The Place
Perched like a swallow’s nest on the cliffs just outside the centre of Thira, the island’s capital, Heliotopos is a sybarite’s hideaway. Typical of its relaxed quality is the fact that breakfast is served from 08:30 until 13:30, and its not just coffee, croissants and juice, but a full buffet of island specialities, including the hotel’s own home-baked bread. A typical Santorini cellar, carved out of the lava rock, makes a cool and shady bar. Heliotopos is a collection of one- and two-storey traditional buildings with vaulted roofs, built on old foundations, and in a quiet part of the village. Most of the rooms have sleeping galleries above the living space, as well as a double or twin bedroom, and all have at least one private balcony looking out over the volcanic Caldera far below.
The Hotel Heliotopos has won a number of prestigious international awards, including the Expedia Insiders’ Select Award in 2008. It also organises weddings, and has previously been voted the number one wedding destination in the world by the Travel Channel.