Since I was a kid, to be honest, I always heard people talk about Greece as the top choice for summer holidays. This is one of the main reasons we were always skeptical about choosing it. Overtourism in Greece has recently taken a toll on the country, and we definitely didn’t want to get caught in the waves of tourists disembarking ferries in Santorini or Mykonos, herded around like luggage, packed into buses, or being overcharged everywhere. And beyond that, it was hard to choose a destination that really ticked all the boxes for us.
After avoiding this choice year after year, one rainy day on my bike ride home from work (classic Britain), I started thinking about our next summer trip. I was looking for a relaxing island lifestyle, with simple pleasures like sunrises, hikes, scooter rides, beaches, lazy days, sunsets, long sleep-ins, and good food.
What about Greece? Maybe it was time to start researching this unknown group of islands scattered across the Ionian and Aegean Seas.
Back home, after a quick shower, I started searching the web, trying to understand the differences among these beautiful islands with turquoise waters and to see which one might be worth discovering.
After some long conversations with my Greek colleagues, I felt even more confused—each one tried to steer me to their own island, which only left me more undecided. Finally, I typed the classic search phrase, “Best Greek islands, not too crowded,” and one name, in particular, stood out: Folegandros
When I started reading about this little island, located in the south of the Cyclades, just a short boat ride from Santorini and inhabited by only 300 people, the decision was made.
After flying to Santorini and spending the night there to catch the speedboat the following morning, we finally arrived at the port in Folegandros. The water at the port was so clear and turquoise that you could easily see why many people consider this the unspoiled gem of the Cyclades. After a quick look around, we began hiking along the hilly road, which, after about a half-hour walk, took us to our scooter rental office (Donkey Scooter) just outside the town center, where most of the restaurants and apartments were located—Chora.
We rented our two-wheel vehicle and rushed to check into our amazing old stone dovecote house, the only one on the island, managed by a very nice and polite local guy named Vlasios. Thanks to him, and the person from the scooter rental company who gave us some tips on the best beaches to discover, we hopped straight back on the saddle.
For the rest of the week, we did exactly what we had hoped for on this amazing, unspoiled little island.
We met wonderful people, made new friends, hiked a few hills to discover the best remote beaches, ate delicious Greek food, relaxed on the beach, cruised the roads, and enjoyed breakfast at our beautiful table with a view of the sunrise, everything a slow-paced island lifestyle has to offer.
Thanks to this trip, I will definitely seek out more of these little Greek islands, which never seem to be the first choice for the majority of people, keeping them, fortunately, unspoiled and authentic.
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