Anemi Hotel, Folegandros

On one of the Cyclades’ most deliberately unhurried islands, Anemi Folegandros has built something quietly extraordinary — a five-star retreat that earns its stars without announcing them.

The Cyclades reward those comfortable with minimalism — stark cliffs, stark sky, white walls and squared forms that were minimalist before the word existed. Folegandros distils that quality to its essence: a remote, raw island voted Europe’s best by Condé Nast Traveller, with no airport and no particular wish for one.

The design of Anemi Folegandros

Anemi’s twelve building blocks step down the hillside toward the harbour at Karavostasis, designed by Alexandros C. Samaras & Associates to follow the land’s contours rather than impose on them. Interiors by Stage Design Office pair rustic Cycladic textures — wooden ceilings, traditional objects — with bold contemporary artworks. Across the forty-four rooms and suites, white walls give way to colour-saturated details and sea views that do most of the decorating themselves.

Rooms & Suites

Deluxe Rooms and Elegant Sea View Rooms (both around 35 sqm) offer garden or sea outlooks with room for a third guest. Junior Suites and Prestige Sea View Suites step up to 42 sqm, with a sliding-door partition separating sleep from living space — ideal for families.

At the top sit the Mediterranean Sea View Suites with Private Pool (42 sqm) and the two-level Grand Sea View Suites with Private Pool (60 sqm, sleeping up to six). Both come with their own pool facing the Aegean, which tends to settle any debate about leaving the room.

Food and spa

Anemi Restaurant, helmed by award-winning Executive Chef Alexandros Charalambopoulos, serves the freshest land and sea ingredients on a terrace with uninterrupted sea views — best enjoyed slowly, by the pool, at sunset. The recently revamped Pool Bar carries the day on through the evening with signature cocktails and classics with a twist. 

Idolo Spa is built around the skincare line Germaine de Capuccini, with facials, massages and holistic rituals available for individuals, couples, or in-room. A steam room paired with a cold breeze shower room rounds out the offering — proper contrast therapy, not an afterthought.

Yoga & Active Pursuits

An open-air yoga studio set among the hotel’s own vines hosts classes led by Zoja, a dancer-turned-instructor whose sessions lean toward holistic healing rather than fitness. For something more energetic, an outdoor training area — kitted out with Technogym, via partner Sidea — sits beside a floodlit tennis court and half-size basketball court overlooking the harbour. 

Wine tasting with Paliomylos Winery and the Anemi Boutique — stocked with handpicked, occasionally one-of-a-kind pieces from Greek and international designers — round out the on-property offering. Don’t leave without trying matsata, the island’s signature pasta with rooster or rabbit, and if visiting in August, the Panagia Festival is Folegandros at its most unguarded: dancing, music, and not much else. 

in our opinion

What we love

• The architecture — twelve building blocks shaped around the hillside rather than imposed upon it; 
• Interiors that feel both authentically local and genuinely modern, with unique artworks over the beds and crafted furniture that never tips into showroom;
• The Grand Sea View Suite with Private Pool, which functions more like a private villa than a hotel room — two levels, two bathrooms, sea views and a pool that makes the six-person capacity feel plausible rather than cramped;
• Idolo Spa, a substantial wellness operation built around Germaine de Capuccini skincare, with a steam and cold-contrast sauna that constitutes serious recovery infrastructure;
• The revamped Pool Bar, a destination in its own right.

What you should know

• The hotel's concierge and complimentary shuttle service (available on arrival and departure) help orient guests to the wider island. The medieval Chora — perched on a cliff above the sea, its narrow alleys threaded between bougainvillea and whitewashed walls — is one of the most photogenic villages in Greece.
• Anemi Hotel is open seasonally from May;
• Folegandros has no airport. The best approaches are by ferry from Athens/Piraeus (approximately 5 hours), from Santorini (approximately 1 hour) or from Milos (approximately 1 hour). The hotel offers complimentary shuttle transfers on arrival and departure;
• Pets are welcomed — notify the hotel in advance and accommodation will be arranged accordingly;
• The nearest sandy beach (Karavostasis) is a short distance from the property; a rocky beach is within walking range. The other beaches on the island include Agkali and Livadi, all of them clear, unhurried and largely uncommercialized;
• The hiking trail to the Church of Panagia offers views that justify the climb, while the 13th-century Kastro, built by the Venetians, rewards those who seek it out;
• Pro Tip: combine the stay at Anemi with a stop in Athens, at the hotel's sister property, the lovely AthensWas Hotel.

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