9 Muses Santorini Resort

If your ideal island base involves sea air, a proper meal and somewhere to recover without turning the evening into an expedition, this resort in Perissa has the right ingredients. The beach is on the doorstep, the restaurant handles breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the spa gives tired shoulders something more useful than sympathy.

The resort has 90 rooms and works for more than one kind of trip. Couples can choose a double room or a junior suite, while families and larger groups have duplex rooms, family accommodation and suites for up to six guests. English is spoken by the hotel team, so practical conversations do not need to be conducted through semaphore.

There is also a useful choice between doing very little and filling the day: the outdoor pool, garden and terrace cover the easy hours, while tennis, table tennis, fitness and windsurfing are available when lying down starts to feel too ambitious.

Perissa is the actual setting, on the south-eastern side of Santorini. The resort sits directly by the sea, with access to a black-sand beach equipped with sun loungers and parasols. That matters when the plan is simply to step out, find a chair and let the volcanic landscape do the talking.

The centre of Perissa is only a short walk away, so you are not marooned behind the resort gates. Perivolos Beach is nearby, as is Ancient Thira, giving you two very different excuses to leave the sun lounger: another stretch of coast or a little island history.

The location also keeps ordinary holiday logistics close at hand. Parking is available, car hire can be arranged, and the hotel can organise transfers and shuttles for airport journeys or other trips.

The room range is broad enough to suit a solo diver, a couple travelling with different sleeping habits, or a family that has learned the hard way that sharing one small room after a full day outside is a character test. Single rooms are available, as are doubles with either a double bed or twin beds, plus triple and quadruple options.

For two people, a double room with air conditioning, television, hairdryer and a private bathroom keeps the essentials in one place. A balcony double room adds outdoor space, while garden-view rooms and rooms with a view let you choose whether the outlook matters more than the layout. The duplex double option is the one to consider if a little separation between sleeping and living space sounds appealing.

Families have more workable choices than simply adding another bed to the same room. Duplex family rooms, two-bedroom family accommodation and suites for up to six people are all part of the range. Junior suites and suites bring extras such as toiletries, a safe, towels and, in selected categories, coffee facilities or air conditioning. Private bathrooms run through the accommodation range, and Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

Terpsichore is the main restaurant, set on a terrace and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its cooking is Mediterranean, with local flavours at the centre rather than a menu designed to make every dish sound like a diplomatic summit. After a morning in the water, lunch runs from 13:00 to 15:30; dinner follows from 19:30 to 22:30.

Breakfast starts at 07:30 and comes as both a buffet and an à la carte service. That gives you the choice between getting coffee and food on the table efficiently or taking the slower route when the day is not chasing you. Breakfast, half-board and full-board arrangements are available, with the exact inclusions depending on the option selected.

The hotel also has a bar for the post-dive drink and a restaurant serving local cuisine. A packed meal can be arranged for days when the island, the boat or an excursion gets in the way of sitting down properly.

The outdoor pool is the obvious place for an unhurried afternoon, with a separate children's pool for younger guests. It is open from April to October, so the calendar matters here. When the sea has had enough of you, the garden and terrace offer less chlorinated alternatives for reading, drying off or simply watching the light change over the coast.

Urania Spa is the more serious recovery option. It includes massage, facial treatments, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi, giving you several ways to persuade stiff muscles that tomorrow's plans remain a possibility. Massage and spa services are available at the resort, with the treatment menu doing the heavy lifting.

For a little movement, there is a fitness room, tennis and table tennis. Windsurfing is also available, which is a reasonable choice if you enjoy being pushed around by the Aegean even when nobody has mentioned bubbles, cylinders or a dive briefing.

Reception is open around the clock, while standard check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight and check-out is by 12:00. An express check-in and check-out service is available, and the lift makes the building easier to navigate with luggage. Bag storage, concierge assistance, a bureau de change and a safe are also available.

Airport transfers and shuttle services can be arranged through the hotel, either privately or on a shared basis depending on the service selected. Car hire is available, and parking is provided on site. The hotel also offers laundry, although laundry service may carry an additional charge. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.

The resort closes between 9 October and 31 March. The outdoor pool follows a shorter season, from April to October. The hotel is non-smoking, offers accessibility facilities, and includes family services such as babysitting, a children's play area and a children's pool.