OUR MEMBERS CHOOSE NORTHERN SANTORINI TO:
- Fish, swim and sunbathe while enjoying breathtaking scenery and the island's famous sunsets
- Find sanctuary with their partner on honeymoon or an anniversary
- Be inspired by the island's creative, artistic vibe
Santorini is known for its bucket and spade family holidays, but Ten UK members visit the other side of the island for peace and quiet. Ten's travel expert Helen Duncan says:
NORTH V SOUTH
The Ten team always recommend the pretty and upmarket north side of the island - the Kamari area in the south has sandy beaches but is swamped by tourists on package holidays. Members stay in the small hotels of Oia, a small village in the north of the island which has dramatic views of the Aegean caldera.
Oia attracts writers and artists and has a slightly bohemian vibe, and is popular with busy professionals who come here to relax, use the spas and eat local food, particularly freshly caught fish. In June and September it's even quieter than the rest of the summer.
HOTELS
Members usually choose to stay in the boutique hotels. Built into the cliffs at Oia, the Mystique is a favourite place. The hotel offers private dining and has suites with their own spa facilities and pools, so guests can relax or work out in private. The hotel also has two exclusive villas with views of the volcano - enjoyed by members who want to entertain guests during their stay.
If members want a two-centre holiday, the inland Zannos Melathron Hotel in the picturesque Pyrgos village is recommended. It has a maze of alleys and small courtyards that resemble an Italian mansion. You have to climb around 50 steps to get there (or take a donkey ride).
RESTAURANTS
Conde Nast Traveller called it the ‘best restaurant in town' and Gourmet Traveller ‘the most adventurous food on the island': no surprise that Ten team book members tables at the intimate Ambrosia restaurant in Oia (based in hotel 1864 The Sea Captain's House, similarly lauded for it's airy suites with four poster beds and suntrap balconies).
Ambrosia has great sunset views of the volcano and sea, and the same hotel also runs Ambrosia & Nectar, a slightly more casual alternative. Both serve Mediterranean and modern Greek food including seafood, traditional vegetarian, and salads - but beautifully done, with local ingredients such as white eggplant.
1800 Restaurant, in hotel The Mansion, is also popular, serving traditional Mediterranean cuisine using high-quality ingredients. Members say service is discreet and friendly, and like the extensive wine list which focuses on Greek producers. Talk to Ten about booking a table, and other suggestions.
WINE
Greece isn't well known for its wine production, and the roughness of retsina doesn't suit everyone's taste. But Santorini's volcanic soil, high day time temperatures and night time humidity mean that some of its wines - the Assyrtiko (dry white), Vinsanto (white dessert wine) and Brusco (dry red) - have fans on and off the island.
There are around eight wineries on Santorini and Ten members can have a private tour or wine tasting session. Ten can also arrange for wine to be shipped home.
TOURING THE ISLAND
As well as hiring jeeps or scooters, members have chartered private boats so they can visit Santorini's remote beaches for a picnic. Fishing boat hire is also available if members want to catch some local red snapper.
There's nothing particularly unique about the art available to buy on the island, although the art shops and museums are worth a look. Members, however, do get into the artistic atmosphere and say it's a good place to work on their creative writing, painting or poetry.
SPAS
There are plenty of exclusive spas on the island and the team can book days or treatments and advise you on the best spas to try.
JAZZ FESTIVAL
The annual August jazz festival is the main event in Santorini. It's held in the open-air Cinema Kamari, in the south of the island, but a 30 minute taxi ride from Oia will get you there. It's a series of concerts from local and, increasingly, international jazz musicians. The programme ranges from bebop to funk, and the Ten team can advise members on the best nights to go based on their individual music taste.
GETTING THERE
There are no direct scheduled flights from the UK, so most members fly to Athens, Crete or Mykonos, which takes around three and a half hours, and then take an internal flight or ferry, or hire a private boat or jet. A flight from Athens to Santorini takes 40 minutes with Olympic or Aegean Airways, or you can take a taxi from the airport to the ferry port of Piraeus followed by a five hour ferry trip to the island.
Ferries can be overcrowded and noisy, so members often ask Ten to charter a private boat, which can be stocked with drinks and fresh local food, so they can relax, dine and sunbathe in peace. Ten can also book a private jet or helicopter from Athens, Mykonos or Crete.
