Villas
Santorini Barely Rents Villas. Here Is Where It Actually Does
The island sells suites, not houses. Understanding why changes where you look - and usually saves you a great deal of money.
Some links here are partner links. If you book through one we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
Why this island is different#
Most Greek islands have a villa market because they have land, water and families who built second houses on it. Santorini has a caldera, a cliff, and a hospitality industry that worked out forty years ago that a cave carved into volcanic rock could be sold by the night at a price no villa could match.
So the supply went that way. What you find on the rim today is overwhelmingly suites - exquisite, often tiny, serviced, and with a plunge pool rather than a pool. Many are listed as "villas". Check the floor area and the number of separate bedrooms before you believe it.
The actual houses - space, a kitchen you would cook in, a pool you would swim lengths in, somewhere to put six people without anyone sleeping in a living room - are inland and on the south and east coasts. They cost dramatically less and they look at vineyards rather than at the volcano.
Neither is wrong. But they are different holidays, and the listings do not always make that clear.
Six places to look, and what each one really is#
Where to rent, by area
Imerovigli
Caldera rim, between Fira and Oia
The best compromise on the rim. Higher than Fira, quieter than Oia, and with more properties that are genuinely houses rather than single suites. The sunset is the same one Oia queues for, watched from your own terrace.
Rate bandHighest
Couples or two couples who came for the view and will pay for it.
See Imerovigli properties
Oia
Northern tip of the caldera
The photograph everyone has seen, and the hardest place on the island to live in for a week. Stock is small, expensive and vertical - expect stairs measured in dozens, limited vehicle access and a village that fills with day-trippers by four in the afternoon.
Akrotiri
South-west, below the archaeological site
Where the island's actual villas are. Flat plots, full-size pools, sea views over the south coast rather than into the caldera, and room for a group without anyone compromising. Ten minutes from Megalochori, twenty-five from Oia.
Megalochori
Inland, south of Fira
The prettiest village on the island and the one most people drive past. Old captains' houses and canava wine cellars converted into courtyards and pools, with tavernas in a square that still belongs to the people who live there. No sea view to speak of, and that is the whole saving.
Rate bandMid to high
Travellers who would rather be somewhere real than somewhere photographed.
See Megalochori houses
Vourvoulos
North-east coast, five minutes from Fira
The island's best-value address and almost nobody's first thought. Quiet, close to everything, with a working beach below and a surprising amount of stock. You are on the wrong side for the sunset, which is precisely why it is affordable.
Rate bandMid
Longer stays, and anyone treating Santorini as a base rather than a photograph.
See Vourvoulos houses
Perivolos and the south coast
South-east, black sand beaches
A different island entirely - long black volcanic beaches, beach bars, modern houses with pools and flat ground. Hot in August with little shade, and a twenty-five minute drive from the rim. The best option if the group actually wants to swim.
Rate bandMid
Families and anyone who finds the caldera beautiful but unswimmable.
See south coast villasWorking out which half of the island you want#
Decide view or space before you look at anything
Count the bedrooms with doors
Check pool dimensions, not the word 'pool'
Check how you reach the front door
Book the car unless you are staying on the rim
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent a proper villa on the caldera?
A handful exist, mostly in Imerovigli, and they are among the most expensive properties in Greece. For the same money you can have a very large house in Akrotiri and a driver.
How far is Akrotiri from Oia?
About twenty-five minutes by car, and roughly fifteen to Fira. Santorini is small - inland does not mean cut off.
Is a plunge pool enough?
For two people in October, yes. For six people in August, no. It is the most common disappointment we hear about on this island.
Which side for sunset?
The caldera rim - Oia, Imerovigli, Fira, Megalochori's western edge. Vourvoulos and the south-east coast face the other way, which is reflected in the price.
Is Santorini worth a full week in a house?
If you treat it as a base and take boats to Folegandros, Ios and the volcano, yes. If you only intend to photograph the caldera, three nights is honestly enough.
Keep reading
Where to StaySantorini
Where to Stay in Santorini: Oia vs Imerovigli for Luxury Travelers
Both villages sit on the same cliff and sell the same sunset. What separates them is noise, stairs, privacy and roughly 30 percent on the nightly rate. Here is how to choose without regretting it.
Where to StaySantorini
The 10 Most Luxurious Caldera Suites in Santorini with Private Infinity Pools
Santorini sells "private infinity pool" on hundreds of listings. Perhaps thirty of them mean a pool you can actually swim in, unobserved, facing the sunset. These are the ones worth the money.
ExperiencesHighest value
How to Charter a Private Yacht in Mykonos and Santorini
A week on the water between Mykonos and Santorini is the best money you can spend in Greece. It is also the easiest to spend badly. Here is how the market actually works.