Vedema: Stay In A 400-Year-Old Greek Wine Cellar In Santorini

If you’ve ever wondered what staying in a medieval Greek village would feel like, Santorini property Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, gives you the chance to step back into history in style. This Luxury Collection Resort was originally a 400-year-old wine cellar, then a 100-year-old mansion, and today it’s 59-suite hotel property. While many hotels, especially the ones in Oia and Thira and are built into the cave structures of Santorini with little greenery, Vedema is a sprawling resort with flowers everywhere you turn and even a helipad.

Walking through the property you’ll stroll through winding small pathways just like in a real village, stumbling across enclaves like the property’s boutique, multiple pools, gym and spa along the way. There’s even a blue-domed church visible from the property, a popular photo spot for guests, and unlike other places in Santorini you won’t have to fight to get the shot.

Dining

As you would imagine, Vedema prides itself on its rich wine history and the crown jewel of the property is the restaurant Alati, an eatery built into a wine cave. Step into this cavernous stonewalled space lit with candles and chandeliers to make things extra romantic. Come here for dinner and enjoy creative fish disches, as well an array or meats and pasta, and, of course, wine. Start your meal with a skoubri, which consists of marinated mackerel with spinach cream to share, their Cocorrico dish which is an organic rooster casserole made with homemade hilopites, wild mushrooms, smoked peppers and Crete gruyere. Lastly you can’t go wrong with a surf and turf, consisting of Naxos beef ribeye, grilled Mediterranean lobster and organic salad. Alati is open from 7 to 11:30 pm every day.

For breakfast there’s the Pergola which is a beautiful open space featuring a large breakfast buffet. Here you can choose from a large variety of juices, eggs, vegetables, meats and Greek pastries such as spanakopita. For lunch, you’ll likely be poolside and the restaurant is just steps away. You can’t go wrong with their Greek salad and grilled shrimp for a lunch meal during the day.

Rooms

The rooms at Vedema are perfect for indoor and outdoor living with them all featuring either a balcony, jacuzzi or private pool. The interiors reflect the angular lines of Cycladic architecture and the typical whitewashed style seen in Greece. Inside the rooms you’ll find touches of antique furnishings and artworks. Traveling as a family or friend group? The Presidential villa lends itself well to your travels with three bedrooms, a pool and jacuzzi. This century-old mansion was originally a captain’s house and maintains an authentic feel while having modern amenities.

Wellness

Like many structures on property, the spa here is also built into a 100-year-old wine cellar but this is not dark cavernous space, a serene white space with thoughtful décor awaits. Come here to Elios Spa to enjoy facials, massages and body treatments. Refresh your complexion with their Ocean Treasures facial which features champagne and grape leaf extract to renew skin, as well as gold to restore tightness. If you’ve been enjoying the Santorini sun a little too much, book a sea breeze feel after sun treatment which helps hydrate sunburnt skin and reduce irritation. If you’re there as a couple, you’ll love a couples journey which features steam bath and self-scrub, massage with optional add-ons such as hand and foot massage or reflexology.

Vedema has a convenient location to all of the major Santorini sites but offers more space and greenery than caveside properties. Come here to unwind and have a glass (or several) of wine in what was a medieval wine structure.