Fira

Kavalari Hotel Fira

★★★★★

For many travellers the dream is a room on the caldera cliff, and the reality is a price tag that rivals a week's rent. Kavalari is one of the more affordable ways to have the view. It sits at the top of the caldera in Fira, looking out over the old port, the volcano and the sunset, in a building that started life as a captain's house and was converted into a guesthouse over several years. The style is deliberately traditional, with cave-style accommodation and exterior stairways that wind down the cliff to flowered terraces reserved for guests. It feels like old Fira rather than a modern design hotel, and that is its charm. The facilities are simple but well chosen. There is an open-air jacuzzi with cool water and a sunbathing terrace, plus a lounge terrace where you can sit with a drink as the sun drops behind Thirasia. Breakfast is complimentary, a continental spread with fresh orange juice, fruit and local delicacies, served on a terrace overlooking the Aegean, which is a lovely way to start the day. Rooms, from executive doubles to a cave apartment, come with air conditioning, satellite TV, a mini fridge, hair dryer, slippers and other comforts, and guests have free wireless internet, a front desk, a bell boy, daily housekeeping and a concierge who can arrange transfers and island activities. The trade-offs are the classic caldera ones. Getting to your room means steps, often many, so it is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility, and luggage needs help. The jacuzzi is shared rather than private, and Fira's caldera walkway right above is busy in high season. And it is not really a family choice: the hotel's booking channels and Expedia list it as adults only, so check the current policy if you are travelling with children.

Who it suits: couples who want a caldera view, a sunset terrace and breakfast with the volcano in front of them without paying Oia prices, and travellers who want to walk to Fira's restaurants, museums and buses. It is a romantic but unpretentious base. Families with young children, guests with mobility issues and anyone who dislikes stairs should choose a hotel such as El Greco or Loizos on the level streets instead.

Getting around: the cable car to the old port for boat trips is a few minutes' walk along the caldera, and the bus station, museums and the start of the caldera walk to Firostefani and Imerovigli are all close by. Taxis cannot reach the door, so ask the hotel about the bell boy service and the nearest drop-off point. The airport is about fifteen minutes by road and Athinios port twenty to thirty minutes.

Season and practicalities: the official site does not publish opening dates; caldera guesthouses in Fira usually close or reduce services in the depths of winter, so check before booking a November to March stay. The climate resilience fee is charged per room per night according to category. Reservations are handled through the hotel's official site and booking engine.