Yes, shops restaurants and hotels are spread out all along the village from one end to the other.

Are you planning your holidays to Santorini ?If you are looking for accommodation in this very unique environment then our private, self-catering, traditional cave house is at a perfect location in Oia, with some steps (reasonable) and an absolutely breathtaking view. Our place is a perfect escape for couples who seek privacy – where they can enjoy the private terrace and the pool by themselves. For more information and date arrangements, contact us by e-mail: [email protected]

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My wife and I stayed at Esperas in September and it was wonderful. Great pool, relaxed atmosphere, very quiet but just a short walk to the shops and restaurants. Sunset views to die for.

We loved Vocano Villas ( that I learned about from brotherleelove) and were there last june:

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/8...BEC442FB9.html

As you can see by the pictures we liked the big terrace and spent most of our time outside lounging and enjoying the exquisite scenery.

Even though we had a child and lucked out meeting another family with twin boys the same age there, what stuck us the most was the profound peace and beauty there. Mostly there were just couples and people were off doing things, so the pool was mostly empty. Breakfasts were yummy, but simple and included.

It is really cheap to rent a car in Santorini and well worth doing. The buses are also very good ( although we never ended up taking them even though we stayed a month in Santorini).

They have small kitchens in Volcano Villas.

It is not very busy in June ( we did not book ahead) so if you do not like one place, you can very easily look at others and book that.

With a killer view of the caldera and its peace and beauty...it will be hard not to fall in love with Santorini.

Cheryllj - Can I ask you what made you finally pick Strogili for your upcoming trip to Oia?

My husband and I are really leaning towards trying a traditional cave house or even a smaller establisment, rather than a larger typical hotel. But we're having the hardest time deciding on which atmosphere we might like better. We really plan to just kick back on our terrace and enjoy the view and the sun which is why its really important that we have more than a small balcony and that they offer some nice lounging chairs.

Does anyone know if the hotels offer anything special that the smaller places don't such as live cultural music by the pool maybe? Not that I'm looking for a party scene, but just some ambience....

As far as I know the hotels don't offer any sort of entertainment like that, but a few like Kirini, Katikies, Alexander's and I think possibly Perivolas Villas, offer some spa treatments, wine tastings and private dining for their guests. Because of the privacy factor these services are not available to someone staying at a different hotel.

Wine tastings are good. I remember reading about one that had that, but can't remember which one. Or maybe it was just a winery in the area that has that?

Sigalas Winery in Oia offers wine tastings, but so do Kirini Hotel and Katikies Hotel.

I spent five days at Aris Caves last Sept. and enjoyed it thoroughly. IMHO, units #2 and 7# have the best view. #7 is the most private, being at the bottom of the stairs with no one walking by. Unit #2 is closer to the main terrace. Both have a good-size terrace with a table, parasol and chairs. Aris C has no pool but you can go for a swim down below at Amoudi. I liked the location of Aris Caves. Everything is close by.

Thanks travginny. I am trying to decide between Defini Villa Cave House Suite because it has a jacuzzi-but costs more, Volcano Villas because it has a pool, Lava Oia for its quaintness-but not sure of the smaller patio on the studio they have available, and I'm still waiting to hear from Strogili. The other one I was considering was Aris Caves so it's good to get your feedback on it. In looking again at their pictures on their website, I assume #7 is the one at the bottom then where it shows three patios going down in a row?

loves2sing: Yes, #7 is the one at the bottom of the row. Very private. The view is stunning!

<i>Cheryllj - Can I ask you what made you finally pick Strogili for your upcoming trip to Oia?</i>

loves2sing: It came down to what was available and what fit our needs.

Aris Caves only had studios available on our dates, and we wanted a suite/apartment that had a sitting area, plus at least two beds (we are two friends, not a couple, so one double bed doesn't work for us).

In the end, it was between Strogili and Delfini, and we went with Strogili because it has a pool. It probably will be too cold to swim in May, but we figured it would be nice to drink wine while sitting by the pool.

Thanks Cheryl, I am going in June so I think I really want a pool too. We have a pool here at home and its hard for me to even think about laying out in the sun without somewhere to dip in. I have received info back from everyone but Strogili so far, so I'm anxious to hear from them to see what they might have available.

It sounds like you and your friend are going to have a great time! I can't wait to hear all about your trip. My best friend and I are going on a vacation together next year. We were hoping to go this year but she just started a new job so she can't go until next year. We have known each other for 40 years (we met when we were 5) and while we have taken a few shorter local trips together, as well as family trips together, this will be our first European trip together alone and we're soooo looking forward to it. She's never been to Italy (although I have) and she really wants to go there. But I am trying to talk her into maybe considering Turkey instead, maybe even on a gulet blue cruise for part of the trip. We are both very active, adventurous and love to meet new people. Have you and your friend gone on any other trips together?

Cheryl, I heard back from Strogili and they have the one bedroom cave house available for 165E that you booked also. Did they happen to indicate to you on their pictures which room or veranda it is? Any idea of its location in Oia?

Have a look at this map:

http://tinyurl.com/yovlqw

Strogili is in Section 14, 2nd row up from the bottom near the phone booth icon.

Thanks for the map! Is the yellow road across the top the driving road? And is the white path near the bottome the pedestrian path? Is there any one area that most of the shops and restaurants are located? Are they above or below the yellow road? Also, can you tell me where Volcano Villa's, Delfini, and Lava Oia's are? Sorry, lots of questions...but I truly appreciate your help!

No, they didn't indicate if we are getting one of the apartments in the photos, but I believed we confirmed that it was on the lower level with a private balcony.

Yes, the yellow road is the driving road and the white ones are the pedestrian pathways.

The area where most of the restaurants and shops are located is between Sections 3-10. Almost all are below the yellow road.

Volcano's Villas is in Section 16 (or 17 if it were there).

Delfini is in Section 11, 2nd row up from the bottom.

I can't remember for certain where Lava Oia's is located but I think it's in the same general area as Delfini. Just don't hold me to it!

A follow-up to my earlier comments: We are back from our stay at the Strogili houses in Oia, and it was fantastic.

Staying in Oia was definitely the right choice for us, so peaceful and quiet. Fira looked like a zoo by comparison. And I can't imagine going to Santorini and staying somewhere without a caldera view. That was pretty much the whole point of our visit and we made the most of it.

The view from our private terrace was so wonderful that my friend who was traveling with me never wanted to leave the room. She just wanted to camp out on the terrace, reading a book and enjoying the <i>mysterious caldera</i>. And it was nice being served breakfast right there on our own private terrace without having to get out of our pj's -- at any time we wanted between 6 and 10.

It was quite warm -- hot, even -- when we were there (May 19-23) and my friend was very glad to have the pool for sunbathing and swimming. The pool is shared with Rimida Villas, but very few people were using it. On the first day she shared it only with one other couple and the second day she had it all to herself for several hours. It's not the infinity pool they have at Katikies, but it's quite large and with a great view and ample chair space, etc.

The downside to the Strogili was that there wasn't much in the way of &quot;service&quot; to speak of. There is daily maid service and of course they serve you breakfast, but other than that, you're pretty much on your own. Which didn't bother us, but some people might need more assistance with things.

Also, there isn't a whole lot of hot water. Once we realized that, we were fine and could make do, but the first day it was annoying to run out of hot water so quickly. (But the bathroom was so much nicer than our two previous hotels on Naxos and Mykonos that we weren't complaining. The Strogili bathroom and especially the shower felt luxurious by comparison.)