FOLEGANDROS ISLAND - CYCLADES

Area 32 sq. Km. Distance from Piraeus 106 nautical miles.

Folegandros is a small and rocky island between Sikinos and Milos. Visitors will be struck by the wild beauty of the barren landscape, where huge rocks alternate with sandy beaches.

On a flat expanse above the pretty harbour of Karavostassis is Hora or Folegandros, which consists of two sections. In the old settlement in the Kastro area, the outer walls of the houses form the sort of defensive precinct to be found elsewhere in the Cyclades. The new quarter is just as pretty, with narrow alleys, stepped walls, courtyards, wooden balconies and typically Aegean churches. The finest church on the island, that of Our Lady, stands above a section of the ancient wall.

Chrissospilia, nearby to the north, with stalactites, stalagmites and traces of ancient occupation, and the small settlements in the Ano Meria district are the sights to be seen around the island's main village.

Ano Meria also has the Ecological and Folklore Museum, with exhibits which reconstruct the farming practices of the islanders.