Heliades Apartments

We chose the Superior Apartment - Split Level with Caldera View and loved how quiet and romantic Imerovigli was. The owners and staff were incredibly kind and helpful, including arranging taxis to and from the port and airport, which was convenient because the bus schedules, routes, and timings are a mess. Breakfast was fresh and brought to the balcony every morning, and the rooms were cleaned really well. WiFi was fine for light browsing and videos. There’s AC for the hot mid-afternoon, though most of the time we hardly needed it with the sea breeze. The property sits at one of the highest points along the route between Fira and Oia, so the views are beautiful and unobstructed. Amazing stay, highly recommend.

The private balcony was the biggest disappointment. It overlooked the caldera, but it wasn’t next to our standard apartment at all. It was around the corner, about 10 meters away, and nobody disclosed that until we arrived. The location of Heliades is close to the top, with good views and handy access to the restaurants behind and the main footways below. The split-level room was okay, but its steep, narrow steps felt like a ladder, and I was at risk of hitting my head on the low part of the curved roof. The bed and pillows were okay. There’s a handy living area with a small table, chairs, and sofa. The bathroom and shower are small, though the shower itself was good.

Olympia, the owner, was friendly and helpful, and we really enjoyed the great breakfast on our balcony. The apartment was simply amazing, with a breathtaking view from the balcony.

Olympia, the owner, even wrote down the recipe for her home-made orange jam for us, and you really should try it. Breakfast was brought daily to our “private” terrace. The rooms were very clean, and the personnel were kinder than I expected. We spent a week there with my girlfriend in June 2013. It’s a lovely mini-apartment with a breathtaking view, easy to reach and well connected to public transport, with a bus stop about 200 m away and a minimarket around 100 m away. I’d definitely recommend it.