Things started badly when the proprietor tried to debit my card before showing me the room. You need to watch out for this! Needless to say,I had to reject the first two rooms he showed me while accepting the third (No.7,a funky/quaint studio at the front of the development with a private balcony - most of the others weren't - spotless bathroom and direct views over the caldera (though a telegraph pole and wires partly detracted from the magnificent vista). Watching the sun set over Folegandros was magical. The pool was miniscule so this wouldn't suit anyone intending to spend much time at the property. On the other hand, the location was good, with a minimarket and travel agent a few paces away and several tavernas nearby,quieter I suspect than Fira though you do need a taxi up from the bus station if you have luggage (don't make the mistake of walking along the main road as I did). Breakfast was brought to the room and was OK if uninspired - however,you don't come to a place like this primarily to eat breakfast. All in all, it ended up not being a bad choice for a couple of days,although I am sure that, with a little more research than I managed,you could do much better,at least outside the high season (I only saw one other guest during my two day stay).

We stayed at Efterpi for one night and stayed at Hotel Iliovasilema for two nights (which is in Imerovigli). Efterpi was good value but the view was significantly hampered by telephone and electric wirelines right in front of the hotel. While all of Santirini is fairly cramped in, this place in particular seemed to have all the hotel residents in front of each other.

If you are looking for views, Imerovigli is the right place village to be in -- Fira is 10 minutes walking distance and you are not giving up much convenience. But Efterpi is real value, particularly if you pay cash -- since the family then gives you a discount by avoiding taxes.

I researched for endless hours trying to find appropriate accommodations for us for our first visit to Santorini, and as you probably know, there are endless options. We toiled over what town to stay in, much less which property, but in the end we were VERY happy with our final choice of Efterpi Villas in Firostefani.

We decided that we wanted to avoid all the hustle and bustle of the main town of Fira, yet Oia in the north seemed a little too far removed. Firostefani was the perfect compromise. Just a 10 minute walk along a cliffside trail with incomparable views of the caldera, getting into Fira wasn’t just possible, it was enjoyable. Firostefani was a lovely, quiet place, with just enough to offer … a handy little market for necessities, an ice cream café, a few shops and a
choice group of restaurants. It's also only a 10 euro cab ride from the airport and 15 euros to the ferry port.

Firostefani is still a town piled high with villas, hotels, etc., so there are many other options, but I would return to Efterpi any day. We splurged and stayed in a “superior suite” for 144/night (cash deal), and boy, was it worth it. We had a beautiful studio with comfortable bed, cozy sitting area, complete kitchenette and nice bathroom with large shower. The "pièce de resistance," however, was the outdoor area. Not only did we have our own private balcony with a magnificent view of the caldera, there was even an additional private balcony on the side of our unit, providing a little shade if needed. The balcony was large enough for 2 folding lounge chairs as well as 2 other chairs with a table where we enjoyed every breakfast, drinks before dinner, star-gazing, etc. You can see down onto another suite’s balcony (and they up to you), but since you are above them, it’s really not a privacy issue.

The staff at Efterpi was very friendly and helpful, from their first, immediate e-mail response to my inquiry, to bringing our breakfast up to our balcony every morning. The breakfast was also delicious and varied (in contrast to what you can get at some other places) … coffee, croissants, fresh bread, cakes, cookies, boiled eggs, juice, and different fresh fruit each day. While you can see and hear other guests, we were never disturbed by this. The layout of the units and terraces is visually appealing, and you can tell they take care of the property. The pool is quite small (no lap swimming here!), but is great to have just to cool off in the hot weather. The only quirk of the place is that you have to switch on the hot water in your unit yourself about 15 minutes before you want a shower, but this was no problem at all.

Again, we were very happy with our “superior suite,” but even the other units would have access to the many tables and chairs on the pretty terraces, and I’m sure are as nicely decorated and clean as our unit was. I would highly recommend this property to anyone considering a vacation in Santorini and will fondly remember our 3 days at this beautiful place.