At a glance: Eastern coast of Folegandros, the island’s only port, around 3.4 kilometres from Chora. A quiet, seasonal fishing village of whitewashed Cycladic houses, hotels and tavernas, built around a sheltered bay with a genuinely dark history. Best suited to travellers who want an easy first or last stop close to the ferry, with a good beach right in the village.
Is Karavostasis worth visiting
Karavostasis serves as the gateway to Folegandros, and it makes a genuinely relaxed place to start or end a visit rather than just a place to pass through. Until the 19th century, almost nothing stood here beyond the chapel of Agios Artemios, a two storey house known as Gerardo’s, and a handful of small shipyards the locals called syrmata. The bay also carries a tragic chapter of island history, from 1715, when the Ottoman admiral Janum Hoxha lured more than 900 Folegandros islanders onto his ships here and killed them with poisoned water. The modern village only really took shape through the 20th century, gaining its own ferry dock as recently as 1984. It suits travellers who want a quiet, traditional port village, with a decent beach and easy access up to Chora.
Highlights
- Chochlidia Beach, a lovely pebbled stretch with crystal clear water, right in the village
- The chapel of Agios Artemios, among the very few structures standing here before the 19th century
- The site’s sombre 1715 history, when over 900 islanders were killed in the bay by the Ottoman fleet
- Traditional Cycladic whitewashed architecture along the small waterfront
- Easy, short access up to Chora, only 3.4 kilometres away
From a handful of shipyards to the island’s gateway
Karavostasis stayed remarkably undeveloped for centuries, with little more than a chapel, a single notable house and a scatter of small shipyards known locally as syrmata standing here before the 19th century. That quiet history sits alongside one of the darkest moments in the island’s past, when the Ottoman admiral Janum Hoxha used this sheltered bay in 1715 to lure more than 900 Folegandros inhabitants aboard his ships, where he killed them with poisoned water. The port only began to modernise properly through the 20th century, and it was not until 1984 that Karavostasis gained its own dock capable of receiving ferries directly, before which passengers and goods had to be ferried out to boats waiting offshore.
Where Karavostasis is
GPS coordinates: 36.6157, 24.9482 <iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps?q=36.6157,24.9482&output=embed” width=”100%” height=”450″ style=”border:0;” allowfullscreen=”” loading=”lazy” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade”></iframe>
Getting to Karavostasis
From Chora: Karavostasis is about 3.4 kilometres away, a short drive, bus ride or taxi.
By ferry: Karavostasis is the only port on Folegandros, serving as the arrival point for every ferry to the island. For full ferry routes and journey times, start with how to get to Folegandros.
By bus: Regular bus services connect Karavostasis to Chora. Check current routes and times on the Folegandros bus timetable.
By car or taxi: See getting around Folegandros and Folegandros taxi for prices and booking details.
Where to eat
Karavostasis has a small, seasonal choice of tavernas and mini markets along the waterfront, enough for a relaxed meal before or after the ferry. Do not expect the wider choice found in Chora, given the village’s small, port focused character.
Where to stay
Karavostasis suits travellers who want to be close to the ferry, with a handful of hotels and rooms right by the harbour and the beach. For a wider range of accommodation and dining, Chora sits only a short drive up the hill.
The beach at Karavostasis
Chochlidia Beach, a pebbled stretch with crystal clear water, sits right in the village, making it an easy, convenient swim either side of a ferry crossing.
Best time to visit
Karavostasis is busiest around ferry arrivals and departures throughout the summer, so a quieter stroll along the waterfront comes easier earlier in the morning or later in the evening. Spring and autumn bring fewer crowds off the boats and comfortable temperatures for the short trip up to Chora.
Continue exploring Folegandros
Head back to the Folegandros island guide for more on getting around and travelling to the island.
