About us · since 1983
Who we are
We’re Kyrianna and Trudi Kavalaris. Trudi comes from Switzerland; together we run Pension Atlas with the care we’d want ourselves — clear answers, clean rooms, and a quiet base near Fira.
The pension has been in the family since 1983. We speak German, English, and Greek, and we still like meeting guests at the door when we can. If you need a transfer, a rental tip, or a taverna that isn’t only for tourists, ask — that’s part of the stay.
We’re on the edge of Karterados, a short walk to the village bakery, shops, and tavernas. For the house, parking, and getting around, see The hotel.
- HostsTrudi & Kyrianna
- Family since1983
- LanguagesDE · EN · EL
- HomeKarterados
How it began
The most beautiful sunsets
Gertrud (Trudi) first heard of Santorini in a Swiss classroom in the 1960s. Her teacher said the island had the most beautiful sunsets in the world — light over the sea, evenings that stayed with you. The idea lodged somewhere quiet and did not leave.
Years later, when people ask why she came, she often starts there: a classroom, a far-away island, and a promise of evening light.
Curiosity brought her to Santorini for a holiday in her early twenties — and then for a life.
She stayed
Holiday first — then home
When Trudi finally saw Santorini for herself, the island felt like home more quickly than she had planned. She stayed, found work in hotels, and learned the island’s seasons from the inside. She eventually started studying Greek and connect to the local society.
Later she met Petros Kavalaris, and the next chapter of Atlas began.
Petros & Atlas
A sailor who wanted to come home
Petros Kavalaris — Trudi’s late husband — was a sailor from Santorini who had spent decades at sea. He wanted to return to the island and build a life on shore again. Together they looked for a project that felt like theirs.
At first they actually wanted to build a nightclub (no joke). Then the idea softened into something quieter and more lasting: a guesthouse where visitors could sleep well and feel looked after — the kind of place they would have wanted after a long journey.
That became Pension Atlas, in the family since 1983. Not a caldera showpiece, but a village base near Fira — close enough for evenings out, calm enough to rest.
Family photos from those early years — Petros, Trudi, and the house as it began.
scan coming soon
Today
Trudi and Kyrianna
In the 1990s their daughter Kyrianna was born. She grew up in the house — guests at breakfast tables, village mornings, the pool in high summer, the quieter rhythm when season slows. Atlas was never only a business; it was home with an open door.
In the 2020s Kyrianna took over the hotel. She and Trudi run it together now: the same languages, the same wish to meet people at the door when we can, and the same practical help with transfers, rentals, and local tips.
If you stay with us, you’re staying with a family that chose this island long before it was on every postcard — and still likes the simple version of hosting best.
Days out and island ideas are in our Santorini guide.
A quiet alternative near Fira
Clean rooms, a shared pool, clear answers — a calm base if you want Santorini without living on the caldera edge. Stay for the whole trip, or after a few nights on the cliff.
