Is Folegandros Worth Visiting?

Folegandros packs a walled medieval quarter, a hilltop church with one of the most striking sunset views in the Cyclades, and beaches reachable only by boat or trail into an island barely 13 square miles across.

Folegandros sits between Milos and Santorini in the southern Cyclades, and its Chora, built at 200 meters above the sea, centers on Kastro, a walled quarter dating to the medieval period where houses were built directly into the old fortress walls for defense. A ten minute walk up from Chora leads to the whitewashed Church of Panagia, and the view from its hillside at sunset ranks among the more memorable in the islands. Chora's three connected squares fill with tavernas and locals well after the day's heat has passed.

Ano Meria, the island's second settlement, holds themonia, traditional stone structures that combined housing with agricultural storage, some still inhabited and others preserved as small museums. The Folklore Museum here displays tools and household items from the island's farming past. Local dishes worth seeking out include matsata, a hand rolled pasta typically served with rabbit, and sourotenia pie, made with local soft cheese and onions.

Katergo, reached by a 30 minute hike from Livadi or a short boat ride from the port at Karavostasis, is considered the island's best beach, a stretch of pale pebbles against clear water with no shade or facilities to interrupt it. Agali, on the southern coast, offers a more organized alternative with tavernas and sunbeds, and Livadi holds the island's only official campsite.

Folegandros suits travelers who want walking trails, striking sunsets, and beaches without built up infrastructure, and it pairs well with a stop on Santorini or Milos for anyone island hopping through the southern Cyclades. There's no airport, so the only way in is by ferry, roughly 40 minutes to an hour from Santorini or longer direct from Athens.