Santorini Towns and Villages Oia  
 

Oia

KATIKIES

This traditional village is located on the northern tip of the island, perched on the cliff top.

Directly below are the beaches of Ammoudi and Armeni.

Oia was originally a great seafaring town with close to 9,000 inhabitants at the start of the 20th Century, the majority of them mariners who owned 164 vessels and seven shipyards.

Oia had 79 churches, many of which still remain. All changed in 1956 when a devastating earthquake destroyed much of the village. Oia now has fewer than 500 residents, the majority still mariners.

Much of the architecture did survive and the typical Santorini buildings with their whitewashed walls and blue domes are still the most striking feature of the village.

In 1951 Captain Antonis Dakoronia established a Maritime Museum. It was destroyed by the earthquake, but it was rebuilt and is open today. Most of the shops in Oia revolve around the handicrafts. There is a cultural centre, several art galleries and many shops for a variety of handicrafts, jewellery and ceramics.

Every day throughout the summer hundreds of tourists flock to the edge of the village to watch the sun dive into the ocean amongst the pretty white buildings
 

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