When it comes to exclusivity and luxury, good things really do come in small packages. The Ikies Traditional Houses boutique hotel in Santorini has only 11 rooms. But its size only adds to the feeling of solitude, inspiration and personal service as I found out during my recent stay there…
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Created from charming cave houses sculpted one on top of another, each individually-designed room takes full advantage of breathtaking views of Santorini’s most famous beauty spot, the caldera. I stayed in The Fisherman’s House maisonette, so called because the caves were once lived in by a captain and his crew.
Sitting at pool level, it has a queen-size bed upstairs on the mezzanine level, which looks down onto the living area. The décor is the traditional blue and white of Santorini’s sugar-cube houses mixed with ocean-themed artwork. But the real star attraction of The Fisherman’s House is its private terrace, which has uninterrupted views over the caldera and the impossibly pretty village of Oia.
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Breakfast is served here on the terrace’s marble-top table. It’s an impressive array of fresh fruit and the creamiest, most delicious Greek yogurt I have ever tasted.
Sitting here, it’s easy to see why many believe Santorini is Atlantis, the lost island paradise said to have been sunk beneath the ocean by gods, angry at the inhabitants’ immortality.
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Because Ikies sits on the edge of Oia, the hotel is not only tranquil but enjoys views of the village’s white houses with their blue shutters as they tumble down, almost to the edge of the caldera. Blue-domed churches and bars and restaurants overhanging the crater itself complete the picture-postcard scene.
It takes some willpower to tear myself away from the terrace, which must surely have the most spectacular view anywhere on the island. But the village itself is just begging to be explored. A tangle of white-washed houses perched on the crater rim, it’s no wonder Oia has attracted artists inspired by its natural beauty and architecture. You can easily while away a morning browsing around the galleries and picking up a hand-crafted memento to take home with you.
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Santorini’s beaches are also spectacular. The answer to the joke that goes: “What’s black and white and red all over” could be the beaches of this unique island rather than the usual reply of a newspaper or a sunburnt penguin. Because of Santorini’s geology, you can lie on sands of different colour hues.
The nearest beach to Oia is Katharos , just a 15-minute walk from the village. Tucked away between rocks and cliffs, it’s never crowded so you can find your own peaceful spot on its black volcanic sands. The island’s red beach, which is usually the busiest, and the white beach are further down the coast, past Fira, Santorini’s capital, where you’ll find more restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
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But Oia is Santorini’s real gem: a calm paradise with stunning views at every turn. We grab lunch in the village’s small bay – the freshest fish, landed just a few hours ago, washed down with local wine. Later we satisfy our newly-acquired obsession with fresh tomato juice – sweet and fruity, the local tomatoes are completely unlike any I’ve tasted elsewhere.
But I can’t think of anywhere better to spend my last dinner than on the terrace. Staff at Ikies are only too happy to prepare a light and yet satisfying feast for you. Washing it all down with a crisp dry white wine, I raise a toast to Santorini’s famous sunset.
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As the sky turns from pristine turquoise to a medley of pinks and oranges, I vow it won’t be the last time I watch the sun set over Santorini’s caldera from my favourite spot here on Ikies’ terrace.
Photo credits: Ikies Traditional Houses, LHI blogger Rajul.