Overview
The town looks across the flooded caldera to the volcanic islets of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, which are still active. Cable car, mule path and 588 steps connect it to the old port below; the mules are a long-standing animal welfare complaint and the cable car is the kinder choice. The Museum of Prehistoric Thera holds the finds from Akrotiri, including wall paintings, and explains what the eruption buried.
Highlights
Walk the caldera path from Fira to Oia — ten kilometres along the rim, three to four hours, and the best thing on the island. The Museum of Prehistoric Thera is a twenty-minute stop that makes Akrotiri legible. Sunset here is quieter than Oia and the view is much the same.