Overall, this was a pleasant stay at an affordable price! Popi was very accommodating and did scheduled housekeeping to keep the stay in great condition.
Bring house slippers or extra socks if your feet tend to get cold. There aren't rugs in the stay, and the stone floor can be chilly. The A/C worked very well, and with the shutters closed it stayed fairly dark inside for sleeping, if you prefer that.
Getting There:
If you're entering Emporio from the airport, you'll need to turn left off the main road at a restaurant called "Stavros". if you remember this turn, then you really just need to drive up, staying left on each side street, until you reach the "Timedrops" stays. The parking lot will be on the right nearby. Popi will direct you, but it will be helpful to know the turn at Stavros.
The pros:
You are in a local town, and it's great for getting immersed in the culture of Santorini. You're very central, and in the buggy (UTV) we rented, we were 20 minutes from pretty much everything on the island.
There are a ton of local "stray" cats. If you run into a very friendly Grey tabby with yellow eyes, we jokingly nicknamed him Costas. He enjoyed spending time outside with us while we relaxed.
The cons:
The jacuzzi only got a couple hours of sunlight during the day. Meaning it didn't really get to a "hot" temperature, but it was still refreshing after a day walking around.
The bed was squeaky. Not meaning in a "let's get it on" kind of way, I mean just turning over at night. It wasn't a soft plushy bed, so we did a lot of tossing and turning. We would both recommend earplugs.
On the earplug note, go in with a hope that none of the neighbors at any of the other stays in the area are going to be rowdy. There were a couple of nights where we had some loud neighbors, or could just hear a neighbor having breakfast and plates clinking out on their balcony. Earplugs will REALLY help!
The Food:
We enjoyed food in Emporio from Spitaki and Babatsiko. The Old Barber Shop was a decent meal with a nice view, but wasn't our favorite in town.
Outside of town, we HIGHLY recommend the Charoula Canteen next to the Akrotiri Lighthouse. The food was good, and the family that runs the stand, and their puppies, are very nice. We tried a dinner at Metaxi Mas, but were generally unimpressed with it (I have heard more good than bad though, so don't take our word on it).
Other Local Notes:
Take the time to stroll the boardwalk in Perissa, and be sure to stop at a little stall on the corner near the Aquarius restaurant to have the older gentleman there make you a crepe. He was very nice and we made a point to stop by every time we went to the beach.
The Akrotiri Ruins were a fun experience, and worth the drive. Also highly recommend the hike from Fira to Oia. It was warm, but we really enjoyed the views. Stop by the Open Air Cinema in Kamari, and check out the Donkey brewing company. Kamari Beach was like Perissa, just a little more crowded.
There's plenty to do, and we would highly recommend stopping at local food joints and avoiding the "tourist trap" restaurants if you're trying to save some money. We had better meals for $30 than we did for $70, and we feel like we made some friends along the way.