Canaves Oia Epitome

We stayed at Canaves Epitome as our home base in Santorini. The hotel has exceptional views of the sunset that in our opinion rivaled the spots in Oia that many recommend, nicely done cave like rooms and the staff are excellent, always ensuring your needs are met.

If you don’t enjoy crowds this is the place for a perfect romantic trip. Room 503 gave us a beautiful sunset view that we enjoyed in the pool with a complimentary bottle of wine our first night. Dinner at the new restaurant was memorable. Breakfast is tremendous and the service is most attentive. During the course of our stay, the staff remembered us and brought wherever we requested. The second night we enjoyed a spectacular sunset from bed. There is no need to leave this resort for sunset watchers. The staff got us last minute reservations at Ammoudi Bay and we had the best seat in the house. You will need to take a 5 minute ride into Oia via the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service. We did walk it once but it was not pleasant given the small curvy roads. Our last night we decided to spend in Oia but we missed the private sunset view our hotel room provided. The hotel’s transfer service provided pick up and drop off which was nice. All the staff speak English and everyone always greeted us with a smile. The rooms are modern and thoughtfully designed right down to the control panels located on your bed to open and close the curtains (which block out all light!). The main pool is stunning but we never used it given how warm and clean our private pool was. Perfect for couples and honeymooners only.

Let me first start off by saying this was a trip almost three years in the making, so we had it kind of built up in our minds so I was a bit nervous. Our family of three (our delightful son is 11) have traveled all over prior to the pandemic and stayed in some of the most gorgeous 5 star resorts and hotels over the years in Paris, London, Italy , Barcelona, Switzerland, Hawaii, South Africa , and the Caribbean… and I will be honest, this is the most spectacular property we’ve ever stayed at! One of the biggest reason? The absolutely amazing staff. Every single person there wanted us to have an exceptional time. We simply could not have asked for more. I was in regular contact with someone in particular, Desi, for a couple of years prior; and she made sure everything was a one of a kind experience. They handled our private transfer from Athens to Santorini and the whole experience was perfect. Once we arrived we were greeted warmly and that continued the entire stay. And now for the room. The 2 bedroom villa is stunning. We had an enormous private infinity pool that was meticulously cleaned daily, outdoor dining for 8, and a sun deck. Inside the room was spaced out over two levels; each with its own bedroom, living rooms and full bathrooms. Plenty of closets and lovely touches everywhere (our sons bedrooms window was actually under the pool which he adored) as well as many “secret” entrances. It’s perfect, you will love it. Breakfast each morning was included and was at the main pool and wonderful each morning. Beautiful views and extensive menus daily. We dined twice at Elements, once as a family, and one night we did their “dinner for two” under the stars private dinner. Both times were lovely and the tasting menus for both were delicious with an excellent wine pairing. We decided to rent our own car for the 10 days we were there and again, the staff were amazing; they proven invaluable in charting boats, hiring a photographer for family photos, diving, wine tasting, etc. I really felt like the island is one big village; everyone knows everyone, and they all a truly kind people. One evening we joined Desi for drinks at one of their sister hotels, Canaves Sunday Suites and the views were as always, perfect. It’s about a 6 minute walk to downtown Oia, a perfect respite from the town with the freedom to wander whenever you’d like. This was our first trip to Santorini, but it most certainly will not be our last. And we will never stay anywhere else on the island. I promise you will not be disappointed.