Fira, sometimes spelt 'Thira,' is the capital of the Greek island of Santorini. If you've seen photos of Santorini in the past, with its whitewashed rectangular buildings overlooking the contrasting, rich blue hues of the Mediterranean – well, then, this is where you can find that same enchanting scenery.
It was about 3,600 years ago when a volcanic explosion created the famous caldera that we today see in the middle of Thera. The volcano spewed lava, smoke, ash. The eruption was 121,440 feet high into the air and released 60 cubic kilometers of magma.
The walk through the narrow streets of Fira is a typical representation of the most common characteristic of the Cycladic islands, the small shops packed one next to the other, the pebbled streets, the traditional houses with the small blue and sun-burned verandas and of course the amazing view which distinguishes ...
It's steep at times, but most healthy people Can do This hike. You meet many hikers on the way - it's a popular trip. Oia was way too busy for us. Too many tourists and walking through the city felt like standing in line for something.
Fira is the isalnd's capital and the livelier village of the two with much more nightlife and shopping. Oia is the more luxurious village with romantic restaurants and high-end shopping.
Firá (Greek: F???, pronounced [fi'ra]) is the modern capital of the Greek Aegean island of Santorini (Thera). A traditional settlement, Firá derives its name from an alternative pronunciation of Thíra, the ancient name of the island itself.
It has a great combination of natural beauty and social activities, with plenty of restaurants, cafes & bars, important museums, many boutiques, souvenir shops, entertainment venues and lively nightlife. To top it all, Fira is located in the very centre of Santorini and everything is close by.
Yet another enchanting beach welcoming tourists in Fira is Vlychada Beach. It is pleasant, serene, fresh, and endowed with a little port where travelers can moor yachts and fish boats in the sunny seasons. What's prettier is its long stretch of coarse black sand with volcanic cliffs.
The island was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred about 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep.
The best way to take in Santorini is to walk, and there is no better route than the one from Fira to Oia. This hike is 6 miles one-way and passes through four towns, including Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia.
If you're walking Oia to Fira: This is the fork (in front of San Antonio hotel) between the two paths as you approach from Oia. To the left is the easier, better quality path. To the right is the trickier more-scenic path along the caldera.