Megalochori · Santorini · Greece · 400-Year-Old Winery Village
Santorini's first five-star hotel, born from a 400-year-old wine cellar in the medieval village of Megalochori — where Cycladic architecture, Assyrtiko wine culture, and traditional ceramic arts converge in private courtyard suites.
Vedema is Santorini's original five-star hotel, opened in 1993 in the medieval village of Megalochori, built around a 400-year-old winery whose stone-vaulted cellars still form the heart of the property. Vedema means 'grape harvest' in Venetian — the language of Santorini's centuries-long occupation — and that etymology still governs the property: the surrounding vineyards of Hatzidakis and Gavalas produce the Assyrtiko wine that defines the island's gastronomic identity, available in the Canava Wine Bar underground in the original cellar.
The resort was designed by architect Mary Kavagia to resemble a traditional Cycladic fortified village — 74 whitewashed suites and villas connected by cobblestone pathways, herb gardens, olive trees, and succulents. Village Suites feature private courtyard pools surrounded by traditional stone. Megalochori's cobblestone streets and 17th-century mansions extend directly beyond Vedema's walls — guests walk into a living medieval Cycladic village rather than a tourist development.
The resort's exclusive partnership with the Biennale of Contemporary Keramics (BCK) makes it the only hotel on Santorini providing access to the island's most serious art ceramic programme, connecting the ancient volcanic clay tradition with contemporary artists working in the medium today.
The Village Suites at Vedema are built into the original Cycladic structures of the winery village — interiors styled with antique island furnishings, sugar-white in colour and upholstered in sumptuous fabrics, surrounding private courtyard pools enclosed by traditional stone walls. All suites have private terraces and access to the resort's main pool, heated jacuzzi, and the Elios Spa.
The Olympian Villas represent the pinnacle of the property: private outdoor pools and jacuzzis, views toward the Aegean and Santorini mountains, and dedicated butler service. The Presidential Villa adds a full kitchen. The 2021 expansion introduced the Grecian and Corinthian villa categories with the island's most contemporary Cycladic interiors.
The signature gastronomic lunch is at Selene — one of the most influential Greek restaurants of the past three decades, a pioneer of Santorini-specific cuisine: cherry tomatoes, white aubergines, fava beans, and the Assyrtiko grape, prepared with technique and elegance that put Santorini on the international dining map.
At Vedema, Alati occupies the 400-year-old volcanic stone wine cellar. The menu is seafood-focused with locally sourced produce and ceramics hand-thrown by island artisans. The Canava Wine Bar offers Assyrtiko tastings in the adjacent underground cellar. Pergola serves Prosecco-accompanied breakfasts and Mediterranean lunches by the main pool.
Four nights inside a 400-year-old Santorini winery village — private courtyard pool, Assyrtiko wine in the cellar, a ceramic workshop, caldera sailing, and one of Greece's most influential gastronomic lunches.
Add-ons: Private Santorini helicopter tour +€4,000 · Ancient Greek pottery restoration class +€600
Vedema was Santorini's first five-star hotel, built in a 400-year-old winery whose volcanic stone cellars are still the heart of the property. While most of the island's luxury hotels were built for caldera views, Vedema was built for the wine, the village, and the culture. The BCK Biennale of Contemporary Keramics partnership gives Vedema exclusive access to Santorini's most serious ceramic art programme. The Hatzidakis vineyard runs to the property's edge. And Alati — the cave restaurant in the 400-year-old cellar — remains, three decades on, one of the most atmospheric dining rooms in Greece.
A 4-night stay in Santorini's original five-star resort — a 400-year-old winery village transformed into 74 Cycladic suites and villas in the medieval village of Megalochori. Private courtyard pool, Alati cave restaurant, and Assyrtiko wine from the adjacent vineyard.
Selene gastronomic lunch. Private caldera sunset sailing. A traditional ceramic workshop. Oia art galleries at sunset. Akrotiri with a private archaeologist. Four nights where Santorini's deepest culture meets its finest hospitality.
All components are fully flexible — refined with your Richseen specialist prior to confirmation.