Villa Imerovigli - Santorini

A beautifully restored villa consisting of 2 separate units on the edge of the cliff with breathtaking views over the Caldera.

Our personal review (visited 2010)

Imerovigli is one of the major attractions Santorini has to offer. The traditional houses built right on the edge of the 300 meter high cliff are a unique experience worldwide. The narrow footpaths that constantly seem to end around the next corner, mysteriously always continue and one of them leads to this old but elegantly restored "Yposkafo", a traditional wine cellar and workshop built into the rock.

You enter the property from above, down a few stairs onto the veranda of the upper floor. The view is so stunning, you don't even want to focus on the villa. Only after having soaked up the first impression, will you turn around and focus on the veranda with its outdoor sitting area and the round outdoor Jacuzzi. French doors lead into the upper floor of the villa. A tiny kitchenette is fitted into a small corner, barely enough to make a coffee. Down a curved staircase, the visitor is taken into the comfortable double bedroom with a small toilet. It does have a shower but using this shower will flood the "bathroom", so you are more likely to use the one downstairs.

Like all the classified traditional Santorini "Canavas", their cave like construction requires a constant flow of air to avoid humidity from collecting on the walls and thus creating damage to the interior. The positive effect and reason for this traditional architecture is, that the climate and temperature remains the same throughout the year. No matter how hot it may get, inside you won't need an air-condition. The upper and lower floor of the villa are therefore connected through a round opening in the bedroom of the upper floor. Despite ventilation, it also offers a wonderful view from your bed through the large french doors of the lower floor and out onto the Aegean Sea.

From the veranda, another staircase leads down onto the larger veranda of the main living area. A large sun-bed tempts you to relax with this amazing view and probably even sleep outside.

Inside, a spacious living-area with dining table awaits you. To one side, a little kitchen is at your disposal if you want to try and cook some of the amazing local recipes yourself. Then again, you are probably well advised to enjoy those dishes cooked by one of the many fantastic restaurants just outside your door. Santorini has absolutely amazing food. The dry, rough climate, spoiled by too much sun for most plants, produces some super tasty tomatoes, wine and herbs as well as a few other unique ingredients like "Fava", a yellow kind of lentil. It would be foolish not to experience the Santorini food in the plethora of restaurants around.

The bedroom - all white - is pretty much part of the living area, only symbolically separated by a pillar. A wise decision of the architect, because this way the view is delivered to your bed.

Further into the cave is the bathroom. Decent sized, with shower, toilet, bidet and sink. If you don't close the door, you can actually have a shower with view over the Aegean Sea!!

Access: The villa is reached on foot (100 meters) from the village square with central parking area. You won't need to worry about your luggage, a porter will take care of that. One rental car is included in the price and can be parked at the square.

Suitability: Since the 2 floors are only connected via an external staircase, I don't consider this villa suitable for families with small children. The children could walk off without the parents taking notice. Since the upper bedroom has a window looking into the living area of the lower floor, the 2 units are not totally independent and privacy is limited. Therefore I suggest this villa for one couple, a couple with elder children or 2 couples that don't mind sharing the facilities.

Distances from the villa to: Fira 2 km, Oia 10 km