Long before it became a jet-setter’s playground, Mykonos was a quiet fishing village on the island of the same name. Its popularity began to soar in the 1920s when archaeologists used it as a base in order to visit the extraordinary, sacred ruins on neighbouring island Delos.
Then when Jackie Kennedy travelled there with her second husband Aristotle Onassis in the 1960s, the island caught the world’s attention — and the most glamorous people from across the globe began to flock there.
Perched above the electric-blue waters of the Aegean, Santa Marina, Mykonos’s biggest and by far its most beautiful private resort, has long played host to the glitterati — those who like their Greek holidays served with a twist of old-world glamour and a splash of five-star polish.
Santa Marina is where you go to feel that everything is effortlessly taken care of — the sort of place where even the beach club has linen napkins and the rosé flows like tap water.
Opened by the late shipping magnate Elias Papergeorgiou in the 1980s, and now run lovingly by his daughter Christiana, the hotel, which used to be a traditional white stone house, has quietly built a reputation as Mykonos’s most exclusive address.
Under Christiana’s dedicated stewardship the hotel has grown to include the island’s only 100-metre private sandy beach, two new restaurants, verdant gardens, the Gingko Spa, a gym and a tennis court.
This all sits atop 38,000 square metres of headland on the island’s south-west coast — a location that delivers both privacy and stunning views across the waters to Naxos, Paros and Antiparos.
In fact, Christiana is quick to point out that one of the island’s charms is its convenient location to visit numerous other islands. A day trip to Delos with my family — replete with a stop for snorkelling and a delicious picnic made by the hotel staff — was magical.
With 64 rooms and 38 suites, plus 14 villas, the accommodation strikes a careful balance between Cycladic simplicity and refined luxury.
Think creamy white interiors, handwoven textures and sprawling terraces. There’s a breezy, effortless elegance running throughout — from the bespoke headboards to the ceramics that wouldn’t look out of place in an Athenian design gallery.
Though what really elevates Santa Marina is the atmosphere: serene, slow-paced and thoroughly civilised. It’s the kind of place where you can slip from breakfast to a beachfront massage without ever once checking the time — or your emails. The staff, many of whom have been there since the beginning, are incredibly thoughtful and charming.
By day, guests tend to while away the hours sipping fresh juices beside the hotel’s exquisite private beachfront or alongside the stunning pools (you may never leave once you’ve lain down by the Oasis pool). With 190 palm trees dotting the property, shady spots are never in short supply.
Nowhere is the hotel’s barefoot-luxe vibe more evident than at its iconic Buddha-Bar Beach — a chic, low-slung space shaded by palms.
It’s here you’ll find signature cocktails (try the Summer Blossom or White Princess), grilled langoustines and platters of sushi that rival anything in Knightsbridge — all served with a side of sea breeze and style. As the sun sets, the DJs come out to create a laid-back party vibe.
Santa Marina delivers a sense of escape and indulgence that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s the kind of place where memories are made from late-afternoon swims, long dinners and incredible trips.
The sort of holiday you’ll talk about for years — and quietly plan to repeat as soon as you possibly can.
Rooms from £450 a night; santa-marina.gr
