Folegandros/Poliegos

Folegandros is a small rocky island of only 32 square kilometers, with around 600 inhabitants. Visitors like us, come here to enjoy a quiet and relaxing time in this especially picturesque setting. After a calm night alongside the dock in the tiny port of Karavostasi a local bus took us up to the Hora, while some of us wanting the exercise, decided to hike up the 3km long road to the main village of the island. Just after getting off the bus, Hora welcomed us with a beautiful view from the parking lot: steep cliffs that suddenly seemed to slice into the sea. Folegandros is a very peaceful island. Life moves here at a slow pace. For us it was a very nice change after our busy day in Santorini.

After a short introduction given by our guides Effie and Gemma, we walked through the “kastro” admiring its unique character. The old two-story houses were lined up in rows from the left to the right of the stone-paved road, well-preserved and freshly painted bright white. All of them had a cubic shape, each one with small courtyards; one next to another allowing neighbors to spend some time everyday chatting with each other. There were two gates to the “kastro” that were closed whenever there was a pirate raid. Houses inside the “kastro” were small, without any trace of luxury or excess. The primary need was security. When the inhabitants returned from a hard day’s work they wanted a shelter where they could rest and sleep. The dominance of white walls was interrupted by the joyful combination of colors that the island’s residents have chosen to decorate the doors and windows of their houses and the simple railing around their small balconies. The main square of the village was very charming – here everyone could find a place to relax having cold frappe or cappuccino fredo in one of the friendly looking cafes.

After lunchtime, we sailed a short distance to our afternoon anchorage at Poliegos Island. The name means “island of many goats”. This uninhabited island is known for its dramatic coastline which we admired as we kayaked and swam from the sandy beach that we’d chose for our lazy afternoon. The water was so incredibly clear that we could see the bottom just by looking out of the ship or Zodiac. Some of us tried snorkeling, as it was a huge pleasure in water with 20-30m visibility.

It was not the end of nice things awaiting us for the day. Our hotel manager Yannis and his crew prepared a “big fat Greek” party for us with grilled octopus and ouzo followed by a delicious Greek buffet dinner. Every Greek party has to end with some dancing so we danced together with the captain, guides and crew. And soon another perfect day was over…