Travels through History : The Peloponnese – The Island of Folegandros

Folegandros is one of the smaller islands in The Cyclades. I arrived on a hydrofoil from Piraeus and it had been a bumpy ride as the wind was blowing strongly. I was told it wasn’t the Meltemi wind as that only blows at the end of the summer, but it was blowing from the north where the Meltemi blows from – what’s in a name? It was the beginning of October and the air temperature was 26 – 30 degrees Centigrade, a pleasant temperature in the sun, though the wind could feel cool in the shadows.

The hydrofoil arrived at the appropriately named Karavostassis (ferry stop) on the eastern side of the island. There are places to stay and access to some beaches, such as Livadi or Katergo, both on foot and by boat. Boats also leave from here on a round trip of the island. There is a bus service from the ferry to the capital of the island called Hora, sitting at the top of a 200-metre cliff. From Platia Pounda in Hora, the views of the cliff and up the eastern coast are spectacular. It is a windy spot, regardless of what the wind is called.

Hora is a charming place. Many white-walled buildings with red, blue, green, and occasionally brown doorways and windows attracted my eye. The community cats are much in evidence. They’re well looked after and aren’t wild at all. The shops are for both locals and tourists. There are plenty of places serving breakfast and dinner, but not so many serving lunch. In fact, I went to the same place five times, sitting at a different table each time, as it was the only place open that served vegetarian food. The menu was extensive and all the tables were in shade under trees. The community cats never bothered me at mealtimes. I only gave them water served in a saucer which was lapped up quickly.

There are plenty of churches both in Hora and also scattered in the outskirts of the town, including Panagia Pantanassa and the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos. The most famous church is near the top of the cliff, the Church of Panagia Kimissis, visible from almost everywhere in the town. The white path to the church zig-zags up the hill. It takes about 20 minutes to walk up there. I stopped many times to look along the coast and across the town. The views are distracting, especially if you love landscapes and seascapes.