Katikies Kirini Santorini

Carved into the caldera cliffs on the quieter edge of Oia, Katikies Kirini Santorini, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is an adults only retreat where private pool suites, an exceptional cave spa and uninterrupted volcano views define the stay.

Kirini feels wonderfully connected to the landscape. Whitewashed arches, lantern lit verandas and narrow pathways descend through the natural contours of the cliff, occasionally meeting great outcrops of volcanic rock and windswept trees that have become part of the architecture rather than something to be designed around. The caldera is never simply a backdrop here, it appears between buildings, beyond terraces and at the end of stairways as you make your way through the hotel.

Its position just outside the heart of Oia gives those terraces a particularly appealing sense of calm. The famous village remains close enough to wander into whenever the mood takes you, yet returning to Kirini feels like withdrawing into a more private world of white stone, blue water and extraordinary open sky.

Rooms & Suites

Every suite has its own veranda facing the caldera, making the outdoor space as important as the room behind it. Wooden floors, soft fabrics and curved Cycladic walls create warmer interiors than the brilliant white architecture might suggest, with beds and living spaces positioned to keep drawing attention back towards the Aegean.

Junior and Senior Suites begin the collection, followed by the more spacious Superior Suite, while the Wet Junior Suite adds an open air jetted tub to its terrace. Higher categories make even more of the cliffside setting, with the Honeymoon Suite and Kirini Suite introducing private pools or plunge pools above the caldera.

The Master Suite with Private Pool is the indulgent end of the collection, giving you the space and privacy to retreat almost completely into your own piece of the hillside. These are rooms where the veranda becomes the natural centre of the day, particularly when the afternoon light begins to soften across the volcano.

Dining

Anthós takes the flavours and ingredients of the Cyclades and gives them a polished contemporary expression, with Santorini’s volcanic landscape providing both inspiration and setting. Dinner unfolds against the caldera, allowing the changing evening light to become part of the experience before attention turns fully to the food.

The intimate scale suits Kirini. Tables feel connected to the hotel rather than occupying a separate restaurant world, and evenings have an easy progression from a drink on the terrace to dinner and then another slow wander through the lantern lit pathways afterwards.

Breakfast can be taken at an equally leisurely pace, while the bar carries the hotel through the quieter hours of the afternoon and into sunset. With Oia’s restaurants and wine bars within walking distance, it is easy to mix evenings at Kirini with nights spent further into the village.

Experience

The outdoor pool is folded into the cliff rather beautifully, surrounded by small terraces and sculpted lounging spaces rather than a single expansive deck. From the water, the view opens directly across the caldera towards the volcano, with little to interrupt the extraordinary meeting of white architecture and blue Aegean.

Kirini lends itself to days with very little structure. A morning on your veranda can become an afternoon beside the pool remarkably easily, while the walk into Oia provides just enough temptation when you want a change of scene. Hiking, diving, snorkelling, canoeing and horse riding can all take you further into Santorini and its surrounding waters.

One of the loveliest times to return is as evening approaches, when the daytime visitors begin to drift away from this end of Oia and the pathways around Kirini take on a softer atmosphere under the lanterns.

Wellness

A.SPA is far more than a treatment room tucked into the hotel. Carved into the cliff itself, it creates a wonderfully atmospheric wellness space with an indoor pool, hammam, sauna and relaxation areas surrounded by the cool curves and natural shelter of the volcanic rock.

Massages, facials and body treatments build on that setting, with longer spa rituals particularly well suited to an afternoon away from the Santorini sun. The contrast is lovely, moving from the brilliant light and enormous views outside into the stillness of the cave before emerging once again onto the caldera.

Where

Katikies Kirini Santorini sits on the edge of Oia, around a 15 minute walk from its celebrated promenade, giving you the village within easy reach while preserving a quieter cliffside setting to return to at the end of the day.

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