Santorini Villages
 

Hello all.
I noticed the majority of folks visiting Santorini have stayed in the northern villages (Oia, Fira, etc.). Has anyone stayed in the southern end of the island? There are a few hotels around the Akrotiri area that seem to offer the same wonderful views of the caldera with proximity to the archeological sites and popular beaches. What are your thoughts?

As long as you are looking for a quiet hotel away from everything, the Akrotiri area will be a good choice. It's truly at the far end of the planet as far as shopping and nightlife are concerned, but since everything is only a bus or taxi ride away, it might be a smart choice.

Thanks for the response. We are traveling with our six-month old son, so we were thinking about avoiding the hustle of the real touristy areas, at least for the nightime. We are looking at Atlantida hotel in Akrotiri. Has anyone stayed there,or have any other advice? Also, is public transport (taxis, buses) fairly to get for day trips to Oia, Fira, and the beaches?

Staying on the south end of the island will definitely allow you to avoid the crowds. Buses and taxis run all year long, but the schedule is less frequent during the off-season. Buses are cheaper by far, but for convenience you can take the taxi into Fira and then a bus to wherever else you want to go.

I don't know when you're planning to go to Santorini, but it may not be necessary for you to go all the way south to avoid crowds. Oia can be crowded but depending on where you're staying you'd never know it unless you were up walking in the center of the village. If you can find a room down the cliff a short ways you will feel very isolated, as there are no "streets", only small walkways that don't really go anywhere, so there's no reason for people to be there unless they're staying in that area.

There is a hotel, Villa Mathios, near Akrotiri that I've never stayed at, but it sounds wonderful for a budget hotel. Check if out at www.greecetravel.com.
When I was planning an extended family trip to Santorini, this was where we were going to stay; trip never happened, however.
I realize this isn't much to go on, but the photos look very nice and Matt Barrett, on his website above, gives it great reviews.