Greece › Santorini › Hotels › Esperas Review
By Santorini Dave
Essentials
• Location: Quiet area in Oia, with views of Ammoudi Bay and sunset
• Map
• Hotel website: esperas-santorini.com
• Hotel phone: +30 22860 71501
• Check prices for Esperas
Hotel Review
Esperas – Charming, cave-style suites with a pool and caldera sunset views.
Located in Oia, below the windmills and overlooking Ammoudi Bay, this picturesque hotel offers unobstructed sunset views over the caldera. Suites, studios, and houses are simply furnished in traditional, Greek style (white walls, rich blue accents, and dark woods). Many feature private jacuzzis and plunge pools, and most offer sunset views from their own private terraces. Their fantastic pool is half cave-style with seating inside, and half open to the sun. An a la carte breakfast is served to each room daily, while lunch, dinner, and cocktails are available at Ombra, with sweeping views and an authentic, local menu. Expect a warm welcome and exceptional care throughout.
See Also
Esperas – Location
• Area: Tranquil, quiet location in a pedestrian-only area at the western tip of Oia, underneath the windmills and above Ammoudi Bay. Walking distance to the castle ruins, Maritime Museum, the restaurants in Ammoudi, and the shopping and dining in central Oia.
• How to Get There: The hotel sits midway down the side of the caldera along one of Oia’s maze-like footpaths. It is easiest to have the staff here schedule transportation from the airport or port, so that someone can guide you to the entrance and assist with luggage. It is approximately 18km from the Athinios ferry port and the Santorini Airport to the hotel, though they are in different directions.
There are always buses waiting at the ferry port for every ferry arrival, as well as buses departing hourly from Santorini Airport. There are no direct buses from the port or airport to Oia, however; buses from both locations go to Fira, where you must then board a different bus to Oia – the entire trip from the port or airport to Oia will take at least an hour and cost about €5 in total. Tickets are purchased on the bus, in cash only. The Oia bus station is only 500m from the hotel (though you should still arrange assistance through the hotel to meet you at the bus terminal and guide you to the entrance).
Taxis are also available from the port or airport, though there are only about 25 taxis serving the whole island, so there is often a wait; schedule a ride through a private car service in advance to avoid this (I use and recommend Welcome Pickups). Taxis on Santorini are not metered, so be sure to agree on a price with the driver before setting out. A taxi from the airport to Esperas will cost roughly €35 to €40. A taxi from the ferry port will cost around €35 to €40. Booking through a private car service will cost only a bit more – about $60 (or €50), but is worth it to avoid the wait and for the convenience of paying ahead.
For those who prefer to drive themselves, we recommend renting a car either at the airport on arrival, or in Fira. The road from the ferry port is steep and narrow, with many tricky switchbacks, large trucks, and buses. Leave that for the locals to navigate. We strongly recommend reserving a vehicle in advance, especially if you require automatic transmission. Upon arrival in Oia, there are a few free public parking lots within a 5 to 10-minute walk to the hotel, but be patient, as you may need to check a few lots before finding an open space.
• Handy to: Byzantine Castle Ruins, Ammoudi Bay (10 minutes on foot downhill, and about 15 minutes to climb back up), Oia Bus Terminal.
Map of Esperas
Esperas – The Basics
- Ages: 18 years and older only (though this is somewhat flexible). Guests tend to be couples between 28 and 45 years old, mostly celebrating honeymoons and anniversaries.
- Beach: The closest swimming spot (though it is not a proper beach) is at Ammoudi Bay, the port immediately below Oia, about 500m from Esperas. This is a popular spot for swimming and cliff diving; though it’s too rocky and small to do much lounging. Ammoudi Bay is the main port of Oia, and is served by several spectacular seafood restaurants. It’s a steep trek down and back again, but it’s relatively easy to catch a cab at the bottom to bring you back up the hill. (Buy a snack at one of the restaurants and the waiter will be happy to call one for you.)
- View: All rooms face toward the caldera, and offer views of the Aegean Sea. Most of these offer full sunset views from their private terraces.
- Kitchen: Cave Suite and Esperas Suite both offer kitchenettes with 2-burner stove-tops. All rooms include a minibar, mini-fridge, kettle, and coffee/tea facilities.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: All 6 suites include either an outdoor jacuzzi or plunge pool.
- Extras: Pool, complimentary breakfast served to room, welcome wine on arrival, and a DVD library.
- When to Book: The hotel operates from mid-April until the end of October. Reserve at least 3 months in advance (4 months is better) for stays during high season from June through September, and about 2 months in advance for the low and shoulder seasons.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +30 22860 71501, +30 22860 71088
- Email: info@esperas-santorini.com
- Website: esperas-santorini.com
Esperas – Amenities
- Pool: Great pool with the front half open to the sun, and the back half sheltered inside 2 caves, both with recessed seating areas.
- Spa: No spa.
- Fitness Center: No fitness center.
- For Disabled Guests: This hotel is not accessible for anyone with mobility issues. Lots of stairs getting to and from the entrance, suites, and all facilities.
- For Families: Esperas is an adults-only property. Only ages 18 and older are allowed. There are no kid-friendly amenities.
- Activities: No activities onsite, though the staff can arrange tours, wine tastings, and sailing with outside vendors.
Esperas – Food and Drink
- Restaurant: Ombra Restaurant is located on the main level with the pool. Specializing in local and Mediterranean fine dining, the restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, snacks, and cocktails from 12 p.m. until 11 p.m. Décor is simple, and many tables overlook the caldera, offering sunset views. The restaurant is open to the public, so reserve in advance for the best tables. No kids menu. • $$$$.
- Bar: The Esperas Pool Bar is located inside Ombra Restaurant, and operates during the same hours, serving refreshing cocktails, local and Greek wine and beer, smoothies, and light bites.
- Breakfast: Complimentary. Order from the a la carte menu the night before, and it will be delivered to the room at the time of your choosing every morning to be enjoyed in-room or on your private terrace.
- Room Service: Always for breakfast, and available during normal restaurant hours from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Esperas Hotel – Rooms
- Room Types: Studios with Sea View • Superior Studios with Sunset View • Standard House with Sea View • Superior Houses with Sea View • Cave Suite with Outdoor Jacuzzi • Esperas Suite with Sea View and Plunge Pool • Honeymoon Suite with Sea View and Outdoor Jacuzzi • Superior Suite with Sunset View and Plunge Pool • Honeymoon Suite with Sea View and Plunge Pool
- Smoking Rooms: Smoking is not allowed indoors, but is allowed in the outdoor areas.
- Best Room: The Honeymoon Suites (whether Plunge Pool or Jacuzzi option) are the best rooms for romantic getaways, with large terraces boasting sunset views over the caldera from the private pools or jacuzzis.
- For Families: Esperas is an adults-only hotel for ages 18 and older only. Though there are no family rooms for children, there are rooms for larger groups. The best room is the Esperas Suite, which sleeps up to 6 guests. This room offers 1 king bed in the main bedroom, a 1-queen loft, plus 2 single beds (one in its own small room and the other, a daybed, in the living room), and a well-equipped kitchenette with a 2-burner stove-top.
Esperas – Local Transport
- Walking: The hotel is located in the western point of Oia, walking distance to the area’s best restaurants, shopping, and sights. Ammoudi Bay is accessible via a steep and winding path, easy to descend the 500m down, but arduous going back up; many people taxi back to the top. The heart of Oia, with its fine dining, luxury boutiques, and a few bars is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel, while the castle is only 4 minutes away.
- Bus: The Oia Bus Terminal is only 500m away, and serves all of the major villages and beaches on the island. Tickets are bought on board, and range from €1.80 to €2.50 per person in the daytime, depending on the route. Night buses (12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.) run less frequently and cost a little more, from €2.30 to €3.10. Buses can get very crowded, especially during the high season, so much so that they often fill to capacity and are unable to take on more passengers. There are only 23 public buses serving the island.
- Taxis: The nearest taxi stand is at Stathmos Taxi, uphill and about 500m east near the Oia Bus Terminal, but there is often a wait as there are only 25 taxis serving the entire island (with guests from about 1,000 hotels, villas, and Airbnbs). Book in advance to avoid the wait, plus you can choose a closer pickup point. There will be a small surcharge for advanced reservations and for carrying luggage, usually just a couple of Euros. The average rate from Oia to Fira is €20, and from Oia to the airport runs about €35 to €40.
- Scooters/Motorcycles: Scooters are the main mode of transportation for the locals, but if you’re unfamiliar with the terrain, it can be very dangerous. The roads here are zigzagging, hilly, narrow, and have sheer drop-offs with no guardrails and no street lights in most areas. Lots of dirt roads and potholes.
- ATVs/Quads: ATVs are a fun and popular mode of transportation with tourists, but for the locals stuck driving behind them, they move too slowly and hold up traffic in an area where getting around is already a hassle. For those who don’t ride quads regularly (i.e. most people), they can be dangerous at high speeds and on turns. Crashing your ATV is a sure-fire way to ruin your vacation.
Esperas – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants
- Lotza: Simple, honest Greek comfort food with stunning caldera views.
- Roka: Authentic, Santorinian menu with solid dishes, especially the meatballs and octopus.
- Candouni: Cozy, family-owned restaurant with live, Greek music and absolutely delicious food.
- PitoGyros: Hands-down, the best gyros in Oia. Seating is limited.
- Ammoudi Bay Restaurants: Each of these waterfront restaurants is phenomenal, offering the freshest fish on the island. The steep 10-minute walk down takes longer coming back up, but the waiter will be happy to call a cab.
- Melitini: 100% Greek menu, using local Santorinian, Cycladic, and Greek ingredients only.
Best Nearby Bars and Breweries
- Marykay’s Bar/Hassapiko: The only real bar in Oia, this is the only spot for dancing in Oia, regularly hosting live bands and DJs.
- Sunset Sangria Bar: Chill spot for sangria, cocktails, and tapas with excellent sunset views (though not of the caldera).
- Fino Cocktail Bar & Restaurant: The best cocktails in Santorini. Plus inspired, Mediterranean food and an extensive wine list.
Best Nearby Cafes
- Vitrin Café Creperie: One of the best breakfasts on the island, plus AMAZING sunset views if you arrive early enough to snag a table.
- Meteor: Excellent coffee and breakfast with sweeping caldera views, though a little on the pricey side.
Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops
- B.Loose: Greek-made, casual linens for men and women.
- Steps to Art: Truly unique metal sculptures, replicas inspired by Akrotiri, and jewelry made with volcanic sand and watch parts.
- It’s a Beautiful Day: Greek-designed clothing and luxury-brand accessories.
- Spilia Cave Greek Clothing: Handmade leather sandals, cotton and linen Greek clothes, located in one of the original living caves of Oia.
- Bligaki: Santorinian accessories, especially jewelry and bags, mostly handmade.
- BLOW by Labro: High-end designer boutique with unique pieces.
Nearby Attractions
- Oia-Fira Hiking Trail: One of the top attractions on the island is this scenic 10.5 km hiking trail connecting Oia and Fira. A mix of sidewalk, cobblestones, and dirt trail, this route boasts gorgeous vistas the entire way. Hiking south to Fira, the full length of the path from the Byzantine Castle Ruins takes from 2 to 5 hours; Add about an hour for a detour at Skaros Rock in Imerovigli. 3-minute walk from the hotel.
- Maritime Museum: Small museum focused on Greek Naval and Santorinian seafaring history. Only €3 to enter.
- Museum of Ancient, Byzantine Musical Instruments: Faithful replicas of Greek instruments dating from the prehistoric through Byzantine eras.
- Castle of Agios Nikolaos (aka Oia Castle): The medieval castle ruins are the most popular sunset viewpoint on the island.
- Church of Panagia of Platsani: The most iconic church in Santorini, beautiful inside and out.
- Ammoudi Bay: Best known for its fresh fish restaurants, Ammoudi is the rocky port of Oia; boats sail to Thirassia and cruise the caldera from here. It’s an incredibly popular spot for cliff diving, and is one of the best places to swim on the island.
Nearby Markets or Grocery Stores
- Mini Market: There is a small market up the hill directly above the hotel with drinks, snacks, and some basic items.
- Asteras Supermarket: Small, but solid selection with a surprising amount of fresh produce for its size, along with prepackaged deli cuts, snacks, beer, wine, and some beach gear.
- Elliniki Diatrofi Supermarket: Great selection of local cheeses, wine, liquor, fresh produce, and staples. Open until after midnight, sometimes as late as 2:00 a.m.
Esperas – The Hotel
Esperas boasts an enviable location in Oia overlooking the caldera and Ammoudi Bay with views of the sunset and the castle ruins (seen here in the top, left corner).
View from above the hotel facing the main level, where the pool and sun terrace are found.
From the main floor, look up to see a picturesque windmill just 50 meters above.
Looking down into the caldera, you’ll see the busy little port of Ammoudi Bay, the closest spot for swimming, with amazing seafood restaurants, fishing boats, and the ferry to Thirassia Island. All the stairs here lead to the hotel’s suites.
The hotel was carved into the caldera’s cliffside and is divided up over several levels. Expect to do some climbing.
The hotel follows traditional, Cycladic, cave-style architecture: completely carved from the rock using hand tools, emphasizing arches and domes, using lava rock, marble dust, and concrete. The main level houses the modest reception area…
…and the cave-style pool.
The pool features two recessed areas with seating inside.
…while the other half is open to full sun. Lounge chairs and umbrellas are in front of the pool overlooking the caldera and Ammoudi Bay. The pool is not heated.
Another angle of the pool and sun terrace.
View from the pool terrace.
Ombra Restaurant and Pool Bar are just upstairs from the pool. The restaurant serves a Mediterranean menu, with fine dining in the evening and a more casual lunch and snack menu during the day. Open from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The view from Ombra is similar to that of the pool.
Another angle from the dining terrace.
Because every room is hand-dug and conforms to the natural shape of the cliff, each studio, suite, and house is completely unique. Different rooms from the same category will have similar amenities, but the layout will be different. All rooms feature traditional Greek furniture in dark wood, built-in platform beds, white and blue colors, and many feature cave-style showers. This is a Superior Studio, the entry-level category.
This particular studio is a two-story unit, though most Superior Studios are all one level.
The bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs. In this case, there is a tile shower, rather than a cave-style shower.
Like all accommodation here, it has its own private terrace with a caldera view.
Honeymoon Suite with Sea View and Plunge Pool. Being one of the first hotels in the area, rooms here are larger than at newer properties in the area. Here is the same Cycladic architecture and traditional Greek furniture. Hand carved walls and ceilings are delightfully off-kilter.
The recently renovated bathroom is done in a cave-style with a marble dust finish.
The plunge pool sits on a private balcony with views of the caldera and sunset.
The Esperas Suite is the largest: a 2.5-bedroom suite. Its living room features a daybed and a dining table.
This is one of two rooms with a kitchenette (the other is the Cave Suite). The kitchenette is well-equipped with a two-burner stove-top, kettle, and various pots, pans, and utensils.
One king-bed room is on the bottom floor…
…with a small single-bed room above.
There is also a slightly larger loft bedroom above the living room with a queen bed.
Upstairs bathroom with glass and marble.
Downstairs bathroom with marble and a glass and tile shower.
The Esperas Suite also offers a plunge pool on its terrace.
All suites feature either a plunge pool, as previously shown, or a jacuzzi as seen here in this Honeymoon Suite.
A 2-bedroom Superior House. The living room…
…and dining area.
The first bedroom…
…and the second. Check prices and availability: Esperas
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