02 Apr Hidden Gem
This place is truly a hidden gem and is even better in real life than anything you’ll ever see or read about online. You won’t want to stay in Oia or Fira or anywhere else on the island if you come here. It’s off the beaten track, literally, at the the top of a hill giving 360 degree views of Santorini away from the maddening crowds. We stayed for 10 days B&B in a ground floor superior double room overlooking the pool with a sea view (all rooms have a sea view). The accommodation was delightful, decorated beautifully, contemporary yet in keeping with traditional design with all mod cons you’d expect from a 5* hotel. The service was absolutely first class, Thanos and Meni on reception couldn’t do enough for us. They booked trips, restaurants, taxis and provided us with all the information we needed along with a smile and great sense of humour. Jasper, our wonderful bar man and waiter, was the icing on the cake! What a character! We will miss his wonderful, funny stories from afar whilst enjoying his unique cocktails at the pool bar as the sun went down. All that and then there’s the sunset…oh my, there are no words to describe it! Just sit on the rock overlooking the caldera with a glass of wine and watch the sun dissolve into the sea! The sunset here was even better than on our boat trip and you don’t have the many tourists who gather for it in Oia!You’ll need a good pair of sandals and be prepared to do some walking if you don’t hire a car as this place is on the top of a hill with a 15 minute downhill walk into Akrotiri where there are some lovely tavernas and local buses to get you to all other parts of the island. We hired a car for 4 days which was enough for us to explore the island. However, the hotel can arrange transportation so a car is not essential. Finally, the hotel s restaurant was very good, breakfast served on the terrace was superb and there’s room service too.This was our first time to Santorini and it far exceeded our expectations as did Kalestesia Suites. We didn’t want to leave and we will be back!