With Easter fast approaching I am super tempted to escape for a few days to Perivolas on Santorini. The ultimate in laid-back luxury, this wonderful hotel is run by my great friend Costis Psychas and is a regular fixture on magazine covers around the globe. Small wonder Condé Nast Traveler readers have voted it one of the “100 Best Hotels of the World” for the last five years in a row.

This magical island is at its best at Easter time in March or April, before the madness of the summer season kicks in. Everywhere you look is a riot of daisies, poppies and wild violets. The views are breath-taking and the volcanic beaches are the perfect place to indulge in a lazy afternoon drinking chilled Atlantis rosé from the local Argyros estate. It’s not for nothing that Santorini can lay claim to the best vineyards in the whole of Greece.

The Greek Easter brings Santorini to life with a three-day celebration, full of colour and excitement, from glittering firework displays to foodie feasts.

The Good Friday procession is a true spectacle to watch and there is a beautiful night-time parade through the streets of Pyrgos (the highest point of the island) where every house, roof top and church in the village is lit up with candles. Truly an amazing sight.

Perivolas itself is a place for true rest and relaxation. Once the home of Santorini’s fishermen and farmers, Costis transformed this group of centuries old caves into vaulted rooms and suites, whose pure white sensually curved walls have become one of the island’s most iconic landmarks. Luckily the hotel’s amazing infinity pool is heated so it’s possible to enjoy a dip even this early in the year.

Perivolas is definitely worth visiting at any point during the season, but at Easter this place has a special magic all of its own.

.