We had the best time in Oia! We took a taxi to the post office and met Emily at Lotza, the family restaurant. She walked us to the apartment, which is a three minute walk. Be prepared for many stairs and hills that are made of stones and only accessible by walking! Your suitcase needs to be sturdy if you’re rolling it.
The apartment is steps from the most popular sunset spot in Oia. I would also say steps from one of the most photographed churches. I enjoyed sitting on the balcony and watching people have their photos taken in front of the church on the stairs - so many people! But they do get very annoying if you are trying to go somewhere because they just stop in the middle of the path for a picture.
Sunset time is crazy. People start heading to Oia around 6:30 and when we were there in late July the sun didn’t set until 8:30. Follow Emily’s excellent guide book and you will be all set. We would walk past everyone in the most popular spots and continue over towards one of the windmills. There was a pool bar over there that would allow you to use the facilities as long as you bought a drink! Awesome for swimming on a hot day or watching the sunset. Or both! The name is in the book.
The apartment has a great terrace that overlooks the caldera. The pictures are spot on. It gets very hot during the day - there was little to no breeze. Mornings and late nights were nice out there. The fresh bread is great. We went to the market and bought tomatoes, cheese, and other toppings to even have lunch with the bread.
The apartment was very clean and someone came in every day to freshen up towels, empty trash, etc.
We went to Lotza twice and found they had the best value around. Great food and not over the top prices. Things are pricy in Oia. We also walked down the stairs to Amoudi Bay one night for dinner. Be prepared for over 200 steps each way!!!! It was so crazy and we were so tired, but it was gorgeous and we laugh at the experience now. Oia Vineyart was also a favorite. Great local wine and food pairings.
We had booked a Jeep tour with Safari Adventures and a sunset catamaran tour with Caldera Yachting that were both excellent!! - but Emily’s suggestions were right on par with what the tour companies were saying, plus some extra hidden gems. You won’t regret this apartment!! We had the best time.