Travel Guide PAno Meria - Ano Meria

The area north of Folegandros is known as Ano (or Pano) Meria and it is the most authentic part of the island. The vast majority of visitors do not come here, and that is a pity. Indeed, this agricultural land has preserved its rural life and traditions. Ano Meria is home to a unique habitat on the island, as on the other islands of the Cyclades: the themonies. As you will see in the Folklore Museum (located a few minutes away from the station), the themonies bring together family and agricultural life in one space with multiple uses. Ano Meria is not really a village: houses, farms and a few shops or cafes follow one another along the ridge road for several kilometers without forming an organized urban center. The view of the Aegean Sea is breathtaking everywhere. Beyond the rural life and traditions, the region offers almost infinite possibilities for hiking. They are not systematically marked but efforts in this direction are progressing every year, to the delight of walkers. It is an area to explore for its powerful and sometimes difficult nature. For example, the winds blow very strongly on this side of the island, which explains the presence of old mills, which were still in operation until the mid-1960s. During your walks, you will come across donkeys and perched fields, lonely churches facing the sea, terraced agricultural landscapes and sometimes vertiginous descents to the sea.