Like the other Cycladic islands, Folegandros also has its Chóra, also called Hora, located on top of a hill 200 meters above sea level.
Let's explore the Chora
La Chora is a picturesque village with white houses and narrow stone streets that connect the small squares adorned with fragrant flowers.
La Chóra di Folegandros is a small and pretty village closed to traffic, so the only way to visit it is by walking through its narrow alleys. The four small squares overlooked by craft shops, traditional taverns and bars with small outdoor tables, are the center of life in Folegandros. All around it develops a labyrinth of narrow streets overlooked by white squared houses with typical blue balconies, decorated with geraniums and colorful bougainvillea.
Above the Chóra you will find the Kástro, a thirteenth-century Venetian fortress built by the Duke of Naxos, which stands out on the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. The Kastro is the oldest part of the Chora, built in 1210 by the Venetians to protect the inhabitants of the island from enemy invasions. It is perfectly preserved and still inhabited, it will seem to you to leap back in time for almost a thousand years.
The Kastro formed by rows of houses flanked in defense of the city, facing inland and joined by narrow streets, thus creating concentric walls and forming a sort of village in the village: a characteristic example of a fortified Cycladic settlement. To access the Kastro you will have to cross an entrance arch, in the central street called Kato Roua, you will find yourself walking among pretty two-storey white houses with blue doors, windows, stone stairs and small flowered verandas. Do not miss the exceptional view of the Aegean Sea from Pounta square!
Chora nightlife
Its streets animated and colored by bougainvillea are ideal for a relaxing and regenerating evening. Here you can breathe a relaxed and lively atmosphere. Folegandros is the ideal island for those who love to experience the slow rhythm of the Cyclades.
In the evening you can dine in one of the typical restaurants in one of the squares of Chóra and enjoy one of the traditional dishes. After dinner you can taste raki, a kind of brandy flavored with plum, anise and mint and chat with the friendly inhabitants of the island.
How to get to Chóra
We advise you to rent a car or scooter to move freely on the island of Folegandros, but you can also reach Chóra by bus, the stop is just before the village.
Excursions from Chóra
Following an uphill path you can reach the sanctuary of Panaghia (the Virgin Mary) located on top of the hill and built on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. From here you can admire the fantastic view of the north west coast of the island and the Aegean Sea and the most beautiful sunset of Folegandros.
A short distance from Chóra, continuing north you will arrive in Chrissospilia, where you can visit a stalactite cave, curated by the archaeological service.
Chóra is an unavoidable stop on your holiday in Folegandros!