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Folegandros is a mountainous island, a rock in the middle of the sea with steep costlines that are exposed to the Northern winds of the Aegean Sea.
The island has also been called Polykandros, probably a paraphrase of the ancient name Polyandros, which means many men.
The islands coasts are precipitous and form several capes, such as Kastellos, Kyparissi at the northern end, and Aspropounta at the south western point. The island has no spring water and as a result the water supply needs are covered by cisterns storing rainwater.
The main settlements of the island are Chora (pronounced Hora), built on the eastern side, on a plateau of 200 m elevation, Ano Meria in the north, Karavostatis, the small port of the island and at the south western point is the beach town of Angali (which means hug).
Chora, nestled in the base of a rock, has a complicated network of stone-pabed roads, alleys and squares. It also boasts a castle, Kastro, the Medieval settlement and oldest part of Chora, the norhtern side of which is built on the rim of a 210 m cliff.
Ano Meria is a traditional rural settlement with houses lying with larger distances between them and forming the so-called “Themonies”.
The main attractions of the island are Panagia, the most significant church of Folegandros, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Kastro and Chrisospilia, an imposing cave on the north eastern side of the island, ten meters above sea level. The history of Folegandros follows the common history of Cyclades, both in antiquity and the Roman times, but also during Frankish and Ottoman dominance, when it had been a place of exile.
Folegandros was united with Greece in 1828 and lived in obscurity as a small island of the archipelago.
During the dictatorship of Metaxas (1930’s) it became once again a place of exile.
Despite its’ restricted area, Folegandros provides rich and interesting experiences for the hiker who decides to roam the well-maintained network of thr old stone-paved roads and paths.
All in all, 6 interesting hikes, with small to medium difficulty, cross the island, forming a network trail of more than 30 km and interconnecting its large areas. Chora with Karavostatis port, Chora with the settlement of Angali, Angali wiht Paliothemonies, Paliothemonies with Taxiarchis, Taxiarchis with Ano Meria and finally Ano Meria with Chora. A hiking guide of topguide application series, dedicated to Folegandros, is under development.
To be noted the hiking trails are already included in the cartographic application Toponavigator, available for both Android and IOS.
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