Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece

Guide to Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece (2024 Updated)

Search and book Lesbian and Gay friendly hotels Oia, Greece.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Greece have evolved significantly over the last years, establishing it as one of the most liberal countries in Southeast EuropeDiscrimination is not as common anymore, although LGBT people in Greece may still face social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Despite this, Greek public opinion on homosexuality is generally regarded as culturally liberal,with same-sex unions being legally recognised since 2015.

Greece is one of Europe’s most popular LGBT tourist destinations, particularly its largest cities Athens and Thessaloniki as well as several of its islands. The gay scene of Mykonos is well-known, with many establishments catering for the LGBT community.Lesbos also is famous internationally for its lesbian scene in Eressos.

There is also a large gay scene in Thessaloniki with gay/lesbian bars/clubs and several friendly mixed venues, and several LGBT organisations. In June 2012, the city got its own annual pride event (Thessaloniki Pride).

Corfu has a long history of being a  gay friendly resort and in downtown we can find a few gay friendly bars as well as Tropican is the most famous gay place in Fira, Greece.

Oia is a coastal town on the northwestern tip of Santorini, a Greek Aegean island. The town has whitewashed houses carved into the rugged clifftops, and overlooks a vast caldera filled with water. In a 19th-century mansion, the Naval Maritime Museum has exhibits on local seafaring history, including old figureheads, sailors’ chests and models of old ships. Nearby is the ruined Oia Castle, known for its sunset views.

Top attractions to visit in Oia

 

 Best for day trips in Oia

See more day trips in Oia on GetYourGuide Greece

 

 

1. Canaves Oia Suites & Spa 5* – Gay Friendly Hotels Oia

Canaves Oia Suites & Spa
Canaves Oia Suites & Spa

Canaves Oia Suites & Spa in Oia are built on the side of a cliff overlooking the Caldera. They offer private parking and gourmet dining. A private motor yacht is available for cruises in the Aegean Sea and the islands. 2 outdoor pools, one of which is infinity-style, are featured.

Canaves Oia Suites & Spa provide luxurious accommodation in spacious suites and rooms beautifully appointed with antique furniture and art objects.

The property facilities include a pool bar and a 24-hour reception. Free Wi-Fi is provided in all areas.

Guests may enjoy gourmet dishes served at the à la carte restaurant, while a wine cellar is available to guests.

Carved into a cliffside overlooking the Aegean Sea, this polished all-suite hotel is 10 km from the Santorini cable car and 11 km from the Museum of Prehistoric Thera.

Featuring minimalist decor, the airy suites come with free Wi-Fi, iPod docks, and flat-screens with DVD players. All have minibars, balconies, and tea and coffee making facilities. Upgraded rooms add living/dining areas; some include private plunge pools. Room service is available.

Breakfast and parking are free. There’s a chic restaurant/bar and an infinity pool. Other amenities include a gym, and an open-air spa with massage services. Wine tasting and yoga are offered.

Perched on the cliffs of Oia, Santorini, overlooking the picturesque Caldera and volcano, discover the luxurious Canaves Oia Suites. The spacious design and effortlessly chic interiors that sees a crisp white palette run throughout, evoke a feeling of tranquility with every step.

Recently renovated, the majestic property has been given a contemporary update, embracing a minimalist aesthetic with a warm twist. From the attention-to-detail service to private plunge and infinity pools on every balcony, the property brings new meaning to the luxury on the island.

This hotel surpassed all of our expectations. The rooms all seem to have amazing views of the sea and caldera and are kept up well. Very clean and well appointed. The best feature, even better than the grounds and views, is the staff. Everyone is so nice, knowledgeable, organized all of our activities (which we loved), and made THE BEST restaurant recommendations (for this foodie, that was very important). The hotel was very gay-friendly too. Thank you for the great stay and the surprises during our stay.

The view of the Caldera from our villa was beyond breathtaking and we really couldn’t wait to get up each morning to look out the windows and inhale the magnificent scenery.

Then we’d enjoy an amazing breakfast by our gorgeous pool. Just steps away from the town of Oia, the property is so conveniently located yet so private.

Another favorite part of the day was eating at Petra.. the view was truly spectacular and the food was always so amazing.. everything we ate was delicious, unique and memorable. The waitstaff was so helpful and couldn’t have been nicer! In fact, this may be our new favorite restaurant in the world!

Location: idyllic setting overlooking the caldera. Every room has a sea view. Serene but right next to all the shops, restaurants and transportation you need.

Ambiance: The beauty of the cave-like design is that every guest room has both sea-view and privacy. The decor is minimalist and luxurious at the same time.

Service: impeccable, respectful and warm. The staff is friendly and accommodating without being invasive. Everything we requested was accommodated. Rooms cleaned twice a day unless you specify otherwise. Victoria was especially lovely but truly all the staff deserve kudos.

Food: we had delicious breakfast here every morning, which is included with your stay. It is a buffet with a la carte options also available. Its set up around in the main pool/bar area with stunning outdoor seating (indoor available if you prefer). I included lots of pictures to give an idea of how amazing the spread is. We did not try lunch or dinner here but I know it is open all day. Petra is the name of the restaurant.

Amenities: we enjoyed the lounge pool which also has three private cabanas. We did not have time to try the other pool, spa or gym but all are available. Each room has an private plunge pool (outdoor jacuzzi).

Overall, we highly recommend this lovely resort. We could not imagine a more perfect property to celebrate our honeymoon.

Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece
Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece

How much does a room costs at Canaves Oia Suites & Spa ?

Prices start 2200$/night for Superior Suite with Plunge Pool. The Pool Suite is  2500$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.

Spacious and elegantly furnished, this suite opens to a private terrace with a spacious pool, offering panoramic views of the caldera, volcano and the Aegean Sea. It consists of a separate bedroom, living room and bathroom with both a rain shower and bathtub. Special features include a walk-in closet and outdoor dining area.

Rate includes daily American buffet breakfast and a complimentary bottle of wine with fresh fruits upon arrival

Where to book online – Canaves Oia Suites & Spa  – Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece you can find the best hotels deals in Oia during  The Ifestia Festival which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Oia on Booking.com or  Hotelscombined.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.

 

2. Esperas Adult Only Hotel 4* – Gay Friendly Accommodation Oia Greece

Esperas
Esperas

Perched on a cliff, opposite the volcano and the islets, Esperas in Oia & a gay friendly hotels Oia boasts a carved-into-the-rock pool, and offers accommodation with unrivalled views of the Aegean Sea.

The tasteful, Cycladic-style units are air-conditioned and feature comfortable Entos mattresses and Greek bio & Zealots of Nature bathroom amenities. Modern installations include free Wi-Fi, satellite TV and DVD/MP3 player with a DVD collection.

Guests at Esperas can take a dip at the pool and enjoy the stunning view over the caldera. The pool-side bar offers refreshing drinks and snacks. Lunch and dinner are served at the on-site restaurant.

Overlooking the Aegean Sea, this laid-back seasonal, adults-only hotel is a 4-minute walk from the Byzantine Castle Ruins and a 6-minute walk from Oia Treasures Art Gallery.

The unassuming, Cycladic-style suites and houses offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars, plus terraces with sea views, and tea and coffee making facilities. Some have private plunge pools, separate sitting areas and/or private hot tubs.

Breakfast is complimentary. Other amenities include a restaurant, an outdoor pool and a pool bar. Children age 12 and over are welcome.

Esperas is a unique select service hotel that offers you the opportunity to experience the traditional cave houses of Santorini coupled with one of the most breathtaking views on the planet. A five minute walk from the center of the picturesque village of Oia, the complex is exclusively situated on the edge of a hanging cliff side (the Caldera), overlooking the breathtaking sunset and the volcanic rocks. An ambiance of comfort and relaxation is present throughout the 20 houses, complemented by traditional furniture and antique pieces.

Check in: The moment you arrive, they welcome you with refreshing juice, show you your room, and give you the lay of the land. The reception is helpful and friendly, and we had no trouble booking restaurant reservations and excursions through them.

Staff: I cannot say enough good things about the staff. They are so kind and caring. While I was there, I had a medical emergency and had to go to the ER three times. They arranged transportation in the middle of the night and were so compassionate. We are so grateful.

The room: We stayed in 117, a 2-bedroom sunset view with plunge pool. The main bedroom was a king sized bed nestled in a cozy, white, relaxing cave. Ahhh. The other bedroom, which we didn’t use, had 2 twin beds. The patio was lovely! The plunge pool was a bit smaller than expected but that’s okay.

The view: It is SPECTACULAR. You will want to be in your room about an hour before sunset because the area surrounding the hotel gets so crowded with people outside of the hotel trying to sneak a peek at the amazing, breathtaking views. That’s how good the spot is. You will feel like VIP watching the view from your own private balcony while the rest of the city is crowded around nearby streets. Grab a bottle of champagne, relax on your porch, and enjoy the view.

Main pool: The pool area was chill and not very crowded. The food was delicious. My husband had the ceviche and I had the chicken sandwich. Both sooo good. The bartenders are friendly, and the vibe among guests was not party-scene, just chill, easy to talk if you feel like it or just do your own thing.

Breakfast: Breakfast is delicious and included. We had ours delivered to our patio every morning. Lovely.

We look forward to returning to Esperas Santorini.

The facilities are beautiful – amazing views from everywhere including the room and private balcony. Pool was very nice with tons of chairs and an amazing view. Never too crowded.

The location is great because you’re in close walking distance to all the action with the shops/restaurants but isolated enough that you don’t have that foot traffic all around you when you’re trying to relax in some peace and quiet.

Definitely opt for the breakfast service, the food is outstanding and it’s great to have it brought to your room to enjoy on the balcony.

Finally, and most importantly – the staff is AMAZING! Everyone at the front desk and at the pool/restaurant were so friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating – I really can’t say enough about how great they were.

Highly recommend Esperas for anyone considering it! It’s tough to choose a place as there are so many in such close proximity, and they’re all rated very well – but we were extremely lucky that we chose them and it couldn’t have gone better.

Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece
Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece

How much does a room costs at Esperas Oia Hotel ?

Prices start 330$/night for Studio with Sea View. The Honeymoon Suite with Sea View and Plunge Pool is  710$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.

This suite has a balcony, hot tub and seating area.

Where to book online – Esperas Oia  – Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece you can find the best hotels deals in Oia during  The Ifestia Festival which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Oia on Booking.com or  Hotelscombined.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.

 

3. Marizan Caves & Villas 4* – Gay Friendly Hotels Oia

Marizan Caves & Villas
Marizan Caves & Villas

Situated in Oia, 3.7 miles from Cape Columbo Beach and 1,000 feet from Naval Museum of Oia, Marizan Caves & Villas features accommodation with free WiFi, air conditioning, a bar and a garden.

A à la carte breakfast is available each morning at the apartment.

Marizan Caves & Villas offers a hot tub.

Set in a cubist, whitewashed building overlooking the Aegean Sea, this serene hotel is a 9-minute walk from the Byzantine Castle Ruins, 17 km from Santorini Airport and 25 km from the Perissa Beach.

The cave-style rooms feature free high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, living/sitting areas and mini fridges. All have furnished balconies that offer sea views. Some provide sofa beds, 1 has an outdoor whirlpool tub.

Marizan Caves & Villas are situated in the highest spot of Oia, right at the edge of the famous Caldera (cliff), overlooking the sunset and the Aegean Sea from over 200 m in altitude. Guests can relax on a sun bed and enjoy the 4-person hot tub available.

All Caves are on different levels, with balconies. Every Cave is a unique accommodation built in the rock, in line with the historic and traditional style of housing in Santorini. All Caves have a magnificent view to the volcano and the Caldera and come with TV, air-conditioning, refrigerator & basic kitchen equipment. Facilities include breakfast and daily maid service. You can spend your day at the veranda and enjoy the view and peacefulness of the scenery.

The centre of Oia with its elegant wine bars, restaurants and shops is just a 5-minute walk away. Guests may use the pool bar and swimming pool complex, situated right next to the property.

Backdrop: Breathtakingly beautiful. There are a few different levels. We were on the second floor down from the main jacuzzi area. The views of the Aegean Sea, the caldera and the volcano will leave you speechless. Rooms are built directly on the side of the mountain, with picturesque views of the sunset. Reception and common area (with a jacuzzi/couch/lounge chairs right outside reception) are on the top floor with all of the rooms descending down the mountain.

There are quite a few stairs and the further down the mountain the greater the privacy. You can hit the closest store in only a few minutes from your room…follow the windmill. Walking to the center of the shopping takes about 10-15 minutes – same for the castle. Location IMO is ideal as it’s far enough away from the main hustle and bustle so that it’s quiet. Sunsets reign supreme and how wonderful that we didn’t have to scope out a public spot 90 min to 2 hours in advance! That’s how early tourists started lining up on either the castle or throughout the public sidewalks.

Room: We were in cave #3 (I’m not sure what it was called on the website) but we had to go down a couple flights of stairs. We had a fairly large outside dining area and our own private hot tub. While we could have viewed the sunset from our couch area we chose to use the communal hot tub area on the top floor for the completely unobstructed view. The cave room was very spacious and had great A/C. Upon entrance into the room, there is a kitchenette area directly to the left and a sitting area couch on the right.

A few more steps in and you’ll reach the stairs that go up to the loft. Before hitting the master bedroom there is the dining area and a full cave shower (grey). Off the master is another cave shower (brown). Amenities were wonderful, slippers, towels (as well as jacuzzi towels, softest robes, etc. I do have to mention that the grey shower had some weird fruit flies in it. I tried to kill them all but wasn’t too successful. My kids simply chose to use our shower instead. My daughter immediately claimed the loft bedroom since it was the most private.

While there was a daybed by the entrance of the cave, my son chose to sleep in a twin bed right next to the king bed in the master. Cave was very clean and well-kept. I have to acknowledge it’s not very high end in terms of furnishings but cozy nonetheless. The loft bedroom had a window that could retract so that you could recreate the scene out of Mama Mia. As a matter of fact, all the windows opened by the doorway, creating a great photo opp so that all four of us could hang out of a window. Important to note for my fellow Westerners that all the Greek hotels (except the Hilton in Athens) requested that you throw toilet paper into a garbage can instead of directly into the toilet. That took some getting used to for all of us!

Staff: This is where Marizan really shines. While we didn’t see Yiannis too often, the few times that we did he was very gracious. He booked our semi-private catamaran tour, which was absolutely fabulous. He even saved me a bunch of money by telling me not to worry about ages and that I had two ‘kids’. For the majority of the time, I dealt with Costas, who always greeted me and my family with a big smile and an eagerness to please. Jacuzzi and couch area were cleaned daily. Tato somehow got all of our bags to our room and later back down to the area where the shuttle van picked us up to take us to the ferry.

Food: The complimentary breakfast is outrageously sumptuous and the most generous breakfast I’ve ever seen. There are four or five different menu choices to select from (see pics). We tried a different one every morning. While you have to pick one menu option for the entire family, within that option you can select different things (i.e. crepes or omelette).

Complimentary water bottles are also offered (I read on other reviews on a daily basis) but my husband mistakenly thought only two for our entire stay. It gets very hot in the summer and you will need it! Costas was quick to give us another one day upon request as we were leaving. Costas was also fabulous with his restaurant suggestions. Skala had the most amazing moussaka and according to my daughter, the best mussels she’s ever eaten in her whole life. Flogga was another excellent suggestion and I had the best salad I’ve ever eaten in my life (Santorini salad) but know that you can tip only in cash. I need to warn fellow tourists though that I was very disappointed with the fish tavern in Amoudi Bay.

First, be forewarned that if you are planning on walking down to the Bay, it’s like Minecraft with donkey dung. It was the most disgusting walk ever and my daughter said she was about the throw up. She also fell but luckily avoided the many mines. Then the wait was excruciating long, service horrendous and the food mediocre. Needless to say, we took a cab back up (10 euros).

Overall: Would absolutely recommend staying at Marizan caves in Oia. It’s picture perfect setting, cozy caves, sumptuous breakfast and incredible staff make for a wonderful holiday. The only downside was that it was pretty expensive for our room during the height of the summer. I’ve never paid anywhere near that amount for lodging but wanted to make our first trip to Greece a magical one…and that’s exactly what Marizan was…MAGICAL.

How much does a room costs at Marizan Caves & Villas ?

Prices start 450$/night for Superior Cave with Caldera View. The Cave House with Outdoor Hot Tub with Caldera View is  650$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.

Combining traditional and modern architecture this cave-style room offers unique sunset views over the Caldera from its private balcony.

Where to book online – Marizan Caves & Villas  – Gay Friendly Hotels Oia Greece you can find the best hotels deals in Oia during  The Ifestia Festival which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Oia on Booking.com or  Hotelscombined.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.

by Sorin

Sorin is a freelance travel writer. He is an experienced travel writer and traveller. Since 2012 he explored more than 60 countries on 4 continents: Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. Currently is based in Romania after spending the last 7 years in Myanmar.