By its very nature Oia is a very intimate experience - in more ways than one! With villas and tiny houses clinging to the volcanic cliff-face - one stacked upon another - its no wonder that Oia is an ambassadorial settlement portraying the very essence of all the beautiful islands of Greece, not just Santorini.
Anyone staying in Oia will accept that this beauty and intimacy comes at a price. Consequentially, most people who stay here understand the code of keeping the neighbourly peace and privacy. Unfortunately coach loads of visiting Cruiser tourists don’t quite get it.
The very heart of the Oia - for that picture postcard image - sits directly above Maria’s Villa Marina-Volcano View and the only solution to the problem of noisy multitudes is acceptance. Mid-mornings and sunsets are usually the peak times for the visitors but you’ll have to expect a continuous stream of the noisy masses throughout the day. Another thing to watch out for are an unusually large number of Drones. We had a wake-up call from one particularly large one at 7am in the morning! Imagine a mosquito the size of a fruit bat and you get the idea. Unfortunately, my sister - distracted by yet another drone –tripped over the back patio step and bruised herself very badly. We would now request that the edges of the small raised patio be painted white. Even the installation of small LED step lights would be a good idea. The whole floor area of the patio is painted grey and at times (particularly in the evenings) there’s no way of distinguishing where the two different levels occur. Of course there are steps everywhere in Oia, but some steps are painted so ingeniously and ethically in grey & white that I’m sure it helps avoid such unnecessary accidents.
The villa has a stunning view of Oia and plenty of space for 9, if you really want, but a kitchen with standing room for one, at best two people. The showers are hand held affairs, and one toilet seat kept falling at the most inappropriate times, but a wonderful lady came every day to clean the villa, tidy up and refresh the towels. This made a huge difference to our stay.
Lastly, the plot behind Maria’s villa has either collapsed or been demolished for a new villa. Either way it’s not the most attractive part of the view, but Maria did say that renovation is due to start in November, so this eyesore may only be a temporary one. By the way, the outdoor lighting is a little harsh and could benefit immensely from having some dimmer switches for that lovely intimate candle-lit ambience.
Despite these few dissatisfactions we still had a wonderful time in the villa and Oia, and can still recommend the place to anyone thinking of staying. The views from the patio were simply breath taking! Thank you Maria for a good stay. The Villa Marina-Volcano View was amazing.
Warm regards, Paul