Folegandros: The Accidental Island

Well guys, the inevitable has finally happened. I guess Zeus and Poseidon (in the incarnations of Superjet Speedboats and Blue Star Ferries) didn't want me to complete my island-hopping route without some kind of Homeric seafaring disaster. Though this Aegean mishap was a disaster for my Let's Go research itinerary, it was, luckily, considerably less harrowing than anything that happened in the Odyssey. I have emerged unscathed, save for some lingering nausea.

I was tasked with covering six islands in two weeks: Mykonos, Delos, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, and Milos. Contrary to rumors I'd heard about the Greek ferry system's unreliability, my trips to the first five islands were all smooth sailing and cushy seats.

But several minutes into my ferry ride to Milos, an announcement of doom sounded over the speakers—due to weather conditions, the boat would not be stopping at Milos. It's true that the winds were particularly fierce that day (I had the worst case of seasickness of my life), but skipping Milos was not an option for the dedicated RW inside me. If I couldn't get to Milos today, I knew I'd never get a chance to go at all—and that would mean an incomplete island hop. If I had a daughter named Iphigenia, I probably would've sacrificed her to the gods (people were always too quick to judge old Agamemnon).

Unfortunately, the gods gave me no such way out. I was cast onto a tiny, little-known island called Folegandros, between Santorini and Milos. Stepping off of the ferry (grateful for solid land beneath my feet, even if it wasn't the island I'd hoped), I immediately sensed that Folegandros was different from the bigger Cyclades I had visited. This gem of an isle is an undiscovered treasure, virtually untouched by tourism. I've never felt so much authentic Greek-island flavor concentrated on such a small stretch of rocky land.

I took the bus to Chora, a short ride from the port, where I was told I could find some available hotels (no hostels, of course, on a place like this). Disembarking at a cobblestoned cul de sac on the edge of a high cliff, I was confronted by this:

My brief experience here was somewhat tainted by the anxiety of seasickness, finding last-minute lodgings, and booking a new ferry to take me back to Athens, but even through the stress, I could see the beauty of the unexpected, and that every destination (no matter if it is the one you intended or not) has something wonderful to offer.