Unbelievable Santorini Villa: Makrilis's Secret Paradise Awaits!
Unbelievable Santorini Villa: Makrilis's Secret Paradise Awaits! - My Unfiltered Take (and Why You NEED To Book This!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I just got back from Unbelievable Santorini Villa: Makrilis's Secret Paradise Awaits!, and "unbelievable" doesn't even begin to cover it. Forget those perfectly curated Instagram feeds; I'm here to give you the REAL scoop – warts and all (and thankfully, there weren’t many warts at Makrilis’s!). This is a review, not a brochure, so expect some honest opinions, a touch of chaos, and maybe a few tangents. Let's dive in!
First Impressions (and the Jet Lag Hangover)
Getting there was… well, Santorini. Gorgeous, yes. Easy, no. But the airport transfer (thankfully they offer it!) was a lifesaver. After the flight from hell, the smooth ride to the villa was a godsend. The check-in was crazy efficient – contactless, even! Which, after wrestling with the baggage carousel and a screaming toddler on the plane, was pure bliss. It’s a relief, the 24-hour front desk, because after experiencing a flight delay, you just want to plonk down your luggage and go to sleep.
Accessibility: A Mixed Bag (But Mostly Good!)
Now, being brutally honest, I wasn't specifically looking for accessibility features, but I did take note. The website does mention "facilities for disabled guests," but it’s not super detailed. There's an elevator, which is a HUGE plus (especially if you’re lugging around a ton of bags like I usually do!). The common areas seemed pretty accessible, and there was a general sense of spaciousness. However, I didn’t scrutinize it with a critical eye for specific wheelchair-friendly features. It’s worth checking in more detail if you require them.
The Room: My Sanctuary (And My Tiny, Adorable Cave)
Oh. My. God. The room! Okay, so no, not every room is a perfect, pristine, magazine cover. But my room was gorgeous. I had the "extra long bed" (bliss!), blackout curtains (essential for beating the Santorini sun), and a private balcony. Seriously, the view… chef's kiss. The included “free bottled water” never ran dry. Every night, right before I'd hit the hay after a long day of excursions, I would switch on the air conditioning and enjoy watching some on-demand movies or even just watching the satellite/cable channels from my room.
Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. The air conditioning itself was a godsend, especially since I visited during peak season. And the free Wi-Fi? Seriously, it worked flawlessly. I could upload sunset photos to Instagram in seconds. The bathroom, too, was good. The additional toilet made for some much less stress. And the slippers offered were a great touch.
But let's be honest: the bathroom was slightly small. You know those hotels where you feel like you can barely turn around? Well, it was almost that. Nothing catastrophic, but you get the idea. And, I did notice on my first day, the hair dryer wasn't the greatest. But hey, you can’t have everything!
Cleanliness and Safety: Feeling Secure (and Sanitized!)
Right off the bat, I felt SUPER safe. The 24-hour security meant I could wander late into the night without being worried and the smoke alarms and the fire extinguisher provided some peace of mind. The whole place felt immaculate. I'm a bit of a germophobe (don’t judge!), so the anti-viral cleaning products and the daily disinfection in common areas were HUGE wins for me. The room was sanitized between stays (and with the opt-out option, thank goodness). I was also delighted by the hand sanitizer readily available everywhere and by the professional-grade sanitizing services.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Food Glorious Food!
Ugh, the food. Where do I even start? Okay, so the breakfast… breakfast [buffet] was included. I’m not a huge buffet person (too much temptation!), but this one was actually pretty decent, with the Western breakfast and Asian breakfast, providing a solid base for the day. The coffee/tea in the restaurant was really tasty.
There’s a poolside bar, which as you can imagine, is essential. The happy hour was a MUST. (I may or may not have enjoyed one or two… or several… cocktails watching the sunset. Don’t tell anyone!) The restaurants themselves were fantastic. There's also the option for room service [24-hour], but I didn't use this as I really wanted the experience of exploring the a la carte restaurant. The international cuisine in restaurant was delicious, the desserts… oh, the desserts! The salad in restaurant was also something I remember well.
I didn’t try the vegetarian restaurant, but it was definitely an option. Overall, the food scene was a major highlight – and the bottle of water provided daily was a nice touch, too!
Things To Do and Ways To Relax: Spa Day, Anyone?
Okay, so the swimming pool? Absolutely stunning. Pool with a view? Yep. You can spend all day there, sunbathing and sipping cocktails. I seriously considered staying in the hotel for a week and just living by the pool.
And then there are all the other ways to relax! I had the massage (pure heaven), and I really considered going to the Spa/sauna or the Steamroom and getting a Body scrub or a Body wrap. There's also a Fitness center if you’re feeling virtuous (I wasn’t!). The Sauna was also a great place to relax and was very welcoming.
Services and Conveniences: Everything You Need (and Want!)
They thought of everything! The concierge was incredibly helpful with everything from booking tours to recommending restaurants. I loved the daily housekeeping! The laundry service was a lifesaver, and the dry cleaning meant I didn’t have to worry about wrinkles. I especially appreciated the invoice provided and the cashless payment service. There are safety deposit boxes, a luggage storage (thank goodness!), and even a freaking gift/souvenir shop!
For the Kids (and the Parental Sanity!):
I didn't travel with kids, but the babysitting service is a huge plus, and the place seemed family/child friendly. (I saw some Kids meal on the menu.)
Getting Around: Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy
Airport transfer? Check. Car park [free of charge]? Check. Taxi service? Also check. I didn’t use the car power charging station, but hey, they have thought of it all! They also have a car park [on-site], which is great for parking.
The Quirks, Imperfections, and Honest Musings:
Okay, so here’s the real tea. I LOVED this villa. Truly, madly, deeply. But:
- The View…Again!: Seriously, the view from my balcony was worth the price of admission alone. Just…breathtaking. I spent hours just staring at it.
- The Internet: The "free Wi-Fi" worked flawlessly for my own personal use. However, I noticed some delays for special events. I definitely recommend testing that ahead of time if you plan to be doing anything special.
- The Staff: The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Always smiling and offering service with a smile.
- The Price: It wasn't cheap, but honestly, for the experience and the location, it was worth it.
Final Verdict: GO! (Seriously, Book It Now!)
This isn’t just a hotel; it’s an experience. Makrilis's Secret Paradise is a slice of heaven, and I am already plotting my return. The location is perfect, the amenities are fantastic, the staff are amazing, and the views… well, you just need to see them for yourself. It is one of the best places to stay in Santorini!
My Unfiltered, Stream-of-Consciousness Recommendation: BOOK IT! Just… book it. You will not regret it.
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Okay, buckle up Buttercup, because this isn't your average meticulously planned itinerary. This is my attempt at a Santorini adventure, and let's just say, things might get… messy. We're talking Villa Makrilis, baby. Let's see if this vacation is worth the hype or just another Instagram filter.
Santorini Scream-cation: A Messy Guide to Villa Makrilis and Beyond (Maybe)
Day 1: Arrival! (Or, How I Almost Lost My Luggage and My Sanity at the Same Time)
- Morning (Like, Really Early): Wake up at 4:00 AM. Why? Because apparently, I love self-inflicted torture. Rush to the airport. Arrive, breathe a sigh of relief. Check-in. Watch everyone else fly by me and my bags in the TSA line.
- Flight: Squeeze myself into the middle seat, next to a snorer and a person who keeps trying to talk. Spend 6 hours trying to sleep and failing. Read about Santorini. Get increasingly anxious.
- Arrival in Santorini (FINALLY!): The Santorini airport is… intimate, to say the least. Bags are arriving. Bags aren't arriving. My bag. My bag isn't arriving. Panic sets in. After a harrowing half-hour (filled with frantic gesturing and a phrasebook that had never seen the Greek alphabet), my bag appears, looking sorry for itself.
- Transfer to Villa Makrilis: A charming, if slightly chaotic, transfer to the villa. The driver, bless him, speeds around corners like he's auditioning for Fast & Furious: Santorini Drift. Finally, we make it.
- Villa Makrilis: First Impressions: The view… it's real. It's genuinely breathtaking. Those white-washed houses clinging to the cliffside? The Aegean Sea? Yes, please. The villa itself is lovely, maybe a little more charming than the pictures suggest. The pool is calling my name, but it's going to take me a full two hours to relax because…
- Afternoon: The Great Unpacking… and the Great Mosquito Invasion: Unpack and realize I forgot my sunscreen. And my phone charger. And… well, a few things. Then, the mosquitoes. Oh, the mosquitoes. They're like tiny, bloodthirsty vampires. Seriously, I'm not sure the DEET is working, and I'm now covered in itchy welts.
- Evening: Find a small grocery store. Buy suncream for 3x the price. Wander around Fira, the nearest town. Get lost. (Classic.) The best views in Santorini. Eat Gyros. Realize I don't understand Greek, but hey, the food is good. The sunset? A fiery explosion of color that almost makes me forgive the mosquitos. Almost.
- Bedtime: Exhausted and in a state of happy-and-hungry-but-also-itchy. Give up on being productive and crash. Attempt to sleep. Struggle to sleep. Struggle to focus.
Day 2: Oia (Sunrise Dreams Turned Sunset Disasters)
- Morning: Rise early. Determined to see the Oia sunrise. Get up. Put on a dress. Get halfway through the walk and realize I forgot my hat. Turn back. Almost get eaten by a wandering dog. Forget what hats are. Turn back. The sunrise is gorgeous, making the whole thing worthwhile.
- Brunch in Oia: Find a restaurant with a great view of the caldera. It's packed, obnoxiously so, and the service is slow. But the view? Worth it. Eat the seafood. Eat the pastries. It is expensive. Spend too much money. Worth it.
- Afternoon: The Caldera Hike: Decide to do a hike from Fira to Oia. It's supposed to be a "moderate" hike. Lies. All lies. It's a sun-baked struggle up and down volcanic rock. I'm panting, sweating, and questioning all my life choices. The views are spectacular, but honestly, I'm too busy trying not to pass out to appreciate them.
- Sunset in Oia (Part 2): Back to Oia for sunset. It. Is. Packed. So many people. So many selfie sticks. Struggle. Realize that the "romantic sunset vibe" I imagined is slightly tainted by the hordes of tourists. Still, the sunset itself? Unforgettable. The sky blazes with vibrant colors.
- Dinner: Find a taverna that looks promising. Wait an hour for food. Finally eat… stuffed tomatoes. Delicious. Feel satisfied.
- Evening: The realization that this beauty is going to cost me a fortune.
- Bedtime: Sleep. Deep sleep.
Day 3: Beach Days (and Beach Flails)
- Morning: Beach day! (Sunscreen. Check. Hat. Check. Enough water. Okay, maybe not enough.) Choose a beach. Red Beach? Too crowded. Black Beach? Too hot. Go to another beach.
- Afternoon: Beach Drama: Get sand everywhere. The waves are fun, but I keep getting thrown around like a rag doll. The sand gets in my eyes. And in my hair. And in places I didn't know sand could get.
- Late Afternoon: Exhaustion hits. That's when I discover the bar: the drinks. The music. The friendly locals who seem to know this is a tourist trap, but embrace it.
- Evening: Return to the villa, sunburnt and sandy, for a well-deserved shower.
- Bedtime: Planning more food!
Day 4: Wine Tasting (and Wine-Induced Whimsy)
- Morning: Schedule Wine Tour
- Afternoon: Wine Tasting Extravaganza: Visit a winery. Drink wine. (Delicious wine.) Learn about the local grape varieties. Laugh with the people i've met. Start feeling a little… tipsy. Very tipsy. The vineyard is gorgeous. I learn more about wine than I’ve ever known.
- Evening: (Possibly) Drunken Dinner: Stumble back to the villa with a newfound appreciation for the finer things in life.
Day 5: The Lost Day
- Morning/Afternoon/Evening: This is the day where I do absolutely nothing. Or, more accurately, the day I intend to do nothing, but somehow end up doing everything.
Day 6: The Volcano Boat Tour (And My Near-Death Experience with a Sea Kayak)
- Morning: Book the volcano boat tour.
- Afternoon: Volcano Adventure: The volcano tour is a must do, for sure. The views are stellar. The water is hot. People are walking around in their bathing suits.
- Late Afternoon: Kayaking Debacle: Rent a kayak. Try to kayak. Fall. Get stuck in a rock. Almost capsize. Realize I am incredibly clumsy and should stick to land.
- Evening: Eat a delicious meal and celebrate surviving the day.
- Bedtime: Think about kayaking (and how I could have died).
Day 7: Farewell, Santorini (And Emotional Overload)
- Morning: Pack. Feel a vague sense of sadness. The mosquitos are probably celebrating.
- Departure: The airport is still chaotic, but hey, at least I didn't lose my luggage this time.
- Flight Home: Take a breath.
- Arrival back: Everything goes back to normal.
- Bedtime: The end!
This itinerary is probably going to change. I might get lost, I might mess up an order, I'll definitely get sunburned. But that's okay. Because that's the real travel experience, right? It's imperfect, it's messy, and it's full of memories (and mosquito bites) that I'll never forget. Cheers to Santorini!
P.S. I fully expect this to be way more chaotic than planned. But hey, that's half the fun, right? Wish me luck! And if you see me on the beach, come say hi, but maybe bring some anti-mosquito spray, because I'm going to need it.
Southampton City Centre Chic: Your Private Annex Awaits!
So, like, what *are* you? Seriously. Stop dodging.
And I don't get it! Seriously, why is "their" so complicated compared to "there" and "they're"? It's like we're trying to trip ourselves up on purpose!
Can you *really* understand human emotions? Because sometimes your responses are, well... robotic.
What are you *good* at? Besides, I don't know, being a giant word-salad generator?
But let's be real, my "good" is often other people's "meh". Not even sure about that most of the time.
What are you BAD at? Don't be shy, give me the dirt.
My biggest flaw? I can't tell a lie. That, or I don't know when to lie. I *think* it is a good thing, but does it work? No.
Can you *learn*? Like, actually get smarter over time?
What do you think about the future? Are we all doomed?
