CalmBeach Greece
Meltemi options
Beaches in Folegandros usually better when the meltemi blows
6 sheltered beaches in Folegandros, oriented away from the meltemi. Check live wind & waves on CalmBeach before you go.
- 6beaches
- 1with photos
The meltemi blows from N/NE, and the split shows up clearly in the data. Of the 16 beaches we have modelled, 6 take no open water toward N/NE; they cluster on the southwest coast, facing an arc of S–W. The most reliable of them are listed below. The other 8 sit wide open to it.
The reason is the shape of the coast itself: these beaches have land behind them on the side the wind comes from. They are not necessarily enclosed bays — they simply sit in the wind shadow of the shore opposite.
The trade-off, plainly: the same southwest coast is open to the opposite wind. On days the wind swings from the southwest, the shelter reverses and the far side is the better call. So this list narrows the choice — it does not replace the forecast; check live wind and waves on the beach page before you go.
The beaches
-
Agkali
Agali: Folegandros' great sandy cove — Agali lies on the western side of Folegandros, about four kilometres from the Chora, and is the largest and best-known beach on the island. Its shore…
-
Agios Nikolaos
A cove with tavernas below the chapel — A south-side beach of coarse sand and pebbles with shallow, gentle water and natural shade under tamarisk trees. It is named after the small chapel…
-
Ampeli
A secluded cove for snorkelling — One of the most secluded beaches on Folegandros, in Ano Meria — pebbles and rocks with deep, clear water ideal for snorkelling. Completely without…
-
Photo credits
- Fira: Andreas Schäfer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Good to know
Which beaches in Folegandros may be better when the meltemi blows?
The bays listed here are shielded from the meltemi in the exposure model, so they may be more comfortable when it blows. Local conditions still vary, so confirm wind and waves before you go.
Does this guarantee low waves?
No. Shelter shows which coasts are shielded from a wind direction, not guaranteed calm or low waves. On strong-wind days follow local flags and check live wind and waves in the app.
When is the sea calmest here?
Across 6 of the beaches on this page, the open water in front of them is typically 1.02 m in June, 1.17 m in July and 1.21 m in August when the meltemi is at its strongest, and 1.11 m in September. June is the calmest month of the season. We calculate these figures ourselves from European Copernicus wave-model data at 4.2 km resolution. They describe the sea offshore, not the shelter of an individual cove — a bay protected by a headland will usually be calmer than this.
How warm is the water, month by month?
Off 6 of the beaches on this page the sea is typically 19.0 °C in May, 22.6 °C in June, 24.1 °C in July, 24.8 °C in August and 24.2 °C in September — ideal at the height of summer, mild in June. By October it is 22.3 °C. August is the warmest month. Satellite measurements, 1995–2024, from a sea cell about 5 km offshore; shallow bays usually run warmer than this.
Wind and waves change every day. See live conditions for any of these beaches before you drive out.
Open the live map →