Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, Santorini

Nestled in the peaceful village of Megalochori—far from the cruise ship chaos—Vedema is a Cycladic dream at first glance. Picture: bougainvillea climbing over whitewashed walls, cobblestone paths winding through archways, and that signature sleepy Greek village energy. But beyond the postcard-perfect setting, the experience was a bit more… meh than magnificent. She Said: I was smitten with the vibe—serene, sun-soaked, and effortlessly romantic. Our suite had just enough space to feel indulgent without being over-the-top, and the private plunge pool was a dreamy cool down escape (if you ignore the weird white residue). One word of advice: pack real shoes. The cobblestones are charming until your sandals revolt. He Said: The food and cocktails? Delicious but definitely on the splurge-y side (think €30 for a drink). The A/C system seemed to moonlight as a white noise machine (not the good kind). And the “sea view”? Technically accurate… if you squint. From a ladder. With binoculars. If you’re looking to be ocean front, don’t stay here. The Kid Said: “There were SO MANY CUTE KITTENS! I wanted to take them ALL home.” (Note: Love at first sight when you see all of the cats but for people who are allergic (or don’t like them) good luck 🤞🏽. Pro Tip: Vedema guests get access to the beach club at the sister property. For €100, you’ll get 2 loungers, towels, fresh fruit, 2 signature cocktails, and roundtrip transport. Book very well in advance during high season.

Vedema is a gorgeous hotel off the beaten path in Santorini. I was a little worried about the location before booking but I was so glad to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Fira and Oia. The service at Vedma was top notch and everyone was so warm and welcoming. The breakfast was very good and a few nights we ordered dinner in for the kids. They were thrilled to find chicken nuggets and pizza, while we were able to get traditional Greek food at a local taverna. The villa itself was very clean and had gorgeous views of white washed buildings. We strolled around the cute neighborhood right before sunset one evening and took the best pictures of alleyways, blue dome roofs and without all the crowds! Do not miss Mr. Scoop, just around the corner from the hotel for the most amazing gelato. If you are looking to be away from the busyness of Fira or Oia, I would highly recommend Vedema.

Vedema was a dream location during our stay in Santorini. Our villa had a private pool and the staff is super attentive to guests. When we needed a transfer, they arranged it with as short as 30 minutes notice and took care of arranging excursions for us. It is located in a little village that offered options for wine tastings and restaurants.

This is a wonderful place to stay. All the staff cannot do enough for you. Very authentic Greek buildings and cobblestone walkways. Truly a great spot. The quaint village has a few restaurants, a winery and some leather and jewelry stores. However it is small but neat. Breakfast is very enjoyable with a good selection of food. There are 2 pools, one by the breakfast area which we preferred. The catamaran cruise they arranged for us was fantastic. A great place.

This is such a beautiful resort, sadly we didn’t appreciate it immediately because some of the pictures shown on the BA website gave you the impression you were overlooking the Caldera and as this couldn’t be further from the truth our initial reaction was one of disappointment. Also the pictures online of an Ionian suite differ quite dramatically from the room we were in so again our expectations were dashed. We made our concerns known to the front of house staff and they said they would do everything possible to improve our situation but asked us to bare with them as this particular day they were incredibly busy. After two nights we were given another room - much nicer location, view and decor. Konstantinos the hotel manager was so charming and apologetic, really cared about us and our enjoyment which was such a reassuring feeling after our initial disappointment. Now the good bits!! ………. Staff are incredible, so friendly, helpful and attentive. The tranquility of the property you do not initially appreciate until you spend an evening in Fira or Oia, both have stunningly beautiful vistas and definitely worth a visit but are so very overcrowded so quite honestly was a relief to get back to the Vedema which gives you the impression you are in your own little Greek village. In the village itself - seconds away - are some lovey tavernas and a very nice Italian. Our favourite was a small tavern called Avlogyros. Quite rustic with true home style cooking on the traditional dishes and also very reasonably priced. We did hire a little car for the 8 days we were here which we do recommend as you are quite tucked away in Magalochori and managed to visit the three beautiful black beaches, our favourite was Kamari and spent the day on the sunbeds provided by Ammos Cafe another beautiful gem, looks unassuming but quality of food, drink and service were wonderful. We went into Fira and Oia, also visited the Monastery at Profit Elias which offered incredible views over the whole of the island. We did a catamaran trip which took you to the Red and White beaches then on to the volcano where we dropped anchor and had the most delicious lunch cooked on board by the captain! But everyday coming back from our trips out it was to a lovely warm welcome and the calm of the Vedema. Yes the food and drinks are expensive as mentioned by other reviews but this is a 5* hotel so not as shocking as you could be led to believe and it is worth noting Sanotorini is overall an expensive place to visit. We didn’t eat at the main restaurant in the evening but the quality of the breakfasts and food in the pool bar at lunchtime made the cost less painful 😂. Yes there are lots of cats there - very common in Greece - but no more than any place we visited this week and certainly none eating from tables etc as stated in a previous review I read. We are not prone to going back to the same place twice but should we ever find ourselves back in Santorini would we revis