My husband and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary by traveling to Greece next spring for the first time. We need advice on where to stay in Santorini. We want to see the sunset from our hotel balcony or veranda and prefer to stay in luxury quarters. Which is the best hotel in Santorini and which side of the island is best for viewing the sunsets -- Fira or Oia? Please advise. Thanks.

The best location is in Oia at the Oia Castle Hotel. 5-star beautiful decor and fantastic views of the sunset. Also check Esperas and Fanari Villas.

To Brotherleelove2004

Thank you so much for your quick response. My husband and I just checked out the website for the Oia Castle Hotel and it's exactly what we're looking for. We loved it so much that we're already in the process of booking.
You're terrific! Thanks again!

Unless the solar system has changed since yesterday, the WEST side of any landmass usually works best for sunset.

Both Oia and FIra are on the West side of the island -- but Oia has the fancier hotels.

To Travelerjan

Wow! You must be having a bad day!
While I maybe should have just kept my question to which is a better location for sunsets (more luxury resorts), aside from pointing out the obvious (west vs east side), your sarcastic response was neither helpful nor appreciated.

YoConn004

Reading many of Travelerjan's helpful and upbeat posts in the past, I expect that her post was intended to be a bit more "tongue-in-cheek" than sarcastic.

You won't go wrong with Oia Castle. We came close to booking there when we went in May this year, but eventually decided to go a bit more budget. We made a point of checking it out however when we were in Oia and the location can't be beat and the place is very cool and seems "tres chic". We stayed at Ikies for our first visit in [05 when we were in Oia for a week. Oia is near the southern end of the settlement (whereas Oia Castle is at the north end) and it was fabulous. We would also recommend Ikies (The Winemaker's Suite was awesome)if you are looking for another alternative.

The Caldera view itself is what makes Oia so romantic and amazing. The sunsets are indeed great, no mistaking it, but we prefered the tranquility and view on the private balcony in the evenings with a glass of wine and the stars above. Looks like you'll get all this AND a sunset on the balcony if you go for Oia Castle. In any event, with Oia you've picked a great place for your 30th.

We were there for our 20th Anniversary a couple of years back and one of our most memorable evenings was a specacular private romantic sunset-for-two on the hillside. At the far end of the settlement (about a 15-20 minute walk from Oia Castle along the main walkway), after passing the water treatment plant (not so beautiful!) a small hotel complex and a couple of caves, is the start of the hiking trail above Oia that follows the Caldera to Fira. (The trail is easily visible leading up to the little white church.) Up here you see all the way west and east (towards the north)and the other nearby islands are easily visible.

One evening (when I first discovered the trail) I was struck with the impromptu romantic idea of a private sunset party-for-two. Rather than joining the crowds of tourist herding to the north point of Oia for the evening sunset ritual, I grabbed a bottle of wine, a couple of glasses and dragged my bewildered wife up the hill side. Just a few meters beyond a small lovely blue-domed church on the hill south of Oia (you will see it above the town when you are there) we stopped and turned around to discover a spectacular panorama spread out below. All by ourselves (well almost - there was a donkey grazing nearby), in an almost surreal peaceful silence, we sat on a rock wall, surrounded by wild thyme and sage, sipping a glass of wine and watched an incredible sunset play out before us. It felt like we were being treated to our own private IMAX movie. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this opportunity in Oia – but this is a great idea if you are there for a few days on your 30th. I got some incredible pictures that evening. (We have a review posted on the Tripadvisor site for Ikies back in May 05, with 1 or 2 photos of the sunset view from up there). We timed it right so that we were back down the trail before the light was gone and into Oia (where there is plenty of light for a stroll back to your hotel)

Lucky you on your 30th! You will have an awesome time. Our week in Oia was one of the most romantic, and relaxing weeks we've enjoyed.

Cheers

Dave

Dave,
Your descriptions of your experiences in Oia made me feel like I was already there. I will print out your response and take it with us so that we can re-trace your steps and hopefully have ourselves a great time.
Thank you so much!