Europe

[Visited: August 2022]

My arrival on Folegandros was delayed due to my stubbornness dealing with taxi drivers in Santorini who tried to overcharge me, making me miss my fast ferry. I ended up on a slow ferry that called at all islands on the way, and I arrived just before midnight. My new friend was waiting for me at the quay, and we drove the few kilometres to Chora, the main village of the island. The road was dark, and it seemed I had arrived at an isolated place. But after dropping my bag off, we walked into town, where I was surprised to find a crowd in the small streets and at the tables of the many restaurants. We criss-crossed through the people. The fact that people regularly recognised my friend made me realise that this must be a small place. We had drinks, talked, and when we headed back to our place in the middle of the night there were still people hanging around in the lively town.
The next day, we walk up the hill to the Panagia church that lies at the end of a dramatic series of bends and that offers fantastic views of Chora, and much of the island. Then, we have a copious breakfast, and head off to Livadi, where we park our car. After the crowds of the day before, we notice there is no one around. We walk a classic Greek monopatia, a narrow trail that takes us through a dry landscape of bushes and rocks to a ridge. We now see the sea again below us, and a lovely beach. We hike the trail down to Katergo beach. It has pebble stones to lie on, and rocky islets in swimming distance. It is a joy to swim to them, climb out of the water and find a place to dive or jump off from - back into the crystal clear waters that surround Folegandros. The beach is crowded: for days, the meltemi, a strong wind, has been blowing here. Now that the wind is gone, Katergo has become more attractive. Boats take people back and fro to the port, but we walk back up the steep hill and to the car. We drive back to Chora, enjoy dinner at another restaurant, and make it another late night.
The next days will be more or less the same. Walk up to the church. Decide where to have a nice breakfast, and then decide which beach to go to. There are many to choose from, and they all have their unique selling points. Some are small and virtually empty, without any facilities, and to reach them, we have to walk. Some are bigger, with restaurants and parking, and are inevitably more crowded. Then there are beaches that are best reached by boat. We try many of them. On our way to Agios Nikolaos, we feel that our car is not really up to the steep, dusty road, and park on the way down to another beach. We end up staying there, and love swimming the transparent waters. We walk down to Abeli beach, where we find only few people because of its remoteness. Then there is Fira, a small beach a mere ten minute walk from Angali. From here, I swim to a tiny, sandy beach which feels like private. The best is Livadaki, which we reach by taking a boat from Angali. It has a protected bay, spots to dive from, rocks to lie on, and a big enough beach which is not overly crowded. From here, we walk back to Angali, and it turns out to the most beautiful hike we do at the best time of the day: the late afternoon. Warm light surrounds us and makes the rocks and the mountains look more attractive. Far below us, we see ships sailing past into the bay of Angali. Just before I have to leave on the ferry to Piraeus, we spend a few hours on Vardia beach, which is close to the port. There is an islet within swimming distance with sharp, pointy rocks, but once you find your way up it turns into the perfect diving spot. It is at Vardia that I have to say goodbye, to my friend, and to the peaceful and very Greek island of Folegandros.

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Folegandros (Greece)

Folegandros > Greece > Europe

[Visited: August 2022]

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