I n    t h e    B l u e    A e g e a n

Text: Divya Agrawal

Santorini is on my Wish list. 

A tangle of vaults and curved whitewashed walls interspersed with ochre..

Windmills and cliff hugging adobe dwellings staring out to the vast blue beyond..

And the Oia Perivolas, with its heart-achingly beautiful interiors & out of the world views..

ALL calling out to be explored!

The Perivolas, the subject of our journey today, is a luxury boutique hotel located in the cliff top village of Oia, Santorini.

Architecture becomes one with its environs when it evolves in response to it, leaving no boundaries between the natural & the built. 

The Cycladic style of architecture (native to this region) immediately weaves its magic around the viewer with this inherent quality. Cave like dwellings perched on cliff faces look like they are a natural part of the landscape. 

Deep inside the Volcanic rock, the interiors are cool & protected from direct sun.

"God lies in Details" 

Endearing & Oh so beautiful!

The hotel is steeped in history - the site earlier housed 300 year old cave dwellings & stables, which were renovated and converted into this stunning piece of architecture by the owners.

Part of the Cycladic islands off mainland Greece, the topography of Santorini is unique. Situated on a Volcanic Caldera, the location affords expansive, uninterrupted views of the lagoon & the Aegean sea beyond. 

The Cyclades also happens to be the site associated with the legend of the 'Atlantis'. 

 The Perivolas affords idyllic views from just about every space - decks, suite openings, sit outs. The azure blue envelopes your senses...(but can't obliviate* the mystery of the sunken Atlantis playing in my mind :))

Bare uneven surfaces, alcoves, whitewash & the sparseness, all give a feeling of being in the midst nature - the biggest luxury of our times?? 

These spaces look like somewhere you can forget time, enjoy being with yourself :)

Dashes of lilac & fuschia light up the white & complement the blue outside. 

These also happen to be colors I love :)

Ah! The blue creeps in in shades of celadon, turquoise, aqua, cerulean, lapis lazuli & many more that I can't put a name to...

Time to just soak in :)

* obliviate : forget (originating from the Harry Potter series, a magical charm that erases memory)

Images: www.perivolas.gr

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