Santorini, Greece · Five-Star · #4 in Santorini
"Twenty-two restored cave houses, no children, no noise. This is what Santorini looked like before the phones came out — and why the right people still choose it."
Perivolas Hotel was established in the 1970s by the Zozas family, who purchased and began restoring the derelict cave dwellings at the entrance to Oia when the village was still undiscovered. The 22 private houses that now comprise the hotel were once ordinary Santorinian homes — hand-dug caves in the volcanic rock, with windows carved at the front and skylights cut through the cliff above. They have been updated with every contemporary comfort while preserving the architectural integrity that made them remarkable in the first place. The result is the most authentic property on the island: not designed to look traditional, but genuinely traditional.
The rooms follow Cycladic convention with an exactness that most modern properties approximate rather than achieve: marble dust and concrete built-in beds, sofas, and shelves; rich dark wood accents against the whitewashed stone; thick walls that keep the interiors cool through August without air conditioning running. Several suites have been expanded to include private outdoor pools positioned at the caldera edge — the Deluxe Suite pool, in particular, is one of the great room situations in Greece: a pool that appears to continue without interruption into the Aegean below.
The restaurant and pool area are positioned at the lowest level of the property, accessed by a series of stepped stone paths that wind through the cave architecture. The pool is adults-only by policy — a consistent commitment to the atmosphere of calm that distinguishes Perivolas from the more social, scene-driven properties elsewhere on the island. The kitchen serves Mediterranean cuisine of genuine quality, with the excellent local produce that Santorini's volcanic soil produces: the island's cherry tomatoes, fava beans, white eggplant, and capers appear throughout the menu with the confidence of a kitchen that knows its ingredients are the point.
Rates include a Mediterranean buffet breakfast with made-to-order omelettes and transfers from the airport or port — a practical touch that matters on an island where baggage handling can be surprisingly complicated. The hotel is approximately one kilometre from Oia's main pedestrian strip, making it accessible while maintaining a remove from the village's peak-season bustle.
Perivolas understands solitude without romanticising it — the architecture is built for quiet, the pool is for unwinding rather than performing, and the staff's relationship with solo guests is characterised by attentive respect rather than curious observation. The cave architecture itself is conducive to contemplation: the thick walls and subdued light create an interior life for each room that the view-obsessed properties elsewhere cannot replicate. For a working creative retreat or a period of deliberate disconnection, this is the correct choice on the island.
The hotel's commitment to authenticity extends to its wellness approach: no manufactured programming, no mandatory classes, no wellness branding. Instead, the conditions for wellbeing are built into the property itself — the quality of light, the silence, the physical beauty of the cave rooms, the food made from genuine ingredients. For guests whose wellness looks like reading on a terrace with exceptional views rather than attending spin classes before sunrise, Perivolas is the island's best argument.
Perivolas offers a different honeymoon experience to the more theatrical properties on the island — one defined by intimacy, authenticity, and quiet rather than by infinity pools and aperitivo culture. For couples who find large resorts exhausting and prefer the texture of a genuine place, the cave suites here — with their built-in beds, private terraces, and the particular quality of caldera light in the early mornings — provide something no amount of design can manufacture.
Rates sourced from Booking.com and hotel direct. Prices vary by date.