Folegandros is a sunlit welcome. The people who have been returning here year after year, who have established bonds with the island and its inhabitants, come together between a warm welcome and the sweet “au revoir” of goodbye. Folegandros is the island of good measure. The mild tourism development of the last two decades has allowed the island to preserve the full extent of its character and physiognomy. At the same time, however, modern infrastructure and organized tourism services have been developed. The inhabitants of Folegandros continue to care for their land and enjoy life in their own way, which they now share with more and more of the island’s friends.
Upon arrival at Karavostasis port, Folegandros will start to unfold its beauties one by one. You can wonder around the narrow paved streets of Chora and the Kastro, climb the Panagia rock with its panoramic view of the Aegean, swim in the deserted or popular beaches, or explore nature along the footpaths that criss-cross every corner of the island. Homemade traditional food can be savoured in Chora, Karavostasis, Agali or Ano Meria, while long nights drinking rakomelo await you in the squares of Hora.
Folegandros belongs to the south-western Cyclades. It has a maximum altitude of 455 metres, an area of 32 square kilometres and around 650 inhabitants. It is 104 nautical miles away from Piraeus port. Little is known about the ancient history of Folegandros. Its inhabitants were Dorians. Later it came under Athenian rule. The island was conquered in 1207 by the Venetian Marco Sanudo and remained under the rule of Venice until 1566, when it was taken by the Ottoman Turks. The Greeks reclaimed it in the 19th century. Folegandros’ landscape is varied, and includes tall cliffs and a large cave. The “capital” of the island, Chora, is built on the edge of a 200-metre high cliff. The port of Folegandros is the small village of Karavostasis. The Ano Meria village contains a small but interesting Ecological and Folklore Museum. Among the notable beaches on Folegandros is Katergo, accessible only by foot or by boat from Karavostasis. Katergo beach is used by naturists.
With information from www.folegandros.gr
