Virginia's Cave Villas

BEWARE We booked one of the priciest cave villas for a luxury trip and a special occasion, but what we got was the opposite. When we arrived, the maid had just finished cleaning, and the whole place, inside and out, was soaking wet. Every surface had a strong chemical odor, like bleach mixed with turpentine. It stung my nose and made my eyes water. I had a small cut on my toe, and walking across the wet floor barefoot made it burn badly. Santorini is all about the views, and the island’s are spectacular. Ours was spoiled by what looked like a junk storage area, full of old bike wheels, ladders, broken chairs, and other discarded stuff. It also seemed like the maid might have been staying there. There was a washing line with clean linen hanging from it, too. Noise from that little room carried to our terrace while we were trying to get a quiet break from the busy main streets. The maid was clanging around for hours, and it sounded like laundry and pots and pans being washed. Then, on the second day, I developed a horrible rash all over my body. The itching and stinging were unbearable. I found little round white balls scattered around the villa, including inside the sun loungers, near the hot tub, and in the plant pots. I learned these were naphthalene balls, which can be highly dangerous for people with an allergy to naphthalene exposure. They can cause skin irritation, dermatitis, breathing problems, stomach issues, and liver and kidney problems. If the property knew about these risks, why scatter the balls around the villa? I also read that they can be especially dangerous for pregnant people and young children. We weren’t in either group, but the next guests could be, and that’s the main reason I’m writing this. The rash ruined my whole holiday. I was so uncomfortable I couldn’t even sleep in the bed, and it lasted the whole trip. I had to take two weeks off work to recover. When I raised all this with a manager, they refused to do anything and said I couldn’t prove it. I took photos, and I think those should be enough proof. Please be aware of these problems if you’re thinking of booking this villa. It wasn’t what I expected.