We stayed at Villa Sophia for 1 week at the end of September/beginning of October as a leg of our honeymoon. We had an AMAZING time! The villa and the hospitality provided by Takis and his concierges is unmatched. You truly get a luxury experience at this Airbnb.
First and foremost - the space! The villa in incredible. The private outdoor courtyard is the selling point for this Airbnb. We spent so much time lounging outside in the sun, swimming in the pool, and admiring views from the rooftop terrace. Note that the pool is not heated so if you’re here in off season it will be a bit chilly. Our timing was great and during the day the pool was very enjoyable. From the hammock to the cabana to the loungers, we spent so much time outside in this luxurious private space. There is daily maid service, routine pool service, etc. The house itself is a historic villa and was fascinating to stay in. There is great AC (via wall units), a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. The bathroom, kitchen, and outdoor dining room are located through one of the bedrooms, so if you stay here with more than 2 people just keep that in mind. The beds were very comfortable! The living room has a tv for chilly nights inside. The bathroom left a little to be desired but that’s the case with Santorini island plumbing. We stayed here for the private outdoor area and it was more than we could have asked for!
Next, the town! The town of Megalochori is lovely - truly! We did not want to stay in the hustle and bustle of Thira or Oia and intentionally picked a smaller town - we could not have been more pleased with that decision. Megalochori is small and intimate. In our week long stay we tried most of the restaurants and became regulars at Raki (located just 200ft down the road from the Airbnb). The town is close enough to everything (Santorini isn’t huge) and you can be almost anywhere on the island within a 20 minute drive. Since the villa comes with a car rental, that was no problem! We visited many places but loved our closeness to Akirotiri and Vlychada Beach. We loved staying in a smaller town that had a great atmosphere.
Lastly, the service! The service provided by Takis and his concierges was top notch. They made our stay in Santorini so memorable! They arranged our car rental (on them - we just had to pick it up at the airport upon landing). They provided detailed recommendations for all the best stops on the island. They booked our tours for a wine tour, a sunset sailboat tour, and a private cooking class. The private cooking class was the highlight of our 3 weeks in Greece - if offered, sign up for it!!! I can’t recommend it highly enough. Takis and his concierge were so attentive and helpful. They met us upon arrival, showed us around, gave us their recommendations, and provided routine communication throughout our stay. They booked our tours for us before arrival and provided all around wonderful service.
Our top recommendations if you stay here are for dining: Raki and Feggera in Megalochori. Things to do: Theros Wave Bar (we spent 3 full days here - it was amazing!), private cooking class at Feggera, visiting ancient Akirotiri, visiting Gavalas winery (about 50ft from the Airbnb - so close!), doing a sunset boat tour, and visiting the open air cinema in Kamari.
If you’re thinking about staying here, you can’t go wrong! We were here for a week and absolutely loved it.