Greece - Korina Miller [346]
SLEEPING
Oia Youth Hostel ( 22860 71465; www.santorinihostel.gr; dm incl breakfast €17; May–mid-Oct; ) One of the cleanest and best-run hostels you’ll hope to find. It has better facilities than some hotels. There’s a small bar and a lovely rooftop terrace with great views. Internet is €2 per hour. To find the hostel, keep straight on from the bus terminus for about 100m.
Chelidonia ( 22860 71287; www.chelidonia.com; Nikolaou Nomikou; studios €155, apt €170-205, ste €220-230; ) Traditional cliffside dwellings that have been in the owner’s family for generations offer a grand mix of old and new at Chelidonia. Buried beneath the rubble of the 1956 earthquake, the rooms have been lovingly restored. Modern facilities are nicely balanced by the occasional fine piece of traditional furniture and each unit has a kitchenette. Some places are reached by several flights of steps.
Perivolas ( 22860 71308; www.perivolas.gr; ste €505-1590; ) Ultimate caldera-edge accommodation at over-the-edge prices. This is one of Greece’s most renowned hotels, however, and features beautiful rooms with vaulted ceilings, individual terraces and kitchenettes. Breakfast, of rare quality, is included. There’s a Wellness Studio, bar and restaurant and the infinity pool has graced the cover of Condé Nast Traveller magazine. You know where you’re at…
EATING & DRINKING
Thomas Grill ( 22860 71769; €7-15) Tucked into the alleyway that leads up from the bus terminus, this Oia institution serves down-to-earth Greek favourites, including its noted signature dish, stuffed pork.
218 degrees ( 22860 71801; dishes €8-15) Opened in 2009 and little sister to Oia’s top restaurant, 1800, a great caldera-edge location at this stylsih place enhances such dishes as steamed mussels with ouzo, fresh tomatoes and herbs. It’s open all day for breakfast, lunch, coffee and drinks.
Nectar ( 22860 71504; €8-18) Quality cuisine, creative salads and main dishes such as chicken with figs, plus some seriously fine wines, ensure a rewarding meal at this bright eatery.
Skala ( 22860 71362; Nikolaou Nomikou; dishes €8-19) Watch life pass up and down to Ammouda from the high ground of Skala’s lovely terrace. Subtle international touches enhance the traditional Greek dishes here, such as rabbit stifadho (sweet stew cooked with tomato and onions) and chicken fillet stuffed with mushrooms. The mezes are special. Try the cheese pies with added onion and pine nuts.
Ambrosia ( 22860 71504; www.ambrosia-nectar.com; mains €24-31) A top Oia restaurant, Ambrosia presents a swath of handsome dishes from starters of Santorini fava purée with grilled octopus and caramelised onions to lobster veloute, sautéed crawfish and cream of sea urchin, or millefeuille of veal fillet layered and roasted with tomatoes and goat’s cheese and smoked aubergine purée. The wine list matches it all.
Megalahori Μεγαλωχωρ
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Signposts on the main road to Perissa and Akrotiri indicate the ‘traditional settlement’ of Megalohori village amid what at first seems a fairly dull landscape. Turn off, however, to parking at the entrance to the village and then descend gently on foot into an older Santorini, passing unvarnished old houses and beneath a church belltower that straddles the street. At the heart of Megalahori are a pleasant little square and a handsome church with a little pebble-surfaced enclave and war memorial. There are a few cafes and tavernas and the signposted Gavalas Winery is worth a visit for its traditional ambience.
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SANTORINI WINES
Santorini’s lauded wines are its crisp, clear dry whites, such as the delectable Assyrtico, and the amber-coloured, unfortified dessert wine Vinsanto. Most local vineyards hold tastings and tours.
A worthwhile visit is to Santo Wines ( 22860 22596; www.santowines.gr; Pyrgos) where you can sample a range of wines and browse a shop full of choice vintages as well as local products including fava, tomatoes, capers and preserves.