Heliophos Boutique Caves

Finikia gave us an authentic Santorini stay, with the comfort of a home away from home and warm hospitality from Ilios and family. The boutique caves have been adapted from their medieval origins, and there was a kitchenette with enough equipment for me to put together plenty of hors d'oeuvres, despite my modest cooking skills. I enjoyed sitting on the patio terrace, soaking up the sunshine and watching the extraordinary sea view and blue sky, with a cool breeze. The rugged mountain landscape around Finikia has walking trails linking Oia and Fira. We took one of them, stopping along the way, and eventually reached Fira after about 15,500 steps. The sunset was captivating, with the sky turning bright shades of pink as dusk fell. I had more personal moments at HELIOPHOS than in the bustling commercial centre of Imerovigli.

This isn't a traditional hotel, but a beautiful set of traditional Greek caves, and Ms. Sophia was there the whole time to answer our questions. Three nearby restaurants were all delicious. Oia is a 20-minute walk away, and there's a bus stop about 10 minutes away; I'd recommend taking the bus. We stayed here for our honeymoon in Santorini and loved it. For getting picked up or dropped off with luggage, I'd suggest Pink Freud villas, followed by a simple four-minute walk.

It's a 20-minute walk to Oia and a 10-minute walk to the nearest bus stop. Just keep in mind that the bus schedule is very unpredictable. We loved staying in the caves, away from Oia's hustle and bustle. Sophia was an excellent host and welcomed us with orange juice.

Katrina was so kind and let me check in early because my flight got me there ahead of schedule. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and it was quiet. There’s a minimarket nearby, and the busy area is about a 20-minute walk away. I’ll definitely come back.