note: They were so great and their property so beautiful, we would definitely stay with them again in Imerovigli.) During our time in Greece, we always left properties and even restaurants feeling that we wanted to keep in touch and hoping we had made a new friend. Santorini was just as hospitable in that regard. 

One of our drivers, a man from the country of Georgia, told us that he lives six months of the year in Santorini, driving tourists around, and the other six months in his home country of Georgia. He told us that 75% of the people living on Santorini are not Greek because it is a popular place for foreigners to work, and the local population couldn’t possibly manage the influx of tourists on their own. This statistic is obviously hearsay, but it illustrates a point: between tourists and foreign workers, there aren’t many Greeks in Santorini. While I enjoyed meeting people from Georgia, the Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria, for people looking for a more authentically Greek experience, Santorini might not be the place to do that, as far as the people are concerned.

Because I strive to be Touristish, I like to travel where there are not many people like me. When we were deep in the mountains of Crete, one of our hosts told us, “We are so excited that you are from America! We can’t believe you are here! Americans only go to Athens and Santorini. What made you come to Crete?” Her comment surprised us, but she wasn’t exaggerating. We only heard an American accent during our time in Crete two times, and one was in the line to catch the ferry to Santorini. For some travelers, this may be a pro of Santorini because they take comfort in being surrounded by their kin-folk. For me, I was disappointed that there were so many American tourists in Santorini because it didn’t feel as if I was… I don’t know… traveling to a faraway land? And several times, I found my fellow American tourists to be rude and obnoxious. But maybe the Europeans are also rude tourists, but I just couldn’t understand what they were saying? And maybe when I was having a bad day and in a grumpy mood, I appreciated being in a place where people couldn’t understand me to know that? *grin* I think it just seems like everyone is happier and more polite when you can’t understand what they are saying.

Sunsets in Oia are Overrated

I can’t stress this enough: Oia at sunset is INSANE. 

I knew this going into my trip and had planned to avoid Oia at sunset. If we had had a reservation at one of the fancy restaurants with unobstructed sunset views, that would have been one thing. But we had no interest in throwing elbows with thousands of people just to have sunset pictures that showcased those thousands of people. So, we would avoid the crowds by eating at a taverna in Finikia. However, it was early (dinner doesn’t typically start until at least 9:00 pm) and empty, so we decided to walk toward Oia to find a good sunset view. 

But, like Lemmings, we just kept getting sucked further and further into Oia, and it eventually became more about wanting to see the spectacle than wanting to see the sunset. 

And a spectacle it was. Hoards of people were going the same direction down, narrow, cobblestone walkways. Assholes were clogging up the people-rivers for selfies in the worst spots. We would come to a landing overlooking the ocean, and hundreds of people would be crammed together like sardines taking pictures of the sun. Did these people not realize that what made Oia sunsets spectacular is that it threw pinks and shadows on the white buildings? So why was everyone taking pictures of the sun? Like, did they know you could take photos of a setting sun from just about anywhere, and that this area of 80 people climbing on each other and lifting others on their shoulders to get a sun picture could also be taken from… a few feet away where there were no people? Taking photos of the people taking photos of the sun ended up being more interesting to me. 

We were content to watch the sunset next to a windmill without others. But, leaving Oia after the sunset, Jason pointed out it felt more chaotic and had more trample potential than leaving a rock concert. Mainly because many of these tourists were panicked day-trippers about to miss their tour bus. This experience was not for those with social anxiety or claustrophobia.

I find the draw to Oia for sunset to be absolutely comical. First of all, almost every island or western-facing shore in the world has beautiful sunsets, especially if you are just interested in seeing the sun itself. Second of all, if you want to see a sunset that bounces shadows and colors off of white buildings, you have about 200 inhabited islands in Greece with Cycladic architecture to choose from for that same experience. Third, if your heart is set on witnessing the sunset in Santorini, you can have a similar experience in any of the other caldera-side villages (Imerovigli would be my first choice), but with a fraction of the people. Just something to consider.

Oia Tourists are Ridiculous

Sadly, locals felt they had to post signs reminding people that human beings live there and not trample their homes like you were on a children’s playground. However, sadly, it had to be done, and some signs read, “Respect. It’s your holiday, but it’s our home. We welcome you. Please respect Oia.”

Even with that gentle and kind reminder, that does not stop some tourists from jumping barriers and roped-off stairways and alleyways or climbing onto the roof of someone’s home for that perfect Instagram photo. These tourists are easy to spot. They are almost always women. In high heels. (High heels on these steep, uneven, cobblestone walkways make no sense.) Wearing something akin to a red carpet dress and more makeup than is possible to maintain in 100-degree temperatures. Some even have a photographer following them around and instructing them to trespass. Others are barking orders at their girlfriends, husbands, or boyfriends that they aren’t getting the angle right. It felt icky. But, I started getting a kick out of photographing the Instagram model hopefuls. Here, maybe I can help?

Does that mean that my husband and I didn’t take any pictures in Oia? Of course we did. But, you will be happy to know that no alleyways were blocked, no homes trespassed, no fellow tourists were annoyed, and no Instagram model careers were formed in the creation of these selfies:

How to Enjoy Santorini Without the Crowds

Just remember that Oia is not the be-all, end-all of Santorini. Is it neat? Yes, very. But do Imerovigli, Fira, and Finikia have the same charm and photogenic landmarks? Yes, they do. 

I would recommend not staying in Oia unless you want other tourists climbing on your roof, walking steps away from your swimming pool, watching you sunbathe, and looking in your windows. I would also avoid Oia at sunset unless you have a front-row table reservation at one of the pricey, fancy restaurants. 

Think about staying in the charming village of Finikia or Imerovigli (I recommend Annio Flats for the best bang for your buck). You could visit Oia in a half-day shopping trip. Or, consider staying on the non-caldera side of the island that is far less busy and has beach-front properties instead of cliff-side properties. Then it is easy to take public transportation to the cliff-side villages.

Also, consider traveling in the shoulder-season or off-season. The shoulder season would be April, early May, late September, and October. Santorini has become a year-round destination in recent years, though many places could be closed in the winter, and not all activities would be available. 

You can also head out on the water. You could view the Oia sunset from the water through one of the many sunset cruises that are offered. Depending on your budget, you can make a sailing adventure as private as you want it:  

Other Islands to Visit Instead

When people think about the white-building-Greek-island experience, they almost always think of Santorini and the party-island of Mykonos. However, so many islands have the same architecture and same sunsets but also have much fewer people. One of our vacation rental hosts said that Paros would be the best island to have a similar experience without the crowds. These are my recommendations for a Santorini-esque vacation without going to Santorini:

• Crete (the southern towns including Chora Sfakion and Loutro)
• Paros
• Naxos
• Milos
• Serifos

This cute footpath is in Crete.

In conclusion, I do think Oia, and Santorini as a whole, is overrated. I think it is beautiful, unique, and full of charm, but that can be said about most of the Greek islands. I have a theory… Follow me on this one: I believe that Santorini used to be no different from the other Greek islands (except for being built on a caldera of a volcano). Back in the olden days, when people would go on vacation and return to show photos or *gasp* slides to their friends and family, Santorini was just one of the Greek islands. But, when Instagram came along, and some model or travel photographer got that perfect, beautiful shot of Oia at sunset, it went viral on the ‘Gram, and suddenly, everyone had to go. Celebrities, models, influencers… And everyone wanted those same shots. What if the early days of Instagram had a model taking the perfect photo in Paros instead? Would Santorini still be a quiet and peaceful hidden gem?

Would I Return to Oia?

Meh… probably not. Not on my dime, anyway. I mean, not because I had a bad experience, because that’s not true. It was very cool and beautiful. Mostly just because it’s super touristy and not the least bit Touristish. And there are just too many other places in the world to see, including Greek islands. Like, if someone surprised me with a trip to Santorini, would I be sad about it? Not in the least. But I would probably spend all my time in Imerovigli and Fira and not return to Oia.