Why Santorini Stopped Working
Santorini has 15,500 residents. In peak summer, the island receives close to 17,000 cruise-ship visitors a day. The math does not work. The blue domes are still there. The view of the caldera is still extraordinary. But the experience — the quiet, the conversation, the white-washed streets at sunset — is gone.
The Alternative
Folegandros. Population 800. A two-hour ferry from Santorini. No airport. One main town. Three taverns we love. No cruise ships. No influencers, because there is nothing here to photograph that has not been photographed before by people staying for two weeks instead of two hours.
We started recommending it to clients four years ago. We have not had a single one come back disappointed.
What There Is To Do
Almost nothing. Which is the point.
There is one church — Panagia — perched on a cliff at the edge of the main town, accessed by a winding path. You walk up at sunset. So does everyone else on the island. There are perhaps forty of you. Everyone is quiet. Nobody is filming.
There are beaches, reached by small boats from the harbour or by walking down rocky paths. There is one taverna at each beach. The fish is grilled an hour after it is caught. You eat at a wooden table with bare feet and salt still in your hair.
Where To Stay
There are two hotels on the island we recommend. The first is Anemi — a small, family-owned property on a hill above the port. Twenty-five rooms. A pool that overlooks the sea. Breakfast served on a terrace for as long as you want it.
The second is a collection of restored stone houses in the main town — booked through a local family that has been on the island for eight generations. Two bedrooms, a small private garden, a fig tree, a cat that may or may not sleep on your bed. We arrange this only for clients staying a week or more.
When To Go
Late May, early June, or September. July and August are still busy by Folegandros standards — meaning the beach taverns might be full at lunch. April and October are quieter but the water is too cold for swimming.
A Warning
If you tell people you went to Folegandros, they will not know what you mean. This is fine. It is the point. Some places are worth keeping quiet about.
If you are the kind of traveller who needs the photo, you will not enjoy this. There is nothing to perform for here. You will sit on a beach. You will eat slowly. You will read a book. You will sleep. On the seventh day, you will not want to leave.
That is what a good Greek island used to feel like. Folegandros is one of the last places it still does.
