One Week in MOD: The First Vegan Hotel in Santorini!

Summer 2021

This year has been particularly tough, since we all had to deal with a problem that still affects even today our society, the pandemic of COVID-19. So, I couldn’t wait for the summer to arrive and return to my normal everyday life that I had missed so much. That’s why I was looking up for the ideal destination to go with my beloved one on my vacation days. My first thought was to find a place where there would be plenty of vegan options, so I could try different flavors and aromas, while getting new ideas and experiences for the creation of recipes and articles in my website. And then my beloved Christina contacted me, which is vegan as well and co-owner of MOD, and suggested me to visit their facilities before the Opening Day, that is coming in a few days from now. The decision was made without any doubt! What could be better than an exclusively vegan hotel in Santorini? I will tell you one thing though… I booked the plane tickets on the same day!

First impressions and vegan food

So, we arrive to Santorini and we head straight to MOD Santorini. Christina is awaiting and she is welcoming us with her wonderful smile (she is such a beautiful and kindhearted person)! Then, she showed us to our room and said that while we make ourselves comfortable, she would return in a couple of minutes with a surprise for us. She came back after a moment with a huge tray of food including: vegan omelette, freshly squeezed juice, seasonal fruits and vegan cookies. Our first breakfast in MOD was happening! Since it was 07:30 in the morning and we were awake since before dawn to catch our flight, we hadn’t eaten anything up until then, so my first instinct was to devour the omelet first. I try the first bite and I stop. I decide that I want to savor the moment and appreciate every bite…

Here are some photos of our delicious, fulfilling and very nutritious meals that Christina made for us while we stayed in MOD are coming up. I really don’t know which one I liked most. Christina also asked me the same question, when it was time to say our goodbyes. The truth is that everything was amazing, but since I mostly prefer salty dishes, I am going to have to choose the avocado toast and the omelette.

The hotel and the rooms

The hotel architecture is influenced by the island itself. I am talking about the traditional cycladic architecture, the white buildings, the curves and the archways. Yes, just like the photos you have seen online, that accurately describes MOD, an organic free flowing building that is clean and minimal. The earthy colour scheme, the furniture and the design make you feel alive and instantly calm at the same time. The rooms were fully equipped with everything we might need to improve our stay in the island. I want to point out that the vegan way of the hotel is not only about the food. It covers many other things, like the sanitary products and even the mattresses that -according to Christina- consist of two rubberized coco fiber sheets of 6 cm thickness that offer the proper support for our body. Of course there are rooms with a private jacuzzi on the balcony, from which you have a beautiful view over the island’s crystal clear waters of the Aegean sea. Simple living at it’s best!

2. Promontory Lighthouse

Our next stop was the Promontory Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built from the French Lighthouse Company in 1892 and it remained turned off during World War II. But, in 1983, they turned it on again. It’s blinking light is visible from Fira, which is in the center of the island. When you go to Santorini it’s really worth visiting the Lighthouse, so you can stand literally on the island’s edge and take some beautiful pictures, while the amazing colour of the sea fills your very soul.

3. Vlychada Beach

Continuing with this beautiful “tour” we are going to Vlychada beach. The main characteristic of Vlychada beach is the white sand and the almost vertical slashed cliffs that surround it. The Tomato Industrial Museum is also located there and we made sure to go and visit it. We had the audio tour and we learnt a lot of new things about the famous tomato pulp production process, we tasted it too and we got some souvenirs before we leave. I should mention that there is a little tavern next to the small port, which has delicious vegan delicacies that you most certainly do not want to miss, if you go there. But we will talk more about food later.

The last place I want to mention is Oia. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I think its beauty is unmeasurable. This village is located in the north part of the island and its main characteristics are the picturesqueness and the traditional style, like the rest of the island. I visited this place twice, because after my first visit, I decided that this is the place I want to spend my last day on the island. So, I went back again. The main colours of the village are light blue and white, while the alley streets were full of little shops that sell handmade -and other- products.

Oia is also a really famous destination thanks to the sunset view it provides. On my first visit it was on afternoon hours and I was planning to watch the infamous sunset. The thing is that there were way too many people and it was quite hard to enjoy the view. However, I will never forget the sun’s beautiful colours, while “diving” into the blue sea… When I revisited Oia on the last day of my trip, I chose to go during morning hours, so there would be less crowding. Oia once more stole my heart and made it really hard for me to leave back home.