Folegandros

Folegandros covers only 32 square kilometres and its population is under a thousand, but its Chora is among the most striking in the Cyclades: built on the edge of a cliff dropping some two hundred metres to the sea, with a medieval kastro quarter of houses forming a defensive wall, three linked squares shaded by trees, and above it the church of Panagia reached by a zigzag path, floodlit at night so that it hangs over the town. The island's beaches are mostly pebble and reached by boat or steep paths, Katergo, Agios Nikolaos, Livadaki, and the interior is terraced and treeless, crossed by old stone paths that have been restored for walking. Karavostasis is the port and Ano Meria the scattered farming village to the north.

What you actually see

• The cliff-edge Chora - a white town on the rim of a two-hundred-metre drop.
• The Panagia church - the floodlit chapel on the rock above the town.
• The kastro quarter - medieval houses forming a defensive perimeter.
• The walking paths - restored stone routes across the terraced interior.

When to go

May, June and September; the island is small and fills quickly in August, when rooms are scarce and expensive. Winter reduces ferries and closes most businesses.

Honest expectations

Beaches require effort: steep paths or boats, and most are pebble with no shade. There is one main road and limited buses. The Chora is beautiful but small, and its restaurants are pricey for the Cyclades.

Nearby

Sikinos and Ios lie east; Milos and Santorini are within ferry reach.