Sitting at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East, the seas around Santorini have always been rich with trade. But along with that wealth came real danger, as pirates from across the Mediterranean flocked to prey on passing traders and even enslave local villages. Unlike many frightened and fortified towns around the Cyclades, Megalochori took a different attitude towards piracy and was considered to be a kind of haven for them, with numerous pirate hideaways dotted throughout the area, some of which remain today.
“This building is 500 years old and it was owned by my grandmother’s family. It is made of Volcano stone that was carried over with boats. Today’s Red Cave House used to be the main house, i.e. the bedroom. Today’s bathroom used to be the kitchen and I remember that it also had a place where the shower is today . It was connected with a doorway to the next apartment, which today is now Blue Cave . Blue Cave was the warehouse: we had wood, dry vine leaves and we also had our goat and our donkey there. After the earthquake of ’56 this became the living room of the family. 9 people used to live in the house. In 1956 the upper building “White Villa” house fell with the earthquake and the roof was rebuilt in the summer of 2021”.
Live a unique experience in the heart of an authentic Santorini cave
Learn about the cave houses and the habits of the residents of the island many years ago.
Come to the most beautiful and most photographed island of the Cyclades, which is a reference point for its exceptional architecture.
Appreciate simplicity with luxury, history with modernism.
The caves were the houses of the poor people of Santorini, in contrast to the captain ‘s houses and mansions, where the captains and rich people of the island used to live
We used to dig the whole house into the pumice stone, and added extra rooms if needed. All caves had a vaulted roof.
ll cave houses are cool in summer and warm in winter. They are also very resistant to earthquakes.
