I first visited Greece for the very first time in 2022 and little did I know that I would absolutely fall in love with the place! Not long after travelling started to reopen post-Covid, Greece was one of the first places outside of home that I travelled to. The food, the people, the hospitality and of course, the postcard like landscapes. Whilst many islands - especially in the Cyclades - are overcrowded, overpriced and sometimes lacking authenticity (the likes of Mykonos & Santorini), there are hidden gems to be found and Folegandros is one of them.
FOLEGANDROS: GETTING THERE & AROUND
If you're flying from overseas, the best option would be to land in Santorini Airport and take a ferry from there. Alternatively, you can choose to fly to Athens and take the ferry from the capital but keep in mind that you ride longer on the ferry.
- Santorini - Folegandros ferry crossing time: 50 minutes (high speed)
- Athens Piraeus - Folegandros ferry crossing time: 3h50 minutes (high speed)
I would highly recommend booking a high speed ferry to maximise your time, as your journey may take twice the time on a slower ferry service. From experience, flying to Athens will be cheaper, but I would recommend landing on Santorini when travelling the Cyclades as it will save you time and you can head directly from the airport to the port in less than 30mn. The cost for a pre-booked taxi is about 30 euros.
** Do check the ferry schedules ahead of your holidays and before booking any of your accommodation on the island as depending on the season, there may only be one or two ferry per week heading to the island.
Once on the island, you should have your own means of transportation as public bus service is quite scarce and will not allow you to explore freely / at your own pace. We booked a couple of weeks before arriving at Kountouris Car Rental and the guys were amazing - no fuss, easy process and we were welcomed directly at the port with our spotless clean car. You can then choose to return it at the port as well, which is quite handy especially if you have bulky bags. Price were fair as well, at 25 euros per day in September.
The size of the island is fairly small so you will be able to drive less than 30 minutes on each side to go to both ends.
TOP 3 BEACHES
Folegandros is in my opinion the perfect island if you're looking to immerse yourself in an authentic Greek summer vibe, living a quiet and peaceful slow life. Beaches are fairly easy to access on the island, but I liked is that you always had the option to hike to the beach or get closer by car or boat when there were no roads. For this reason, I highly recommend if you love hiking, but would probably go during shoulder season to avoid extreme heat.
1. Galyfos & Agios Nikoalos
A personal favourite - as you park your car in the port of Agkali, you will first face the beach of Agkali. Look to your right and start a mini hike of about 15 minutes, which will land you onto the beach of Galyfos. This was genuinely our favourite beach. Small secluded creek, it's a pebble beach that has the sun until at least 17.30 ish and it's so quiet. The water is crystal clear and there are other tiny creeks to where you can swim to for about 5 minutes. Beachgoers here were also respectful - no loud music or discussions, just people soaking in the beauty and reading.
If you continue your hike for another 10 minutes, you will reach a larger beach called Agios Nikolaos. This is more of a sandy beach and is more popular also as it has two restaurants for refreshments (read further below for food recommendations). This one was significantly more crowded and touristy, but still a lovely spots. Worth noting that these two beaches are great when the Meltemi winds are hitting the North of the island and it's perfectly isolated from those gushes. You can easily do both in one day of course!
2. Livadaki
Livadaki is often considered the most beautiful beach on the island, competing with Katergo. It has a beautiful white sand stretch with crystal clear water. Easiest access is to take a small boat from Agkali and it takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the beach. If you're feeling more adventurous, the hike from Ano Meria is about 45 minutes but you will be rewarded with a stunning swim!
On our side, we had rented a boat so we anchored ourselves slightly away from the beach but we loved it so much that we stayed here for over 2 hours. Unliked Agios Nikolaos or Agkali, there are no refreshments or restaurants so always bring at least a large bottle of water with you.
3. Katergo
The second most beautiful beach on the island can be reached by a 10 minute boat ride from the port of Karavostasis, or you can walk for about 30 minutes from the Livadi settlement. Similarly to Livadaki, it has a beautiful stripe of white sands mixed with some pebbles. However, this beach is considered 'wilder' as it barely has any shade and no refreshment.
OTHER BEACHES ON THE ISLAND
During North winds:
- Ambeli (perfect spot for sunset on the beach)
- Agkali (the beach at the port mentioned above)
- Fira (the latest to remain in the sun on that coast)
During South winds:
- Agios Giorgios
- Lygaria
- Voreina
- Vardia
- Latinaki
- Vitsentzou
When we visited Folegrandros, we faced strong North winds for at least three days so we mostly visited the southern beaches. Even then, it never felt redundant as you develop a sort of 'routine' and for us, we really enjoyed going to our favourite beach each day and switching when we felt like it.
THINGS TO DO
Rent a boat for the day
One of the best thing we decided to do during our trip is to rent a boat for a full day. We chose Island Spirit Cruises and it did not disappoint! For 200 euros per day + fuel (around 8 hours), you can rent a boat without a license - though having some previous experience with a boat is highly recommended. This is definitely the perfect way to explore the island by sea, go to a few beaches on the same day and see Folegandros from an angle you haven't seen before! Anchor yourself at your favourite beach and dive in from your boat platform... what an experience! This is an experience that you should do at least once during a Greece trip!
Watch the sun go down at Panagia
Panagia is the largest church on the island, hanging on top of the highest cliff, absolutely unmissable from the moment you set foot on Folegandros. Built on top of the rock overlooking Chora (the main village), it takes about 15 minutes to get to the top but be prepared at the elevation is steep and you will end up covered in sweats when reaching the top! For the best view, start climbing at 18.15 and find a comfortable spot on the rock until the sun comes down at around 19.10 towards the end of September. Don't forget to visit the stunning Church before seating for this magnificent view and bring a couple of drinks with you for the best sunset apero (of course, take your trash with you to the next bin).
WHERE TO EAT
In Folegandros, just as on many other Greek islands we visited, we were spoilt with the choice and quality of delicious local foods.
- To Goupi - my personal favourite; a local tavern with tasty home cooked food at fair prices. Definitely try the warm fava beans, the lemon goat and the moussaka
- O Kritikos - the place for your meat cravings, you must try the kontosouvli which is pieces of meat they take from the rotating rotisserie, served with sides
- Chic - a more elevated tavern with a modern twist on local dishes
- Papalagi - this is the seafood restaurant overlooking the Agios Nikolaos beach, fish of the day was excellent
- Chrisopilia - we loved going to this local cafe every morning for our freddo espresso and greek yogurt; the owners are the loveliest people, highly recommend
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at Marina & Poly's Airbnb, closer to Ano Meria and overlooking the sea and a beautiful little church. Marina & Poly were lovely hosts and I can only recommend staying at their beautiful Cycladic home! Not only is it quiet and secluded, the view is simply impossible to beat. I woke up a couple times early enough to watch the sun rise over the ocean and it was magical...
If you're looking for a midrange boutique hotel, head over to Agada Folegandros - also facing the North, they have infinite pools overlooking the ocean.
For the ultimate luxury 5* experience, you should try Gundari Resort - it looks absolutely stunning and is on my bucket list! Bear in mind though that it is located well outside the main villages and you will need a good car as the main road is more of a dirt road to get there.
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