Summer Lovers

Michael and Cathy arrive at a hillside villa on Santorini for a long summer break. They settle into island life and embrace the carefree romance of young love. The stage is set for a summer of exploration, desire, and personal change.

The couple visits a crowded nude beach on Santorini. Michael explores a nearby cave and notices a topless woman sunbathing—Lina. They exchange glances, setting up a future encounter.

The next day, Michael uses binoculars to spot Lina outside a villa across the hill. He later runs into her again while buying groceries and follows her around town.

Cathy builds a darkroom in the bathroom and begins to explore her sexuality. Despite being seen as a goody two-shoes, she shares her fantasies with Michael and experiments with a guidebook of techniques. At one point she ties him to the bed and drips candle wax on his chest, testing their boundaries.

Michael encounters Lina again; they ride a bus to the beach, skinny-dip, and have sex in a secluded cave. The attraction between them deepens quickly, marking the start of a deceptive, secretive affair.

Overcome with guilt, Michael admits his infidelity to Cathy, insisting he still loves her. Cathy reacts with a mix of hurt and resolve, telling him to get it out of his system before storming off.

Cathy goes to a local bar intending to sleep with another man as revenge. She meets a Greek man who takes her to his house, but she flees when he tries to kiss her. Michael returns home the next morning to find Cathy still furious.

Cathy visits Lina's villa to confront her, and Lina explains that she has no intention of stealing Michael and that she is escaping a complicated life. The three begin spending time together, with Cathy growing closer to Lina and agreeing to photograph Lina's excavation.

Cathy encourages Michael to kiss Lina in front of her, and the three share a night together. Lina moves in with Michael and Cathy as they begin a three-way relationship. They gradually settle into this new dynamic on the island.

They throw a surprise birthday party for Lina, who fears the impending end of their arrangement as her American lovers will return home. The next morning, Cathy's mother Jean and her friend Barbara arrive for a surprise visit and join them for dinner.

Lina becomes distant about the future with Michael and Cathy and begins dating Jan Tolin. She eventually disappears, prompting Michael and Cathy to search for her, but they conclude she does not want to be found.

Feeling unable to enjoy their time on the island, the couple decides to cut the vacation short and pack to return home three weeks earlier than planned. The looming departure casts a pall over the trio as their unusual arrangement strains under pressure.

Having a change of heart, Lina rushes to Michael and Cathy's villa and then to the airport, intercepting them just as they are about to board. She is overjoyed to see them again, and they decide to resume their relationship.

Michael, Cathy, and Lina return to the villa to spend the last three weeks of their vacation together, reaffirming their unconventional bond.