If you want to experience authentic Greek hospitality this is the place. Dina and Manolis treated us like visiting cousins. They arranged a 6:00 am pick up from the airport and ten minutes later, Dina met us at the top of the laneway that led to their cluster of three cave house apartments. Since the apartment was ready, Dina kindly offered for us to stay and suggested a snooze until 8:00 when we had our first delicious breakfast in the little courtyard.

The apartments are newly restored and care has been taken to provide comfortable, private and restful accommodation. The lace curtains and traditional Greek embroidered and crocheted bedcovers are beautiful. The apartment was immaculately clean with fresh white towels every day. Cave houses are designed to let breezes blow through, but there was A/C if needed. A small fridge and two-burner stove makes it easy to prepare a meal, but Dina will happily make you one of her traditional Greek specialties.

We came to Santorini for a family wedding and chose Messaria to be close to the chapel then discovered it was the perfect location for everything. We chose the cave house apartment after staying in one on our first trip to Oia.

Emmantina’s Houses is an easy five-minute walk along walled laneways into the town where we found everything (except ATM). There are a few rented places but mostly private family homes, giving the feel of community, which we prefer to more touristic places. The ‘local traffic’ along the laneway includes donkeys and when we’d hear the bells we’d run out to catch a picture.

Check out Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum, five minutes away, which was fascinating and ended with a wine tasting. Try Postalia by the fire station just before town for wine or ouzo and mezes. The locals are there and ‘the captain’ is a warm and welcoming host.

The bus for Kamari beach runs every 20 minutes from the main terminal in Fira and stops at Messaria. It travels about 15 minutes through the lower vineyards to the amazing black sand beach where there are organized loungers, shops, cafés and tavernas along a pedestrian walkway. The bus to the airport (less than ten minutes away) is at the same stop. The airport is below Messaria so you don’t hear the planes even though it is close.

If you prefer to rent a quad or car, Dina or Manolis will make arrangements and get you the best prices. We used the coach that picked us up at the airport several times to transport the wedding party.

After our first trip to Santorini when I heard my mate speak his native Greek, I knew Greece was home and we moved here – near Athens. So when we travel we look for the traditional. Dina’s and Manolis’ are perfect hosts - friendly and helpful but respectful of privacy. Emmantina’s Houses are convenient and charming and capture all the warmth that makes Greece the #1 tourist destination.