We have been lucky enough to visit and explore many of the wonderful greek islands which actually are all very different in feel and atmosphere even when they share similar looking, traditional villages and numerous chapels! And Folengandros didn’t disappoint on either of those fronts but it also surprised us in so many ways! This small island is in the southern part of the Cyclades and is often overlooked as the masses flock to flashy Santorini which is ok by us as it means this hidden gem, for now, remains authentic and traditional!
The Chora (main town centre) is the most beautiful, magical and delightfully picturesque one we’ve ever come across! By day it was super quiet which meant that we could enjoy the stunning cobbled lanes, the incredible facades, the jaw dropping famous street of high stepped homes, the picturesque squares that you stumble upon and the overall sheer beauty of Greece encapsulated in this one bijou area!
The flow of the town leading you through and around enchanted corners into vivid blossomed streets with achingly beautiful weathered buildings and doorways – was just dreamy! We really have seen a lot of Greece and this place just seemed to have it all. And there was such a friendly, welcoming and small, tight knit community happy feel to everyone we encountered! Proud is another strong word that would describe the locals here as everywhere was spotless, maintained, lovingly set up and beautifully laid out! If that wasn’t enough then the spectacular setting and walk up from the village to the incredible Church of Panagia is not to be missed – check out our video at the end of this post!
Out of the Chora and the Folengandros landscape is wild and rural with the island being serviced by only a few roads and as it is also relatively small it is so easy to get around and take it all in! This island is by far the most untouched and authentic we’ve seen which was wonderful and made it all the more endearing, interesting and attractive. On the roads you are highly likely to come across farmers in their later years, with weathered and fascinating faces, who are still working and trotting along on their faithful donkey herding animals and transporting crops in the old fashioned way! You can tell that they have never left the island and are blissfully unaware of the big crazy world out there … but are oh so happy to see you and chat away – even with no common language their enthusiasm for their home and love of the land is infectious and so understanding some how comes about!
We were so lucky to stay in the most perfect of places and location on the island @ Lemon Tree Houses which was pure heaven! Set in the village of Ano Meria it was so tranquil as it is probably the only village in Cyclades that stills holds it’s traditional farming lifestyle that is centuries old! Meaning that there is no noisy traffic and the pace of life is calm along with the ultra modern boutique style of Lemon Tree Houses with it’s cool decor, lay out around the pool and incredible service just adds up to perfection!
So if you are not after clubs and pubs but want pure unadulterated serenity, beauty and a true taste of Greece than this is the island for you! We certainly can’t wait to go back and hope that this wonderful place keeps hold of it’s traditions, wild landscapes and chilled pace of life for as long as possible!
JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO!
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