3,500 years ago Santorini was the epicentre of a cataclysmic earthquake; today it is the epicentre of Greek island tourism. The two go hand in hand, of course. Those plunging views from the crater rim into the sea-filled caldera, with its lava islands and aquamarine ocean, are probably the most striking - and the most photographed - in Greece. And those close-packed, white-washed skaftá houses - half-burrowed into the soft tufa rock, half built under round-vaulted roofs (for tremor protection) - are equally eye-catching. All of this comes together most stunningly in the village of Oia, at the island's northern tip.
This is the setting for this delightful two-bedroom house, owned by an architect and a designer - Greek but multilingual - who divide their time between Santorini and Athens. It sits on a white-stepped path, at the head of the "stairway" down to the tiny pier and beach of Armeni. From its pueblo-like terrace, the views are all you'd expect and more. Two double doors lead into the twin-vaulted house: one into the dining-kitchen area, off which lies the monastically serene sitting room; the other into the upper of the two bedrooms. Smoothly sculpted steps, like pale grey playdough, lead down to the other bedroom, which sits snugly inside what was once the vast freshwater cistern (a key feature of Oia's ancient houses). There's also a tiny pool outside, under a rocky overhang. It's all beautifully finished, and expertly run by concierge Ioanna - and we can't wait to see it for ourselves.