Messaria Holidays

Messaria sits slap-bang in the middle of Santorini, just a 10-minute cab ride from the airport. This diddy village comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from the island, like whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches and twisting cobblestone alleys. And, as it’s less famous than villages like Oia and Fira, it manages to dodge most of the tourist throngs.

It’s not just the pretty churches, white walls and cobbled paths that give Messaria its big-time kerb appeal. The village has a few other architectural gems up its sleeve, too. Take Argyros Mansion, for example – this swanky home shows off arched ceilings and wrought-iron balconies. It’s now a museum, and if you pop inside for a nosey around, you’ll be able to eyeball old Greek paintings, antiques and artefacts.

Thanks to its coastal spot, Messaria serves up sea views on tap. The best place to eye up the scenery is from the western chunk of the village, which is home to a stack of hotels. There are vantage points galore around here, each divvying out sweeping vistas of the Aegean Sea and nearby volcano. If you fancy having a nose at the latter up close, you can hop on a boat to get there from nearby Old Santorini Harbour.