A&V Sea View Villa

Eugenia made our May stay easy from the start. She kept in touch about our flight arrival and hire car pickup so she could meet us at A&V Villa, then gave us a full tour. She was generous with local tips, restaurants and parking suggestions. The villa has three main bedrooms plus a separate lower flat with a double bed, sofa, TV and washing machine. It was spotless despite the wind and volcanic dust, thanks mainly to Dora, the housekeeper. She made breakfast on our first two days, with simple, tasty dishes, some cooked at home, at whatever time we asked. We hadn’t realized breakfast was included, so it was a lovely surprise when Argie, a local winery head chef, prepared the last three mornings. My daughters raved about the rocket and mushroom salad. Dora also washed laundry on site each morning. Basic supplies included filter coffee, milk, salt, pepper, oil, herbs and water for the first day. You’ll need to buy more water if you don’t want to drink the salty tap water. We had one cool, lightly rainy day, but still enjoyed the villa: chilly pool, warm hot tub, fantastic sunrises, BBQ, balconies, several outdoor sitting areas and indoor sofas for Netflix at night. It’s centrally placed, about 20 minutes by car from both Oia and Akrotiri. Hire a car to stay here and get around the island. Past the handy Lidl, there’s a fantastic new family-run restaurant, To Tsoukali!, just to the right of the main road entrance. A few small things could be fixed but didn’t spoil our stay. The downstairs shower holder was missing, so you have to hold the shower by hand. The hessian-rope-looking pool umbrellas were heavy, dusty and tired, and the pool deck slats and screws or nailheads need checking. The main lounge TV remote’s volume-down button didn’t work. I found a raised knob at the TV’s bottom left that controls the volume manually. Wi-Fi outside was patchy to nonexistent, but that was okay while enjoying the views and air. Buses were unreliable and didn’t always go where we wanted. Getting from Oia to Imerovigli meant changing buses in Fira, and even in mid-May we waited 30 minutes at midday to board from Oia to Fira. There aren’t many taxis, and rides everywhere, including on Uber, cost at least EUR 30 and were more likely EUR 40. One caution: the villa is at the island’s centre, not on the main road, so I’d plan transport accordingly.

Eugenia was an excellent hostess and made sure we had everything we needed. The villa was beautiful and comfortable for all five of us.

The outdoor space was the highlight for us, with a large pool and lots of places to sit and relax. The house itself is very large and comfortable, just what we wanted for a Santorini holiday. Dora came each morning to clean and make a wonderful breakfast with all sorts of Greek delicacies. Eugenia welcomed us, explained how everything in the house worked, and shared recommendations for places to visit and restaurants during our trip. They were all worth trying. The service was amazing, and I’d recommend this villa if you want to enjoy Santorini away from the crowds. It’s right in the middle of the island, so everywhere was a short drive away.

Eugenia was the best part of A&V Villa. She was patient, kind, professional and knowledgeable. We asked what to do during our seven days on the island, and she put together a fantastic itinerary that everyone enjoyed. She answered all our questions months ahead, kept communicating clearly and reliably while we were there, and arranged transfers for each activity, plus our last-minute dinners and outings. We got to know some of the regular drivers, too. Her suggestions made the trip memorable, and after seeing all parts of Santorini, I can’t recommend the villa, especially Eugenia, enough. The location suited us, right in the middle of the island and away from the busiest tourist areas, so getting around by car was easy. A grocery store was less than a ten-minute walk away, and we became regulars at the coffee shop near the top of the villa driveway. We had three couples, and the outdoor areas, including the back space and upstairs terraces, gave us room to spend time together or have privacy. The pool was refreshing and just the right temperature for the time of year. Bedrooms were a good size, beds comfortable, and there were three bathrooms, one for each couple. The downstairs shower was awkward, so we used the upstairs one for showers. The only ensuite was in the extra downstairs area, but it worked out. Breakfast was a lovely start to each day and so plentiful that we asked them to make less because we hated leaving any behind.