Folegandros is a medium size island and part of the Cyclades. It has an area of 35 km˛ with approximately 700
people living there. The island for a long time was well
known as an untouched little paradise. It was only a question
of time when this unspoiled little gem would become too
famous for maintaining its reputation. In recent years it
became more and more popular with a rather wealthy clientele
that too wanted to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this
place. That doesn't mean one should not go there anymore.
Folegandros still is a good place to be.
It is rather difficult to get to Folegandros. There is no
airport and ferries are not as frequent as they are in other
places. The little port closes when the weather gets too
rough meaning you could be stuck there for a while.
There is a post office on the island but no bank. Do not rely
on the ATM. It is possible to exchange money but you may not
be able to withdraw. Bring enough cash!
Everything you need you will find in one of the supermarkets,
at this stage you can even rent a bicycle, scooter or car.
There are a few small settlements on the island. The local
"capital" is Chora. Up north you will find Ano Meria, the
port town is called Karavostasi. Town is a bit of an
exaggeration though. There are only a few houses and that’s
it.
Chora of Folegandros:
With its 300 people or so living here it is the biggest
settlement on Folegandros. Chora is 3-4 kilometers away from
the port in Karavostasi. The small town is a typical Cycladic
village; white houses with blue window-frames in a romantic
setting. You'll find the typical narrow alleys, tiny little
squares, churches and even a castle.
Tickets Madame Tussauds London buy online.
Chora is situated at a cliff 300 meters above sea level. The
views are spectacular. If you walk up to the little church
Panagia on the hill above the village you get an even better
view.
Accommodation during summer can be quiet expensive. At this
stage they even have a luxurious hotel that charges 150 Euros
a night. It really is a shame. The upside is that there now
is some sort of night life with a couple of bars.
Still reasonably cheap is food. You'll easily find some small
restaurants that serve typical Cycladic dishes. Recommended
are O Kritikos – a small taverna with a good BBQ selection –
and the restaurant Chic.
Karavostasi (port town of Folegandros
)
The small village is point on entry for everyone since this
is where the port is located. Some 50 people live here, there
are a couple of restaurants and places to stay. The local
beach is not particularly impressive but if you walk for
about onbe kilometre you get to Livadi beach which is pretty
good. Next to it is the only camp site on the island (Livadi
Camping). The latter I would describe as Spartan; one could
also call it very basic. This applies to everything on this
camp site including the sanitary arrangements.
Rooms in Karavostasi are significantly cheaper than in Chora.
This has to do with the total lack of anything that one would
even remotely associate with the word entertainment.
Ano Meria
The small village with its 200 people living there is
situated in the northern part of Folegandros. There is a
small museum and nearby – probably a lot more interesting –
the islands best beach. It admittedly is a bit of a walk but
its well worth it.
Ferry connections Folegandros:
As mentioned before Folegandros is rather difficult to reach.
There is no airport so the ferry is the only way. There are
4-5 a week from Athens and the bigger Cycladic islands. To
get to nearby Syros,
Milos, Sifnos,
Serifos is even more
difficult. Ferry tickets are available in the small travel
agency in Chora or directly at the port.
Busses Folegandros:
The main road from the port to Chora continues to Ano Meria.
It's a paved road and surprisingly good. There are regular
busses between Chora and Karavostasi (pretty much every hour)
and between Chora and Ano Meria although not quite as often.
The camp site has a free shuttle to and from the port. During
high season there sometimes are additional busses to the
various beaches.
Some of the local fishermen offer boat trips
from Folegandros
to the various beaches. They drop you there in the morning
and pick you up in the late afternoon. Most of these beaches
you can easily reach by foot.
Interesting: The largest stadium of the world
is in North Korea. |