270° Oias View, Santorini
Miraculously, our friends found the “270° Oias View” house, a property with a stunning, panoramic view overlooking the Caldera and village of Oia, available for our time in Santorini. We were delighted to find the home exactly as pictured and the views even more breathtaking than described on HomeAway. After an unexpected fiasco after booking the property, that is…
As an aside, my number one recommendation when booking a home via any site like VRBO, HomeAway, Airbnb, etc. is to get the insurance. Like us, you’ll be so glad you did if something goes wrong. In our case, the owner’s account was hacked, so we got scammed and our money went to an imposter posing as the property owner. Oy vey. It was not a promising start. But with the insurance and several phone calls, we were fortunately refunded by HomeAway, connected with the real owner, and everything after that was a complete dream!
Manos, the architect and owner of the property, designed the complex of four houses to meld into the natural landscape. The minimalist aesthetic inside provided a pitch-perfect balance to our private swimming pool and sweeping views of land, sky and sea outside. And while the interior was almost cave-like, built into the hillside, it felt plenty spacious for 4 people. We had living space, large bedrooms and baths, and a fully equipped kitchen. But then again, it was really all about that pool and those views, especially at sunset!
Location-wise, we were just an easy walk away from the restaurants and shops of Oia and perfectly located for exploring other parts of the island by car. Manos’ staff was a huge resource and gave us their personal recommendations on the best restaurants (even including what dishes to order) and best beaches, coordinated our car rental and airport transportation, and even helped us book a sunset sail.
If you ever make it to Santorini, which I hope you do, I highly recommend seeing if one of the 270 Oias View properties is available. I could go back and stay there a full week, with my days spent simply–lounging outside with a glass of Santorini rose wine and a good book, taking the occasional dip in the pool, watching the sunset, then strolling just down the block to the local taverna in Finikia for dinner. And repeating it all again.
*Photos by me and Jason Scherer