Private Villa-Style Hotel Overlooking Santorini Caldera

Though the Grecian island of Santorini has an airport, arriving via the Aegean Sea on an open-air ferry is considered a rite of passage. Passing through the flooded Santorini caldera—literally the crater of a still-active volcano—gets you up close to beautiful cliffs on either side, each with clusters of whitewashed churches and houses. One of these cliffside dwellings, La Maltese Estate, belonged to a 19th-century sea captain, so it's fitting that it sits on a hill 820 feet above the Aegean. The neoclassical mansion takes advantage of its location with a terraced roof surrounded by low walls to give guests a bird’s-eye view of the smoldering caldera.

Despite chandeliers and broad archways, La Maltese Estate feels more residential than a typical luxury hotel. Staying here guarantees intimacy, as the inn only has nine rooms, and its guests-only restaurant and lounge is closed to the public. Also atypical for a hotel, guest rooms are all individually decorated. They come with classical French touches—striped wallpaper, four-poster beds, and gold-framed mirrors.

At La Maltese Restaurant, the menu highlights Mediterranean fare but changes nightly based on the day's catch and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant's international wine list also promotes the area's flavors with several Santorini wines. The deal also includes one hour of daily private use of La Maltese Estate’s spa replete with turkish baths, a heated jacuzzi, jet showers, and a relaxation area.

Santorini Island, Greece: Volcanic Island with Ancient Minoan Sights

Called “undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean” by Fodor's, Santorini (also known as Thira) is the main isle of the Santorini caldera, the remnants of a volcanic explosion in 1600 BC. Lava from that massive eruption decimated the Minoan town of Akrotiri but also preserved it through the 1960s. That’s when archaeologists uncovered elaborate frescoes at an excavation site 9 miles (14 km) south of La Maltese Estate. The ancient town rarely opens for visitors, but the Museum of Prehistoric Thira in the Santorini capital Fira displays tools, pottery, and other relics from Akrotiri.

Boats and ferries dock at the main port, Athinios, which sits at the base of the cliffs on Santorini's western shore. From here, catch a charter to nearby islands, including the black-lava volcanic island of Nea Kameni that began to resurface in the early 18th century.

If you’re interested in island hopping to nearby Crete—accessible by flights and ferries—then you can extend your getaway by purchasing a Groupon for sister resort Palazzo Rimondi Hotel and spend another four days in Greece.

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