My partner and I spent 6 nights at Old Oia Houses at the end of August. We stayed in unit 2 which is just off a main pedestrian street behind a gate so whilst it was busy on the street, as soon we we got behind the gate it was quiet and private. The unit next to us also shared the same entrance so we saw them occasionally.

The room is a traditional cave house and was clean and spacious enough for the two of us and our luggage. The doorways were a bit low for my partner who had to duck to avoid hitting his head but that was part of the charm. The kitchen was well equipped and had a small fridge for drinks and spreads for breakfast. The bathroom has a window that faces out to the ocean so even when you're in the shower you have panoramic views!

Every morning we woke up early to watch the sunrise from our balcony, it really is worth doing. Fresh bread is delivered around 9am by cheery Anna who also cleans the rooms. We spent most of our time enjoying the views from our balcony but enjoyed getting out to explore early before the crowds set in. Our unit was close to everything, only a few minutes away to watch the sunset and a short walk to restaurants and shops. Whilst there isn't a few of the sunset from the unit, it is sheltered from the wind that is on the other side of Oia and it's beautiful at night seeing the lights from other towns on the island.

It was so hard to leave this paradise, and we will be returning again. This is absolute paradise.

I spent about a year researching accommodations in Oia. I wanted the perfect view of the whitewashed houses, blue domed churches, and the Caldera. In my opinion, the house we had offered one of the best, if not the best views in all of Santorini. I think the only other comparable views that I could see from other operators would be from either the Sea Captains House or Aspaki (both with much higher rates). We were in the Venetian house unit #1 (unit 2 also has the same view). It is located on the main walkway across from the clocktower accessed through a small private courtyard. The only stairs are the ones to the second floor bathroom or 3 floor balcony. It is on the top of the caldera (not a cave house) and I liked the fact of not having anyone above us. It also provided an unbeatable panoramic view below of at least 5 blue domed churches and the caldera. There was one small private balcony off the main floor bedroom and a roof top patio shared only with unit#2 (both amazing). It was a very central location but also very quite and private due to the topography and layout. The house was very clean and well maintained with authentic décor… I wanted to stay away from modern styled accommodations. Check in was simple and Gill was very friendly and informative.

There seems to be a newer part of Oia (south of the main square towards Fira) and an older part (north of the square towards the sunset point). I much preferred the older side and our house was in the center of it. The other OOH units are also on the old side but about a third of the way down and closer to the north and also have a nice view. They are cave houses so your choice is a cave house or a slightly better view.

We ate most of our meals on our private balcony, which were some of the best times of our unforgettable visit. The To Fourni bakery on the main road about 100 yards past the bus stop is very good… go at least once! Walk down to Ammoudi Bay at sunset for a meal… we enjoyed Dimitri’s. If you have time and are in decent shape hike from Imerovigli out to the lonely church on Skala Rock.

Stayed in Old Oia Houses' properties twice now (they have many to choose from) and both have been amazing. Whilst basic, they have alll the amenities you really need and to be honest, you'll spend all your time on your terrace staring open mouthed at the view. Oia is one of the most beautiful places on earth and these affordable properties are a great base from which to enjoy it. The traditional white cave houses are very quirky and offer staggering views, in and amongst the higgeldy-piggeldy paths and cliffs.

View is amazing, Cave house experience is worth it - This is Santorini.
Breakfast daily on the balcony is the perfect way to start the day.
We felt like we had our own piece of Santorini for 5 nights and we truely enjoyed our stay.
Anna, is a lovely lady who got use to our early rise, and afternoon retreat to the room and made sure she dropped our bread off to us, and cleaned our room in time for our return in the afternoon, we never requested this, she just took notice and worked with us.
I had very fond memories and look forward to return again (hopefully very soon).