Folegandros: The Word is Out

We strongly considered an extended stay in Santorini but soon got word of a nearby island by the name of Folegandros. Known by the islanders as one of the most beautiful undiscovered islands in Greece, we didn’t want to miss it. Envious glances thrown our way by those Santorinians who knew of our plans only confirmed we were making a wise decision.

Pulling into the port of Folegandros I wondered what more this island could possibly offer that Greece hadn’t shown us already. But no more than five minutes into our arrival to the sleepy village of Hora we discovered the most picturesque town in all of the islands.

Hora sits on the edge of a cliff, whose slopes are lined with ribbons of terrace fields overlooking blue-green waters. Motorcycles and cars are banned here creating a peaceful ambience for lingering in the shady, leafy squares that just seem to spill into one another. Narrow roads are lined whites and blue homes with explosions of azaleas and geraniums pouring out of window boxes.

As the rest of the town’s visitors headed out each day to hit the beaches, Ryan and I couldn’t get ourselves to leave this town. In the shaded squares, we treated ourselves to the kind of long, lingering Mediterranean lunches you think only exist on those Anthony Bourdain episodes. We munched on freshly-baked bread drizzled in oregano and homemade olive oil, eggplant stuffed with minced lamb and covered in fresh tomatoes and Parmesan, and monstrous grilled calamari served with baked feta cheese.

When we weren’t eating (and let me tell you, lots of our time was spent doing so), we took runs over the rugged mountains to check out neighboring villages. And to break from the heat of the August sun, we had an afternoon ritual of sipping on ice coffes while overlooking the precipitous cliffs.

Wallowing away our last days on the island of Folegandros, I realized I’ve fallen hard for the Greek Isles. We are destined to make it back.