Folegandros: the Cyclades without the crossing everyone else makes

Folegandros has no airport, one main road, and a Chora on a cliff edge that has not been rebuilt for photographs. That is the whole appeal. It is reached by ferry from Santorini, Milos or Piraeus, and the crossing is the filter that keeps it as it is.

Villas here sit above the sea on the sheltered side, near Ano Meria or the bays at Agali and Livadaki. Most swimming is from rock or reached by the small boats that run from Karavostasi — an arrangement that becomes the rhythm of the week rather than an inconvenience.

Evenings belong to the Chora. Three linked squares, tavernas under bougainvillea, and the walk up to Panagia church for the light at eight. Nothing here needs a booking except the two or three tables everyone wants; ask the villa manager on arrival day.

Come in June or September. July and August bring the Athenian holiday and the ferries get tight; the shoulder weeks give you warm sea, empty paths to Katergo, and rates that sit well below Santorini or Mykonos for a better house.