Overall I found Caveland to be a good place to stay for the price. Santorini is a very expensive island and we were traveling with a few friends who had booked at Caveland, so we decided to join them there. Very luckily we were warned by a few people we met in Crete (before heading to Santorini) that we should rent a car on Santorini. If we didn't, I don't think we would have ever made it to Caveland!
Even in a car, we had a really tough time finding Caveland, despite the directions on their website (and google maps which are completely useless in most of the Greek islands). The sign for Caveland is the tiniest little thing, and it is turned away from the road, down the driveway to the hostel. If you are on the road, you cannot see the sign. After stopping and asking a local, as well as calling Caveland, we finally found it. Keep in mind that this is in the relative comfort of a car with a/c. While checking in, two others arrived who had walked from the bus stop. They looked as if they had just completed a few weeks in the desert; I have not seen people so exhausted in awhile! They said it took them more than an hour; I guess they got lost as well. I understand this is a hostel, and with that comes a bit less comfort...Overall I found Caveland to be a good place to stay for the price. Santorini is a very expensive island and we were traveling with a few friends who had booked at Caveland, so we decided to join them there. Very luckily we were warned by a few people we met in Crete (before heading to Santorini) that we should rent a car on Santorini. If we didn't, I don't think we would have ever made it to Caveland!
Even in a car, we had a really tough time finding Caveland, despite the directions on their website (and google maps which are completely useless in most of the Greek islands). The sign for Caveland is the tiniest little thing, and it is turned away from the road, down the driveway to the hostel. If you are on the road, you cannot see the sign. After stopping and asking a local, as well as calling Caveland, we finally found it. Keep in mind that this is in the relative comfort of a car with a/c. While checking in, two others arrived who had walked from the bus stop. They looked as if they had just completed a few weeks in the desert; I have not seen people so exhausted in awhile! They said it took them more than an hour; I guess they got lost as well. I understand this is a hostel, and with that comes a bit less comfort and a bit more flexibility, but I found the whole thing to be a bit amusing at how difficult it was to actually get to Caveland.
Now for the good! We got a private cave, and it was very spacious inside, with a private bathroom and kitchen. The room came with a dehumidifier which was great as well because those caves get VERY humid. The dehumidifier would fill up twice or more a day if that gives you any indication. The cave was very clean and offered a unique experience.
The grounds of Caveland are beautiful, very well gardened. I took so many pictures. The pool and pool area was also very nice. The dogs who live on the property are insanely adorable and offered many fun hours of entertainment as well.
While we had hot water for most of our trip, on our last day there was absolutely none, so...freezing cold showers for both of us. By that time I was ready to go!
Overall, Caveland offers a beautiful property for backpackers, but if you can spring on a bit nicer of a place, I would do it. What I definitely would NOT do is stay here without a car or a moped, unless you are the kind of person that likes taking hour-long treks through the hot sun, up and down hills. That's not me. We noticed while we were...More
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