Margarita arranged a pickup despite arriving at 2:30am. Pothiti (the owner’s cousin and caretaker of the place) greeted us in the parking lot and gave us the keys, assisted with the luggage and gave us all the information we needed. Since it was so late, the next morning she returned and gave us more information including transportation rentals and the best places to swim and eat. We are so glad we took her advice and rented a smart car instead of a scooter or ATV. We drove all around the Island and I couldn’t imagine doing it in the heat on an ATV or be at the mercy of the drivers in Santorini. The driving is crazy!!!
The apartment is built in the traditional Greek style, but is quite modern. When we arrived we found a clean, tastefully decorated apartment with fruit and a bottle of wine. We were provided with clean towels, coffee, sugar, creamer, water and biscuits. The AC works like a charm. If you come during high season you will thank your stars for this.
Here’s where this place blew our mind. Every day, someone would come clean the apartment and replace the towels. That’s service. Wifi is provided and there is also internet available on the television. We mostly used it to get to the music channels. You will find friendly neighbors and a mix of travelers and locals. You will also find neighbors of the feline/dogs variety. They are all over Santorini and lend a certain amount of authenticity to the experience.
This place is a hidden gem and it’s clear that the owner and his cousin, Pothiti care about the guests and go out of their way to make sure that their guests are well taken care of. When we come back we will stay here again!
A few things:
1. Be prepared to walk. Even if you have a mode of transportation, you are still going to have to do some walking. Cars and transportation vehicles are not allowed in the village. There is a convenient parking lot where you can park your car rental, atv or scooter. You will have a five minute walk to the apartment.
2. Be prepared to walk in town. It’s only a 10 minute walk to Oia. Even though we had a car unless we were eating in Amoudi Bay, we left the car and walked. The evening walks and views from Oia are fantastic.
3. Charter a sunset cruise. It will change your life and we highly suggest Spiridakos Sailing Cruise w/ Captain Leo!
4. Have a sunset dinner in Ammoudi Bay at Sunset Tavern. Be sure to call them and reserve a table in the front by the water.