Santorini Greece

Oia Santorini

Those who are choosing to take their holidays in Santorini Greece will find the town of Oia a great place to visit. This is a fairly small town in terms of population but this rises sharply during the summer months when the tourists come to the island. One of the main features of this part of the island of Santorini is the architecture. 

Oia Santorini Greece

The cliffs of Oia feature houses that have been carved into the rock, which is volcanic and porous. These houses can be clearly seen and gives the town a very unique look. The architecture in other parts of the town is also considered to be particularly beautiful. There are some large Venetian houses which date back to the medieval period which are a must for anyone interested in art and architecture. 

Ianthe Apartments & Villa, Oia Santorini

For those who are interested to stay in Oia, the Ianthe Apartments and Villas is a perfect choice which combines an elegant ambience along with very reasonable prices. Rightfully these apartments are considered as one of the best Oia Santorini apartments. 

Ianthe Villa Oia Santorini

Santorini, Greece is very popular with tourists. The town of Oia attracts many visitors each year and the sunset is considered to be particularly beautiful from here with uninterrupted views across the sea. The castle is a great vantage point in the town. Hundreds of tourists will make their way to the town at the end of each day to view the sunset and you need to get there early to get a good viewing point.  Alternatively while on the island you can opt to watch the sunset from one of the many tour boats. The evening cruises are very popular as the boat is taken out around a mile from the land so that tourists are in the best position to see as the sun goes down. 

The docks at Oia are also of interest to the tourist. It is reported that they have been in use for at least 3000 years and this makes them the oldest continually used docks anywhere in the world. It is not clear how true this story is but the island of Santorini has a very long and varied history, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the stories are true. Many cruise ships dock at Santorini for passengers to spend the day exploring the island, but in years gone by it was mainly traders.

The town of Oia in Santorini, Greece is also home to a Naval Maritime Museum. This is housed in a 19th century mansion and covers the maritime history of the region. Artifacts on display include old figureheads from ships, chests, maritime equipment and rare photographs. Anyone interested in this type of history will be able to spend all day here quite happily. The maritime history of the island is strong and during the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century was at its peak. Traders sailed from here to all parts of the Mediterranean and even to Russia.

Oia has also featured heavily in a number of books and films, so visitors to Santorini, Greece may spot a few locations that are already familiar. Films such as ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’  and ‘Lara Croft’ used the town as a location and this is thanks largely to the beauty of the area.