The Best Santorini Luxury Hotels with Infinity Pools & Sunset Views (Rated by the View)

You've seen the shot: a lone figure in a clifftop infinity pool, the water spilling into nothing, the caldera glowing gold. So you search best Santorini hotels with infinity pools, and every list hands you the same row of identical pools and calls them all "stunning." They are. But "stunning" won't tell you whether you'll get the photo you came for — and two things the glossy lists quietly blur decide that. First: is the pool a private in-suite plunge pool that's yours alone, or a shared hotel infinity pool you'll fight every other guest for at golden hour? Second — the one the iconic images hide — does the pool actually face the sunset (west/northwest, sun-into-the-sea), or the caldera, where you get gorgeous colours in the sky but never see the sun itself sink into the water? A famous "infinity pool over the caldera" is very often not a sunset pool. This guide rates every pick on exactly those two axes, plus a heated-vs-unheated flag for shoulder-season travelers, with one honest "not for you if" each.

The short answer: book Cavo Tagoo in Imerovigli. The entire hotel faces west, every one of its 15 suites has a private, heated pool or hot tub, and its shared infinity pool is, by common consensus, the best heated sunset pool on the island (Santorini Dave; Cavo Tagoo). It's the rare property where you get the private pool and the real sunset. Everything after this is about whether a different perch, a shared-pool icon, or a true-sun-into-the-sea spot fits your trip better.

First, the two distinctions that decide your pool

Before the picks, the criteria the OTA filters skip — and the ones that should drive your booking. On Santorini, three things vary independently, and the listing phrase "infinity pool" only promises the first.

Private in-suite vs shared hotel pool. A private pool — a plunge pool or small infinity pool on your own terrace — is yours alone: no jostling for the edge at sunset, no strangers in your frame. A shared infinity pool is usually larger and more dramatic (the big "spilling off the cliff" pools are nearly always shared) but communal, and at sunset every guest wants the same edge. Many hotels have both — a headline shared pool and select suites with private pools — so what you get depends on the suite category you book, not the hotel's name. Confirm your specific room.

Sunset-facing vs caldera-facing — and whether you see the sun hit the water. A classic "caldera view" faces south, toward the volcano and the white villages; a true "sunset view" faces west and northwest over the open Aegean. They're not the same: from most of Oia's south-facing caldera cliff, "the sun sets over the land to your right. You see the beautiful colors in the sky, but you do not see the sun itself sink into the sea" — only the northwestern edge toward Ammoudi gets the true sunset-over-water (Santorini Dave). Imerovigli is the workaround. As the highest point of the caldera, "the sun sets over the sea to your left, bathing the entire caldera, the volcano, and Oia in a spectacular golden light" — most buildings face west, so you get the volcano panorama and the sun into the water in one sweep (Santorini Dave; The Most Perfect View). That's why this guide leans Imerovigli for the sunset-pool dream.

The heated flag. Even in peak summer, "the island's winds and cool nights mean that an unheated pool is often too chilly for a comfortable swim," and in May, June, September and October an unheated plunge pool can be unusable (Santorini Dave). In the shoulder, a heated pool is the difference between one you swim in and one you only photograph — each pick below is flagged. (And every caldera hotel means steps: pre-book a porter if you'd rather not haul a bag down a hundred stairs on arrival.)

For the wider trip, start with our Santorini luxury travel guide. Now, the picks — grouped by what kind of pool you actually want.

Private in-suite pools that face the sunset (the dream combo)

This is the hardest thing to get on Santorini: a pool that's yours alone and that actually faces the sun-into-the-sea. The properties that pull it off are concentrated in Imerovigli, for the height reason above.

Cavo Tagoo Santorini — the best private-pool-plus-sunset pick overall

This is the one. Cavo Tagoo is a 15-suite boutique on the Imerovigli ridge where the entire hotel faces west, and every suite comes with a private, heated outdoor pool or hot tub — so the sunset is yours, not a scrum for a lounger (Cavo Tagoo; Santorini Dave). The shared infinity pool, one of the most photographed on the island and floating directly above the caldera, is rated the best heated sunset pool on Santorini — so you get both a private soak and the showpiece shot.

• Pool type: private heated pool/hot tub in every suite, plus a shared heated infinity pool.
• Sunset-facing? Yes — the whole property faces west for the sun into the sea (Cavo Tagoo).
• Heated? Yes — both the private suite pools and the shared infinity pool.
• Not for you if: you want a big, quiet, hidden hideaway — at 15 suites with a much-photographed pool, this is a buzzy, design-forward scene, not a silent retreat.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$$.

Our top pick: Cavo Tagoo Santorini — a private heated pool in every west-facing suite and the island's best shared sunset infinity pool, in the village whose height delivers the real sun-into-the-sea moment. The clearest "I want the private pool and the sunset" booking on Santorini.

Andronis Concept — every suite a private infinity pool, sunset over the caldera

A 28-suite wellness resort on the Imerovigli cliff where all suites and villas, from the 35 m² Cozy Suite up, come with a private, heated plunge or infinity pool and a sunset-facing caldera terrace; it also runs three shared pools, including a heated infinity pool at the Throubi restaurant and the island's largest (unheated) lap pool (Andronis).

• Pool type: private heated infinity/plunge pool in every suite, plus three shared pools (one heated infinity, one heated cave, one unheated lap).
• Sunset-facing? Yes — terraces face the caldera with the Imerovigli-height sunset over the sea.
• Heated? Yes — the private suite pools and the Throubi infinity pool are heated (the big spa lap pool is not).
• Not for you if: you want a tiny boutique — this is a polished 28-suite resort with a full spa, not an intimate cave hideaway.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$$.

Astra Suites — the classic Imerovigli sunset pool, heated for the shoulder

The long-loved Imerovigli all-suite hotel famous for honeymoons and sunsets, with a clifftop shared infinity pool and several private-pool suites (Astra Pool Suite, Infinity Pool Suite, Deluxe Indoor Pool Suite) (Astra Suites; Santorini Dave). Crucially for shoulder-season travelers, the clifftop pool is heated in spring and fall — one of the few properties to state its heating months plainly (Astra Suites).

• Pool type: shared clifftop infinity pool, plus private-pool/jacuzzi suites.
• Sunset-facing? Yes — panoramic views over the Aegean and the Santorini sunset.
• Heated? The shared infinity pool is heated in spring and fall (so May/October travelers are covered); confirm heating on the specific private suite.
• Not for you if: you want a brand-new design hotel — Astra is classic Cycladic, warm and a little traditional, not minimalist-chic.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$–$$$$.

Andronis Arcadia — the true sun-into-the-sea pool, on Oia's quiet edge

If your non-negotiable is watching the sun physically sink into the water — not just colour the sky — Arcadia is the Oia answer. It sits on Oia's quieter northwestern edge facing the open Aegean, so the sunset is over the sea, not the caldera, with a direct, unobstructed line of sight; the Sunset Suite has its own private infinity pool, alongside a vast lagoon-style Grande Pool (Santorini Dave; Andronis).

• Pool type: private infinity pool in the Sunset Suite (and other pool suites), plus the huge shared Grande lagoon pool.
• Sunset-facing? Yes — and the purest version: this faces the open sea for the literal sun-into-the-water moment, where south-facing Oia cliffs only get the sky colours.
• Heated? Flagged — heating isn't clearly stated for the pools here; confirm with the hotel if you're travelling in the shoulder (Santorini Dave).
• Not for you if: you want the classic volcano-and-villages caldera panorama — Arcadia trades that for the open-sea sunset, and it's set back from Oia's famous blue-domed core.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$$.

For the caldera-panorama version of this decision, see our caldera-view luxury hotels guide, and for cave suites specifically, the best Santorini cave suites with a private pool.

Shared infinity pools with the most dramatic sunset

If the spectacle of the big cliff-edge pool matters more than having it to yourself, these are the shared infinity pools with the best true-sunset aspect.

Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts — the widest, highest sunset pool

The Grace holds the highest caldera position in Imerovigli — about 363 metres above the water — so its heated shared infinity pool, the largest on the caldera, delivers an unobstructed sunset across the widest panorama of any hotel on the island; most rooms, suites and the villa also add private, heated outdoor plunge pools, so it's not either/or (Santorini Dave; Auberge).

• Pool type: large shared heated infinity pool, plus private heated plunge pools in most rooms/suites.
• Sunset-facing? Yes — the height gives both the caldera sweep and the sun into the sea to the left.
• Heated? Yes — both the shared infinity pool and the private plunge pools.
• Not for you if: you're travelling with kids (it's effectively an adults' couples' sanctuary, with children only in the separate Villa).
• Top-band nightly range: $$$$.

Altana Heritage Suites — the highest pool on the caldera

Built at the highest point of Imerovigli, Altana's shared infinity pool is the highest on the caldera and, by Santorini Dave's reckoning, the best caldera-and-sunset view of any pool on the island; most suites add private outdoor heated pools or jacuzzis (Santorini Dave). A restored 18th-century mansion, it's the character pick — and many suites also catch the Aegean sunrise from their balconies, a rare two-for-one.

• Pool type: shared infinity pool (the highest on the caldera), plus private heated pools/jacuzzis in most suites.
• Sunset-facing? Yes — panoramic sunset-caldera views from the top of the village.
• Heated? Mixed/flagged — the private suite pools and jacuzzis are heated, but the shared infinity pool is listed as unheated, so for a shoulder-season swim rely on a heated private suite, not the main pool (Santorini Dave).
• Not for you if: your heart is set on swimming in the shared showpiece pool in May or October — that one isn't heated.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$–$$$$.

West East Suites — sunset pool, but mind which way your suite faces

A design boutique on the Imerovigli cliff with a heated shared infinity pool and private plunge pools or hot tubs in many suites (Santorini Dave). The honest catch, exactly the kind of thing this guide exists to flag: of its 16 suites, 14 face the caldera with sunset views and 2 face east with sunrise views over the Aegean (West East Suites). Book the wrong two and you've bought a sunrise room — confirm your specific suite's aspect.

• Pool type: shared heated infinity pool, plus private plunge pools/hot tubs in many suites.
• Sunset-facing? Mostly — 14 of 16 suites face the caldera/sunset; 2 face east (sunrise). Confirm yours.
• Heated? Yes — the shared infinity pool is heated, and the Junior Suites have heated private plunge pools.
• Not for you if: you won't double-check the suite aspect before booking — two of these rooms point the wrong way for sunset.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$.

The famous Oia infinity pools (and the sunset fine print)

This is where the sunset distinction bites hardest: many of Oia's headline pools face south toward the caldera, so you get the legendary colours in the sky but not the sun sinking into the sea. Book them for the postcard, not for the literal sunset-over-water.

Katikies Santorini — the three-pool postcard (caldera-facing)

Katikies is the white-on-white Oia landmark and the most photographed shared-pool experience in the village: three lagoon-inspired infinity pools cascading down the cliff, each deck with its own bar, one of the three heated and two left cool (Santorini Dave).

• Pool type: three shared infinity pools (no private in-suite pools in most categories; top suites add private plunge pools).
• Sunset-facing? No — caldera-facing. You get the famous sky colours over the volcano and Fira, not the sun into the open sea.
• Heated? One of the three pools is heated; the other two are not — a shoulder-season swim means using the heated one.
• Not for you if: you specifically want the sun-into-the-water sunset (that's Imerovigli's height or Oia's northwestern edge), or a private pool in an entry-level room.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$$.

Perivolas — the purist's cliff-edge pool (caldera-facing, unheated)

Perivolas is the quiet Oia antidote — the barefoot-luxury, switch-off choice: centuries-old cave houses, deliberately no TVs, and one of the most famous infinity pools on the island, seeming to pour over a 300-metre drop (Santorini Dave).

• Pool type: shared cliff-edge infinity pool (the headline), with a heated cave pool in the top house.
• Sunset-facing? Caldera-facing — the classic south-facing volcano panorama and sky colours, not the open-sea sunset.
• Heated? The main infinity pool is unheated; only the top house's separate cave pool is heated — a real consideration for a May or October stay.
• Not for you if: you want a heated pool in the shoulder season, the literal sun-into-the-sea, or a buzzy scene — this is quiet, analogue and caldera-facing by design.
• Top-band nightly range: $$$–$$$$.

Torn between the icon (Oia) and the better sunset-pool odds (Imerovigli)? Our best areas for a luxury honeymoon guide weighs the villages in full.

The best Santorini infinity-pool sunset hotels, compared

"Sunset-facing" below is the honest rating: Yes = faces west/northwest for the sun into the sea (or Imerovigli's height delivers it); Caldera = south-facing, so you get the sky colours but not the sun sinking into the water. Top-band nightly ranges are indicative and highly seasonal — peak July–August runs well above shoulder season, and 5-star caldera properties add a small daily climate fee in season — so treat them as a guide, not a quote, and always price your live dates (Machu Picchu – Santorini Budget Guide 2026; Tripadvisor – Imerovigli hotels).

*Indicative luxury top-band, seasonal — confirm live rates on your dates. Oia commands the island's highest rates; Imerovigli runs below Oia for comparable service (Machu Picchu – Santorini Budget Guide 2026).

How to choose, by what you care about most

• You want a private pool and the real sunset? Cavo Tagoo in Imerovigli — a private heated pool in every west-facing suite, plus the island's best shared sunset pool. Andronis Concept is the same logic at slightly larger scale.
• The literal sun-sinking-into-the-sea is non-negotiable? Imerovigli's height (Cavo Tagoo, Grace, Astra) or Oia's northwestern sea-facing edge (Andronis Arcadia) — not a south-facing Oia caldera pool, which gives the colours but not the sun in the water (Santorini Dave).
• You want the biggest, most dramatic shared pool — and you'll book a private terrace for the quiet? Grace or Altana for the highest, widest pools in Imerovigli; Katikies for the famous three-pool Oia cascade (caldera-facing).
• Travelling May, June, September or October? Insist on a heated pool and confirm it for your room: Cavo Tagoo, Andronis Concept and Grace heat both shared and private pools; Astra heats the shared pool in spring and fall; Perivolas's main pool and Altana's shared pool are not heated (Santorini Dave).

Whichever you pick, the rule holds: at these prices, "infinity pool" alone is not the promise it sounds like — confirm whether your specific suite's pool is private or shared, sunset-facing or caldera-facing, and heated or not, before you book.

For the wider picture — when to go for the warmest pool weather, getting there, what to do — see the best time to visit Santorini for a luxury honeymoon.

FAQ

Which Santorini hotel has the best infinity pool with a sunset view? For the combination of a private pool and the real sun-into-the-sea sunset, Cavo Tagoo in Imerovigli — the whole hotel faces west, every suite has a private heated pool or hot tub, and its shared infinity pool is rated the best heated sunset pool on the island (Santorini Dave; Cavo Tagoo). For the single highest, widest shared pool, the Grace Hotel sits at the top of the Imerovigli rim.

Does an "infinity pool over the caldera" face the sunset? Not necessarily — this is the key thing to check. A caldera view faces south toward the volcano, so you see beautiful colours in the sky but not the sun sinking into the sea; a true sunset view faces west/northwest over the open Aegean. Most of Oia's famous caldera pools are south-facing (sky colours, not sun-into-water); Imerovigli's height gives you both, and Oia's northwestern edge (e.g. Andronis Arcadia) gives the direct sun-into-the-sea (Santorini Dave).

Do I need a heated pool in Santorini, and which hotels have one? If you're visiting in May, June, September or October, yes — even in summer the wind and cool nights can leave an unheated pool too chilly to enjoy (Santorini Dave). Cavo Tagoo, Andronis Concept and the Grace Hotel heat both their shared and private pools; Astra Suites heats its shared infinity pool in spring and fall. By contrast, Perivolas's main infinity pool and Altana's shared pool are unheated — so for a shoulder-season swim there you'd rely on a heated private suite. Always confirm heating for your specific room.

Ready to book?

Decide your two non-negotiables first — private pool or shared spectacle, and true sunset-over-sea or caldera colours — and the table narrows it to one or two. If you want the private pool and the real sunset, Cavo Tagoo in Imerovigli is the one to beat; if the open-sea sunset leads, Andronis Arcadia; if the biggest dramatic shared pool is the dream, Grace or Altana up the Imerovigli rim. Use the maps to compare what's genuinely free on your dates, confirm your specific suite faces the way you want, and check live availability before you commit.

Planning the whole trip? Our Santorini luxury travel guide ties the villages, the views and the splurges together.

Sources

• Santorini Dave — 28 Best Santorini Hotels with Infinity Pools (village, orientation, west-facing Imerovigli): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Best Heated Pool Hotels in Santorini (which pools are heated, shoulder months): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Best Hotels with a Sunset View (caldera vs sea-sunset, Oia south-facing fine print): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Grace Hotel review (largest heated caldera infinity pool, private plunge pools): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Altana Heritage Suites review (highest pool on the caldera): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Astra Suites review (Imerovigli sunset pool, private-pool suites): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — West East Suites review (private plunge pools, suite aspects): santorinidave.com
• Santorini Dave — Andronis Arcadia review (Oia NW edge, open-Aegean sunset): santorinidave.com
• Cavo Tagoo — official site (all suites private pool/hot tub, west-facing, heated pools): cavotagoo.com
• Andronis Concept — accommodation (every suite private heated infinity pool, three shared pools): andronis.com
• Andronis Arcadia — official site (Sunset Suite private infinity pool, Grande lagoon pool): andronis.com
• Astra Suites — official site (clifftop infinity pool heated spring and fall): astrasuites.com
• West East Suites — official site (14 suites caldera/sunset, 2 face east; heated infinity pool): westeastsuites.com
• Auberge — Grace Hotel Santorini (clifftop infinity pool, caldera and sunset views): auberge.com
• The Most Perfect View — Santorini caldera-view hotels (Imerovigli height, west aspect): themostperfectview.com
• Machu Picchu — Santorini Budget Guide 2026 (luxury price bands by village, climate fee): machupicchu.org
• Tripadvisor — Imerovigli & Oia hotel price floors 2026: tripadvisor.com