Today's Oia is populated by 700 plus inhabitants, the town has been growing again steadily during the past three decades. More and more descendants of those families who had left Santorini after the earthquake have returned. They were joined by three dozen swallows from the north who have settled in the caves of traditionally cosmopolitan 0ia. They are Americans, Austrians, British, French, German, Polish and a few other nations.

Oia offers more than the usual main stream souvenir shops. There are fine art galleries around, an excellent international bookshop, a local icon painter' s studio, a traditional winery offering degustations, and a small but highly interesting nautical museum. The one and only location which is a must at sunset is down in Ammoudi, Oia's western harbour where fresh fish is delivered to this pier a few times every day.