Folegandros

Folegandros is one of the most beautiful and least discovered islands of the Cyclades, and its chora is a revelation. The ferry arrives at Karavostasis, the little port, and a road climbs to the capital, which stands on the rim of a great cliff above the sea. The chora of Folegandros is famous across Greece: a maze of whitewashed lanes, small squares, and arches, with the little church of Panagia on its own rocky outcrop at the edge of the cliff, hanging over the abyss. The churchyard at sunset is the place to stand — the sea and the sky turn gold, and the island's name, the place where the sky meets the sea, is understood at once. The island's paths run through terraced fields and past abandoned stone villages, and its coves are reached down steep paths from the cliff. Folegandros is small, wild, and unspoiled — an island for walkers, for sunset-watchers, and for anyone who loves the austere beauty of the true Cyclades.

Folegandros has been inhabited since antiquity, and in myth it was named for Folegandros, a son of the god Minos. The ancient city of the island stood above the coast, and its ruins survive in the fields. In the Middle Ages Folegandros was part of the Duchy of the Aegean, and its castles and churches date from that period. The island was long a place of exile — in the 20th century it was used by the Greek state as a place of internal exile for political prisoners, and its wild, austere landscape was the backdrop of that history. From the 1960s, Folegandros was gradually discovered by travellers, but it has kept its character: small, quiet, and unspoiled, with a fierce sense of independence. Its chora is one of the most beautiful in Greece, and its wild cliffs and terraced fields are among the most dramatic landscapes of the Cyclades.

The name is recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium in the sixth century AD. His Ethnica is not a book of stories but a dictionary of Greek place-names, and for this one it says: "It is named from Pholegandros son of Minos". "Aratos calls it iron Arateia because of its roughness". (Ethnica, s.v. Φολέγανδρος).

That is the whole of what an ancient source has to say about how the place got its name. It is a shorter answer than the guidebooks give, and it is the only one with a source behind it.

Folegandros has no long sandy beaches, but its coves are among the most beautiful in the Cyclades. Agios Nikolaos, below the chora, is a small cove with clear water, reached down a long path. Katergo, on the south coast, is a wild, beautiful beach of pale sand, reached by boat or a rough descent. The coves of the west coast — Livadaki, Vitsentzos, and the little beaches below the cliffs — are almost empty and perfect for a solitary swim. The water is deep, clear, and cool, and the swimming is among the most peaceful in Greece. Bring water and sturdy shoes, and you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful coves of the Aegean.

Folegandros food is the honest cooking of a small island. The island produces excellent honey, cheese, and wine, and its terraced fields grow vegetables and the island's herbs. The tavernas of the chora are justly famous — the island has become a foodie destination, with simple, elegant restaurants serving the classic Greek table with unusual care. The local specialities include the island's goat, its cheese pies, and its honey with walnut. For a real Folegandros meal, order the goat or the fish, a plate of the island's greens, and a glass of the local wine, and eat on a terrace above the sea as the light fades.

May, June, and September are the best months on Folegandros: warm, quiet, and beautiful, with the chora at its most peaceful and the coves calm. July and August are busier, but Folegandros is small and its wildness holds. Spring is lovely, with wildflowers, and autumn lingers warm into October. Whenever you come, stay at least a few days, and be at the church of Panagia for at least one sunset — it is the moment the island is most itself.

Folegandros has no airport. The main route is the roughly seven-hour ferry from Piraeus, with shorter connections from Naxos, Paros and the other Cyclades.

A scooter or car is useful, though the chora and the port are walkable and the island is small. Walk the paths of the island, swim at the coves, and spend your evenings in the chora, which is one of the most beautiful in Greece. Climb to the church of Panagia for the sunset. Bring good walking shoes and cash. And allow Folegandros to show you its particular beauty — austere, wild, and unforgettable.