Unless you are determined to be by the sea, you won't want to linger in Karavostassi, perhaps the least enticing port in the Cyclades. Hop a bus and chug the 4km (2 1/2 miles) up to Hora. If you do want to stay by the sea, the Aeolos Beach Hotel (tel. 22860/41-205), just outside Karavostassi, is across the road from the beach and has simple but perfectly okay studios (minifridge) from 85€ to 120€ in high season.

Cliffside Hora is centered on five squares, closely connected by meandering streets lined with houses, restaurants, and shops. Even from the bus-stop square, the sheer drop of the cliff is an awesome sight. On the right in the next square, you'll find the Kastro: two narrow pedestrian streets connected by tunnel-like walkways, squeezed between the town and the sea cliffs, within the remaining walls of the Hora's medieval castle. One majestic church, Kimisis Theotokou, dominates the skyline of Hora. It's particularly beautiful at night, when it's illuminated. Built at the highest point in town -- and with fine views over the island -- the church stands on the foundations of the ancient Greek town. If you walk up here even once, your admiration for the ancient Folegandrians who lived here and did the walk up and down to their fields daily will soar! Today, townspeople parade through the village with the church's icon of the Virgin, with great ceremony, each Easter Sunday. The other church to see here is the deserted Monastery of the Panagia, north of town, also with lovely views.

Out on the Island

As you rush from island to island, checking in and out of hotels, it's not always easy to feel the rhythm of island life. One great way to do that is to visit Folegandros's small Folk Museum, in Ano Meria. If you want to see some countryside, head west from Hora to the village of Ano Meria. This hamlet of scattered farms is the island's second-largest village. Some of the tools and household items in the museum have been used for generations, and you can see some still in use today. The museum (no phone; free admission, but donation appreciated) is open 5 to 8pm weeknights in July and August, and the bus can drop you a pleasant stroll away. If the museum turns out to be closed, console yourself that this, too, is an insight into the rhythms of island life!

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.