Santorini Boutique & Luxury Hotels
Is Santorini the lost City of Atlantis? Some say it is. Steeped in history Santorini’s beauty and uniqueness is due primarily to the effects of a volcano which destroyed half of the island but has created a beautiful island in the heart of the Aegean Sea – perfect for a luxury holiday. The volcanic bay is known as the caldera and would have originally been the inside walls of the volcano. As a volcanic island the beaches are generally coarse black sand, but the beaches are not the main reason for coming here. Some of the best boutique and luxury hotels in Greece, and probably Europe, with the best ones perched on top of, or in some cases inside, the cliff top. Infinity pools with amazing views of the Aegean Sea, cocktails at sunset and gourmet dining when the sun goes down are the order of the day. The best hotels have the best position and, whilst in some holiday resorts location isn’t essential, in Santorni we think location is everything.
The town of Oia is a charming (even in the pouring rain when we arrived) maze of cobbled streets and a popular port of call for the many cruise lines that stop in Santorini. Fish, caught earlier in the day, can be sampled in the many tavernas of Oia. Why not also try some local wine from some of the oldest vineyards in Europe. After dinner wander around the boutique shops.
Firá is positioned dramatically on the edge of caldera and is located 400m above the Aegean Sea. There are a couple of excellent museums to visit; Santorini Archeological Museum and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera (Thera being the original name for Santorini). We recommend getting the cable car to the village from the port - you can drive and getting around the island is pretty easy although driving up to Fira is easier if the co-passenger isn’t screaming about the bends and steep drops! The views are worth the effort, but be warned that the cruise ships do bring a hoard of day trippers so we advise planning your trip around when the cruise ships are not docking for the day.
Imerovigli is located further up the cliff from Fira and is very much a traditional Greek village. In 1956 an earthquake almost completely destroyed the village, but since the 1970’s has re-invented itself as is now one of the most sought after destinations – mainly due to the views and also because many of the cliff top hotels have focussed on the higher end market creating a holiday haven and some of the most unique boutique hotels we have seen anywhere.
We really loved Santorini, it’s different, upmarket, beautiful and can be as fast or slow paced as you choose.
Santorini is an island for lovers and romantics – and probably why it’s a very popular honeymoon destination. Weddings are also increasing in popularity, and the team at Boutixury can help you with planning your special day in an unforgettable setting.
Top 10 things to do:
1. Sunsets - Try Amoudi Bay in Oia for an amazing view
2.Beaches - Perissa Beach - comes to life later in the day with some relaxed, cool bars
3.Red Beach, Fira - Volcanic beach, possibly the most beautiful on the island
4.Winery - a few to choose from, including the Boutari Winery in Perissa, and the Santo Winery in Pyrgos
5.The Ancient ruins of Thira
6.Thirasia, Oia - step back in time for a sneek at traditional Greeek village
7.Swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni
8.Go fishing - join a boat trip and try your hand at the catch of the day
9.Diving - Santorini has some dive sites that are great for beginners or more experienced
10.Relax - Santorini has much to do but our favourite pastime is to sit back, soak up the sun and enjoy the views.