The largest property in the family-owned Canaves Collection, set above Ammoudi just outside Oia: 53 suites and villas, each with a private pool and a sunset view, plus the largest rooftop pool in Santorini.
"The 2018 Canaves Collection flagship above Ammoudi, 53 suites and villas, every one with a private pool and the island's best sunset."
Why this rank: Canaves Oia Epitome opened in 2018 as the largest property in the family-owned Canaves Collection, set just outside Oia above Ammoudi, about two kilometres from the village with a complimentary shuttle. Its 53 suites and villas each have a private pool and uninterrupted sunset views, and the property holds Santorini's largest rooftop pool alongside two main infinity pools, set among gardens of 150-plus plant species and century-old olive trees in volcanic-stone architecture. Dining is led by the award-winning Elements (modern European with Greek influences) and Omnia (local fish and seafood), with The Sunset Lounge for drinks, and a spa, fitness centre and in-room treatments round out the wellness offer. Best for the honeymoon that wants privacy, a private pool and the sunset from the suite; the trade-off is the quieter setting a short shuttle from Oia rather than on the caldera-edge in the village.
Best room: a Honeymoon Suite with Plunge Pool, or an Epitome Pool Villa for more space.
"The largest property in the Canaves Collection, 53 suites and villas above Ammoudi just outside Oia, every one with a private pool and a sunset view, and the largest rooftop pool in Santorini."
Canaves Oia Epitome opened in 2018 as the largest property in the family-owned Canaves Collection, which also runs Canaves Oia Suites, Canaves Ena and Canaves Sunday. Rather than sitting on the caldera cliff in the centre of Oia, Epitome is set just outside the village above the fishing port of Ammoudi, roughly two kilometres from the centre, with a complimentary shuttle to Oia and Ammoudi. The trade is deliberate: a quieter, more private setting away from the crowds, while every suite and villa still faces the famous Santorini sunset.
The 53 suites and villas run from Honeymoon Suites and Pool Suites with private plunge pools up to one-, two-, three- and five-bedroom pool villas, every one with its own private pool (heated year-round) and a sunset view. The architecture is built from Santorini's volcanic stone, and the grounds are unusually green for the island, with more than 150 plant species and century-old olive trees brought from the Peloponnese. Beyond the in-room pools, the property has two large main infinity pools and the largest rooftop pool in Santorini.
Dining is led by Elements, the award-winning restaurant serving modern European cuisine with Greek influences against the sunset, and Omnia, which focuses on local fish and seafood; The Sunset Lounge handles drinks, and in-room and in-villa dining are available, including in-villa barbecue. The property keeps an intimate spa with a fitness centre and in-room treatments. Service runs to a high staff-to-guest ratio, the basis of the awards the hotel has collected since opening.
The setting above Ammoudi trades the walk-from-your-door immersion of central Oia for space, privacy and quiet, with a two-minute complimentary shuttle covering the gap to the village and to Ammoudi's waterside tavernas. Because the resort is not built directly into the cliffside, it is also more accessible on foot than the stair-heavy properties in the village. JTR airport is roughly a 25-minute drive, and the hotel keeps a private helipad within a five-minute drive.
For Santorini honeymoons that prioritise privacy, a private pool and space, Epitome is a strong fit. A Honeymoon Suite with Plunge Pool is the central booking; a one- or two-bedroom Pool Villa is the step up. Dinner at Elements at sunset is the set piece, with in-villa dining handling the quiet nights in.
For a Santorini proposal, a private-pool villa with an unobstructed sunset view, and a sunset table at Elements or on your own terrace, gives the moment its setting; the concierge can arrange photographer and sunset logistics. A Pool Suite is the smaller version of the same brief.
A Santorini anniversary calibrates well here: a Pool Suite for the standard milestone, a multi-bedroom Pool Villa for the major one. The Canaves Collection's long Oia hotelkeeping shows in the service, and the concierge can arrange private dining, yacht charters and tailored experiences across the island.
Above Ammoudi, just outside Oia
847 02 Santorini
Greece
~25 min from JTR Airport; ~2 km from Oia centre; complimentary shuttle to Oia & Ammoudi
53 suites & villas, each with a private pool
Honeymoon Suite with Plunge Pool from €920/night
One-Bedroom Pool Villa from €1,750/night
Multi-bedroom villas on request
Rates vary by season
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Open seasonally, spring to autumn
Built 2018; family-owned Canaves Collection
Private pool in every suite & villa
Elements & Omnia restaurants
Largest rooftop pool in Santorini
Spa, fitness centre & in-room treatments
Kids Program & children's pool
Complimentary Oia & Ammoudi shuttle
From €920/night. The pool villas book several months ahead for July and August. Late May and the first half of October are the editorially preferred weeks, when prices ease and the island is calmer.
Check Rates →The Canaves Collection's original caldera-edge property in central Oia, the boutique anchor of the family-owned group.
The 27-suite Andronis flagship in central Oia with one of the calderas' most decorated rooftop bars.
A 60-suite Oia property with the largest spa in Oia and a strong family-friendly programme.
Editorial · #12 on the Top 20 Honeymoon Hotels 2026 list
Canaves Oia Epitome ranks #12 for honeymoons on space, privacy and the sunset. As the largest property in the family-owned Canaves Collection, opened in 2018, it gives couples a private pool and an uninterrupted sunset view from every suite and villa, plus the largest rooftop pool in Santorini, in a setting deliberately removed from the crowds of central Oia.
For honeymoon couples who want seclusion over the cliff-village bustle, Epitome is the answer: dinner at the award-winning Elements, quiet days by a private pool, and a sunset that needs no walk into the village. The trade-off is exactly that distance, a short complimentary shuttle from Oia and Ammoudi rather than a doorstep on the caldera, which is the right call for couples who value calm over the postcard density of the village.
New openings, special offers, and the week’s best value suites. One email a week, no noise.