Ia (Oia) on the Greek Island of Santorini is world famous for beautiful sunsets.

Ia is famous for it's beautifully dramatic sunsets. It is a town of picturesque white and blue houses that are built into the rock; overlooking the water of the Caldera. The houses appear to be clinging to the cliff face, some at almost impossible angles. The town of Ia is an impressive sight but especially when viewed from the Caldera; which is an expanse of water formed in the past by the islands volcanic activity. The coloured rock formations of the cliffs have been created by the eruptions of the volcano.

Cruise ships sail into the water of the Caldera and stop at the port so that their passengers can visit the town of Ia . The houses of Ia it’s restaurants, hotels, holiday properties are (perched on the cliff face overlooking the expanse of water ) perfectly situated to take full advantage of the of the dramatic sunset views over the Caldera.

If you are not visiting as a cruise ship passenger and wish to spend some time in Ia while you are on holiday in Santorini, a day trip is possible. Even a day there is worth while It is as it is a very photogenic place to visit. You can get to Ia by taking a local bus from Thira ( Santorini’s capital town) which will only cost a few Euros. If you are staying in one of the resorts like Perissa you will need to take a local bus to Thira and then from there catch the bus to Ia. [Please take care if you are at the bus depot as the buses there reverse without warning even when passengers are standing behind them queuing for other buses.]

You can also visit Ia by booking a boat trip at your holiday resort which will provide coach transport to a nearby port and then a day out on the boat which includes a visit to the volcanic island and which will then drop you at the port near Ia in time for the sunset (after which you catch a coach back.) Our walk up to Ia from the port was up a steep set of steps which you have to share with passing 'convoys' of donkeys, so the boat trips may not be suitable for everyone. The return coach depot is a bit chaotic because of the number of coaches and people making their way there at the same time ( just after sunset) for the trip back. It is best just to keep asking until you find the right bus for the trip you booked and your return destination your resort.

Most of my photos of the town were taken from the top of the cliffs looking down the cliff face at the houses and out across the Caldera. We took the boat trip to visit; walk the volcano and to take photographs of that. So the second visit to Ia village was a bonus as we did not see the sunset on our previous visit as we left Ia before the evening.

The sunset we saw was as promised beautiful,colourful,and dramatic. It is odd that on that particular evening the sun appeared to set twice; disappearing from view and then reappearing before it appeared to sink into the waters of the sea on the horizon.

Ia is worth visiting in the day even if you cannot stay for the evening sunset you will still get dramatic photographs of the sky, water and its unique architecture.

It is difficult to know where the best place to stand and wait to view the sunset is because even if you find a place on your own eventually people gather nearby to watch it and they even climb up onto walls and houses to get a better view. If you are really ‘lucky’ you will find a good place to take your sunset photos only to find at the last moment someone finds a way of getting between you and the sunset that you are about to photograph. The photos I got were good enough for me though I’m just an amateur who likes having photos of beautiful places to keep.

I visited Ia both for a day and also one evening and I took some of my best photo of Santorini there, it is easy to get nice photos because this place is so ‘photogenic’. On holidays like this I think a good digital camera, that is easy to carry and use; helps me take far better photos than the limited number of prints I used to take with my older style cameras. My current camera is small; fits in my pocket or bag and is light to carry, I can take as many shots as I want and delete my mistakes and get the best of my digital photos printed as keepsakes for the future.

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