Costa Marina Villa: Santorini, Greece
If you are planning to go to the beautiful Greek Island of Santorini anytime soon, we have got the perfect place that you should stay. Located in the beautiful capital village of Fira, Costa Marina Villa is the perfect location for you to bunk up and relax during your nights (or days if you choose). We would go as far as to say that this is the best place we have ever stayed while on vacation.
We stayed at Costa Marina Villa for 3 nights in April. The hotel is in the perfect location for a Santorini vacation. A short 5 minute walk from the hotel will take you to the village center square of Fira. While researching which village in Santorini to stay in, we found that Fira was the best village to stay in if you want to see the whole island. Though Oia is beautiful, Fira is centrally located right in the middle of the island, making it easy to access both scenic Oia in the North, and the beautiful Red and Black beaches in the south. In addition, Fira is also much more affordable to stay in. In April, we paid only 59€ a night.
The hotel is beautiful. Located on a less busy road close to the center square, it is quiet and peaceful. We felt safe walking to our hotel from the main village at night. The hotel looks like a villa out of your dreams. In true Greek fashion, stucco white walls and hunter green shutters make you feel like you were transported into a tropical fantasy. Bright and vibrant plants line the walkways and stairs, and vines of flowers spill out over walls and from balconies.
The rooms are equally as beautiful. We booked a Double room with a balcony. The rooms were classically designed, a reminder that you are in fact in Greece. White walls and sheets add to the simplicity of the room design. The bed was comfortable, so comfortable that I fantasied of sleeping in it when I returned home. We had a small night stand on each side of the bed, a desk to keep ourselves organized, a mini fridge and a tub with a detachable shower. The tub was smaller than your typical US standard tub, but big enough for me to take a bath in comfortably. The rooms also have a TV, electric kettle, hair dryer, and safe box. The hotel had free WiFi, offering 10 WiFi spots that we never had difficulty accessing.
The view from our balcony was beautiful. You could see the ocean from our window, and a field of horses laid in front of the backdrop. The balcony provided a view of the sunrise, which were were never up quite early enough to see.
The hotel itself was amazing, but what we loved the most about the hotel was the hospitality. The friendliness of the owner Marina and her best friend Lila was incomparable to anything we have received at any hotel that we've ever been to. I don't think that we will ever meet hostesses as nice as these two women ever again. Marina and Lila were so helpful in our travels. They live in the villa, so they were always there when you needed them. If you need anything, you can just call them! Lila told us never to hesitate, even if it was something we needed in the middle of the night. Every morning and night, Marina and Lina would go over our plans for the day and help us to find the best spots and plot out our route. They will provide you with maps, and will circle places that they like to go.
One of the best pieces of advice that we got from Marina was when we were off to see the sunset in Oia. She told us to avoid fighting the crowd at the lookout and go down to Ammoudi Bay where we could enjoy a seafood dinner right next to the water. It was the best advice we have ever gotten, and we were so lucky to have received this advice from Marina.
We also highly suggest booking a ATV through the hotel. The prices vary based on the machine and time of year, but we only paid 25€ for a full 24 hours or rental. We only spent 15 Euro in gas, and we didn't use all of it. It was the best way to see all of the island. You can drive the ATV all over the island, on the main roads. You drive on the right side of the road in Greece, and Derek had no issues driving over there. We were able to get to Oia in the North and the beaches and wineries in the south. Make sure you ask Marina and Lila about ATV rental! We planned on only renting for 1 day, but after having a blast all day, we booked it for a second.
Another tip we have is to email the Villa a couple days before your flight into Santorini to arrange for a pick up "transfer" service. A nice comfy van will pick you up at the airport and bring you to the hotel. You can also arrange for them to bring you back to the airport. Again, prices may vary depending on the time of year, but we paid 20€ per trip. Our driver was on time both times, and it alleviated stress of travel. Especially since our flights were at midnight!
While staying at the Villa, you honestly feel that Marina and Lina are your best friends. When I came back cold and needing my jacket, Marina offered me her own coat to wear. Have you ever had any hotel owner literally offer you the clothes off their own back? Every night, when we returned from our adventures, they genuinely wanted to know how our day was. When we were getting ready to leave the island, and were in the lobby waiting for our taxi to the airport, they sat with us and told us about their own story, and how they came to run the hotel in Santorini. When we left, we felt like we were leaving friends behind.
Check out Costa Marina's website if you are interested in booking with them. We think you should!
Check out Costa Marina's website if you are interested in booking with them. We think you should!
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