Beaches in Folegandros

Katergo is a lovely beach and a must-visit when on the island. The beach with its imposing rock in the middle of the bay is considered to be the most beautiful beach of Folegandros. It is located at the south eastern side of the island, in an uninhabited area. Opposite is the rocky islet of Pelagia that many call "Kleftiko". There are many who swim there and then dive off the cliff. Katergo is a nicely isolated, quiet, beach with crystal clear waters. 

In the old days the locals would go there to obtain iron ore called "hematite", from which they made a red paint to paint their boats and some parts of their homes. Since the conditions of ore extraction were extremely harsh and unhealthy, they named the place Forced Labour (Katergo). Swimming to the nearby islet is not recommended due to strong currents. The feeling of swimming in Katergo is unique as, due to the sea currents and the open sea, the waters are surprisingly clear and very cool.

Katergo can be reached either by boat from Karavostasis, the port of the island or on foot, following a relatively steep path from Livadi settlement. Hiking to Katergo will take 30' mins, is a great experience and very rewarding. You get to see some of the landscape of Folegandros, discover old stone buildings but the best thing though, is the view down onto the beach from the top of the cliff once you have reached the coastline. The path is well maintained and easy to follow. The only difficult section comes right at the end once you can see Katergo beach below you. Here, the path becomes quite steep as it leads down to the beach.

The beach is not an organized one, meaning you need to take your own food and water with you as you cannot find any there. Because it faces east, and has cliffs behind, it doesn't hold the sun until late in the evening. Nudism is common, but the beach is big enough to have room for everyone, with or without clothes. The beach is vulnerable to northern winds and should be avoided when such winds blow in the area as the waves can be really high.