The location of this airbnb was in the midst of all the action in Oia, which was very convenient. The outdoor patio space looking out into the sea was also very scenic. As much as we wanted to love this truly authentic Santorini cave house experience, there were several major problems with the property that future guests should consider before booking.
Firstly, the front door does not lock properly. The porter who help us with our bags showed us how to lock and unlock the front door and also noticed that even when locked, the door could be pushed open with a bit of force. He dismissed the issue. The property is relatively secluded and down a lot of steps so we figured it would be okay and just took our valuables with us when we went out.
Secondly, there are many bugs in the property. We saw a live cockroach in the kitchen and a dead cockroach in the foot of one of the beds. Ants got into one of our suitcases and were found in a swarm under one pillow. We could also feel them crawling on us at night. There's quite a lot bugs in Santorini due to the warm climate so we also decided just to deal with it.
Thirdly, there were many problems with the electricity. On our first afternoon when we were all sleeping, there was a loud popping sound and the electricity went out. We tried switching the circuit breakers back on but the electricity remained off. The host kindly sent someone to the property quickly. They did the same thing we did with the circuit breakers and the electricity came back. This indicates that the problem is probably with a faulty fuse and requires the help of an electrician.
On the second afternoon, the same thing happened and the host replied promptly that someone will drop by to help fix the issue, however no one showed up in the end. We went out for dinner and the host said they sent someone when we were gone, but when we returned, the electricity was still out. The host said it was too late to send anyone, so we spent our last night in Santorini in almost complete darkness--with only 1 working plug to charge our devices, a front door that doesn't lock, and ants crawling on us as we slept.
We called Airbnb about all of these issues and Airbnb refunded us 30% of our booking fee as well as the cleaning fee. The next day, our host said "Money is great! God is just!" which we assume to be sarcasm.
Yes, this is truly an authentic Santorini cave house experience in a great location and scenic views of the caldera and the waters, but please know what you're getting yourself into when you book.