Cyclades
Folegandros
Clifftop villages, no cars in Chora, and absolutely zero nightlife — perfect.
Getting around
Scooter friendly
Cost
€€€
In peak season
Quiet
Best months
May, Jun, Sep, Oct
From Athens
7h ferry
In pictures
Folegandros
Folegandros is what Santorini was before the world discovered it. The Chora sits on the edge of a cliff 200 metres above the sea, its streets too narrow for vehicles and its squares strung with jasmine and bougainvillea, with the main piazza looking out over nothing but sky and the open Aegean below. The Church of Panagia, perched on the highest point of the village and reached by a steep path through terraced fields, is one of the most dramatically positioned buildings in Greece. The island has almost no nightlife, a handful of genuinely excellent small restaurants, and a coastal path that connects beaches reachable only on foot. The crowd it attracts — design-minded couples, writers, people who have done the major Cyclades islands and want something more considered — reflects the island's unusual, undefensive self-assurance.
How it scores
- Beaches
- Nightlife
- Food
- Culture
- Nature
- Family
- Accessibility
- Value for money
The catch
Tiny island with very limited beaches. Getting harder to reach and increasingly discovered by the "anti-tourist tourist" crowd.
Hidden gem
Walk the old donkey path from Chora down to Agali bay at sunset — 40 minutes, no traffic, just the sea below.
Where it sits
Cyclades, Greece
Folegandros — frequently asked
- When is the best time to visit Folegandros? +
- The best months to visit Folegandros are May to October. It's calm and uncrowded most of the year, so even peak season is workable.
- How do you get to Folegandros from Athens? +
- Folegandros has no airport — you'll need to take a ferry from Piraeus or Rafina, which takes about 7 hours. Some travellers fly to a nearby island and ferry across.
- Is Folegandros good for couples? +
- Folegandros is one of the most romantic Greek islands — sunsets, candlelit tavernas, sea-view rooms.
- Is Folegandros good for families with kids? +
- Folegandros is not the easiest island for families with young kids.
- Is Folegandros expensive? +
- Folegandros is affordable by Greek-island standards.
- Do you need a car on Folegandros? +
- A scooter or ATV is the easiest way to get around Folegandros. Buses cover the main routes but a scooter unlocks the quiet beaches.
- What's the catch with Folegandros? +
- Tiny island with very limited beaches. Getting harder to reach and increasingly discovered by the "anti-tourist tourist" crowd.