Aigialos

Santorini is a place that doesn’t need much introduction — the question is simply which blinding white cliffside villa you’ll choose as your home base for your time overlooking the deep blue waters of the Aegean. Among the classics is Aigialos, in the island’s capital (one hesitates to use the word “city”) of Fira.

It’s a collection of antique villas from the eighteenth and nineteenth century, each one updated and renovated but hardly redesigned — the charm here is in the traditional architecture, the original period detailing, and the classic antiques and furnishings throughout. Floors and bathrooms are marble, and balconies and terraces look out over the caldera, inside the arc of this crescent-shaped island. As views go, it’s hard to think of many better ones, and Aigialos likes to boast that it’s privy to the world’s loveliest sunset — and they may have a point.

Room service is available round the clock, a surprise in a hotel this sleepy and a town this small. There’s a pool as well, but not much more than that — Aigialos, and Santorini in general, is for getting away from it all, and a hike down to the black sand beach or a stroll into town for dinner is about as hectic as it gets.

Please note: Aigialos is open seasonally, May through October.

How to get there:
Santorini (Thira) can be easily reached by plane or ferry. Flight time from Athens is approximately 45 minutes. Ferries from Athens' Pireaus port to Thira take approximately 3 hours.