HALL OF FAME
Shiera and I experienced one of our top five (maybe even three?) breakfasts in the world quite by chance here. We loved the look of a picturesque little cafe with an old green door, under the shade of beautiful established tamarind trees. ‘ARAXE’ means ‘to relax’ - something the Folegandriots have raised to an artform, as the village elders read the local paper, gossip and sip ouzo with their neighbours all afternoon on the squares. When you order the classic Greek breakfast here, each element of the meal is the ultimate example of the flavours that the Greeks do brilliantly.
The thick creamy homemade yoghurt here had a rich tanginess that made us swoon. It is as far from regular, plastic tub yoghurt as filet mignon is from a Big Mac!. The fragrant honey drizzled on top is harvested from hives on the island and you could actually taste the flowers; it was the best honey I have had in my entire life. At this point we were in raptures. The waiter suggested a feta omelette and the farm eggs and fresh cheese were also standout ingredients. The coffee was rich, bitter, nutty - “fantastikos.” Sheira and I look back at this first morning fondly, and we have not succeeded in our quest for a Greek breakfast as good to this day! Araxe became our morning ritual breakfat. I would do my morning thing… my run and laundry, and then wake up Sheira before heading to Araxe for this insane simple breakfast. Did I mention the orange-juice? As if what we were eating was not enough, the owner of the café would bring a glass of freshly squeezed o.j. to wash things down!
We have never been able to recapture these tastes on any other Greek Island to date. If you know where I can get this outside Folegandros please share with me on our section called – “YOU SAID …”
When you explore the beaches you find yourself sliding into the timelessness of island time, with leisurely taverna lunches right on the sparkling, clear Aegean available on certain beaches.
ANGALI - One of the great Greek taverna’s here on Folegandros is high above the beautiful, protected cove of the most popular beach ANGALI.
It has wonderful views yet has lost none of its local texture and is tourist-free. We loved lazing outside under the thatched roof, looking out at such a craggy coastline and enjoying a Greek salad with creamy feta, sliced open baked potatoes, stuffed peppers and lamb skewers!
We never ate at this taverna before 3pm and loved relaxing on the beach reading and swimming till early afternoon when our stomachs suggested if its 3 pm it must be lunch!
AGHIOS NIKOLAOS also has the kooky, ramshackle PAPALAGI TAVERNA that you can’t miss - you have to walk through it to get to the beach. We got a real kick out of the crooked poles with straw matting for shelter, blue wooden chairs in the dust, and old-fashioned slide screens over the sticky cakes. The food is as rustic an experience as the ambience, with huge plates full of raw fish with gigantic heads and monstrous teeth.
We had a fantastic seafood lunch of fish and chips and calamari. Give me a plate of pickled octopus sprinkled with lemon juice while the sun’s out and the sea salt’s on my skin and I am in my absolute element. The food is just what you feel like in an afternoon on the beach, so by lunchtime it gets packed.
By the way, they make a great coffee here as well.
I like to be an intrepid explorer, so I looked at our map and decided to visit the furthest beach for the challenge of it. Agios Georgios is right at the Western tip, away from all the coastal settlements or inland villages so there is no taverna there - the perfect excuse for a picnic!
I picked up plenty of food at the neighbourhood store in the seaside settlement, Karavostasis tinned sardines, breadsticks, meats, huge amounts of white cheese, olives and lots of fruits, and of course lots of water.
THERE ARE NO SHOPS ANYWHERE CLOSE HERE.
We drove along north along the coast (the west coast is not really inhabited, passing red dusty plains. The whole island is tilted on an angle, so as you head north, you also head west. We saw plenty of farmhouses with brightly coloured doors, donkeys with old wooden saddles and other signs of a rural pre-industrial culture.
I loved the journey, and it’s well worth it. The beach is sandy, serene and empty - with nothing but these beautiful abandoned boat storage shacks on the beach and a staircase etched into the coastal rock. We set up our picnic under a tree and spent the most fabulous day alone reading, laughing and enjoying the peace and isolation. You can get a great wide perspective shot of this beach and the whole western tip on the way back to Hora at the AGIOS ANDREAS LOOKOUT, which is a beautiful, elevated limewashed church. This whole island is one photo op waiting to happen!
Life in the village squares in the evening is so vibrant because the KAFENEIO tables spill out onto the main streets and the locals mill around laughing, dancing, singing and socialising. Eating is just a bit player here! This may be considered the quiet, unspoilt island of the Cyclades, but the Folegandriots still love to party. embracing life. Mykonos, Schmykonos: you don’t need a club to let your hair down here. Ordinary people, not buskers, just take centre stage and start dancing in the square.
Each taverna has its own personality. One had huge pieces of lamb hanging up in the window, so we took the cue and ordered lamb steaks. Another, LOUKANIKO always stays in my mind because the facade had such a different, serene mood by day. I saw an orthodox priest walk by on his duties one morning and took a photo of a moment in time that was simply real island life as it has been for centuries before.
Walking around any town ones first night looking for a restaurant is probably the most difficult to pick. You not sure if you have it right, should you have walked longer, looked harder?
This all falls away here in Folegandros.The restaurants are clustered around 3 small village squares, and I don’t think you can go wrong anywhere? I had Paul’s recommendation to find a restaurant in the square under a tree with a big glass pane separating the kitchen from the square called O’Kritikos ). Well, it it was really easy to find and that was dinner our first night. What an introduction to alfresco dining under the stars. The food was homely with stuffed tomatoes, cabbages, rice, souvlaki, dolmades, and tzeziki.
We loved the homey warmth of Diana, which has anchors on the tablecloths and seating that flows all the way from inside to out under the stars. The menu has good peasant food - heaping plates with sea bream, sliced potato, lamb souvlaki and the local specialty, matsata, handmade pasta with rabbit.
We sat playing backgammon in the evening right in the heart of the village squares, and couldn’t help laughing along at the people around us enjoying life as the village kids ran free. The classic Greek white table wine, Retsina, has an unmistakable flavour of pine resin that immediately transports you to Greece. We also met a wonderful couple from Israel who share our love of the Greek way of life and liberal philosophies in general, and have become lifelong friends who we have visited on their own turf in Tel Aviv. Some very intriguing world travelers come to this island, they also share our curiosity to delve deeper into Greece.
We were interested in the niche, Jewish history of the town, ..
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