Estimated time: It will take you about 40 minutes to descend to the beach of Agios Geórgios; the return route back up will cost some 50 minutes.
The total actual walking time is 1h30; with a picnic on the beach and of course a fairly long swimming break, we hiked for some three hours and a half, from 10.30am to 2pm. 

Route description: [The trail leaves from the asphalt road, at the last but one bus stop, just past the little church of Agios Andréas. If you take the bus to the final stop, at the tavern Iliovasílema, you have to walk back for a couple of minutes.]

(0h00) Just past the church of Agios Andreas and the tavern Kyría María you find a little concrete road off the right (signpost Agios Geórgios Pedestrian Zone).

The hiking sign pointing to Agios Geórgios.

You descend on a concrete slope and you then curve to the right between the houses. Very soon you arrive at a nice path between walls. After 3 minutes you keep to the right and you go down on a trail which is sometimes nicely paved – straight in front of you, you can see the island of Sífnos with Sérifos vaguely visible on its left-hand side; more to the right you can distinguish Despotikó, Antíparos, Páros, Ios all the way to the right and then the island of Síkinos nearby.  

The monopáti to the bay of Agios Geórgios.

Some 13 minutes later you pass on the left of the hill with the chapel of Agios Sóstis; you reach a junction, where you take a right – the path to the left is an alternative trail to Agios Geórgios. Very soon, the bay of Agios Geórgios, which is your final destination, appears in front of you. You are now descending on a marvellously paved and white kalderími and you can see the path continuing far away in front of you. This is certainly one of the most beautiful corners of Folégandros, with some green and with olive trees planted on terraces. 

A marvellous kalderími!

The following part of the trail is flatter and you gradually curve to the left: in clear weather you can in fact see half of the Cyclades from this point: from right to left you can distinguish the islands of Síkinos, Ios, Irakliá, Náxos, Páros, Antíparos, Despotikó, Sífnos – with the town of Apollonía clearly visible, Sérifos with the capital of Chóra next to it, the isle of Polýaigos with on its right-hand side a small tip of the island of Kímolos, and then the larger island of Mílos, with the clearly visible town of Pollonía.
You also get a great view on the bay and you can see the trail marvellously running in front of you. After some 25 minutes all together you get to a side-path, where you go left. 

(0h25) You now descend straight towards the bay, you pass a large tree – which is really exceptional on the island of Folégandros – and after another 14 minutes you reach the fairly broad beach; you can see the island of Sífnos straight across. (0h39)

The descent to Agios Geórgios.

The beach faces the northwest, which means that there is sometimes a powerful northerly wind. There are tamarisks on the beach and to the left you even see a small strip of sand. Besides a chapel, there are also a few small ‘houses’ and you notice some fishing boats. We were completely alone on this beach, but in summer this might be a busier place –also as a result of the gravel road.  

The nice beach of Agios Geórgios.

[At the water tank in the valley there are two more trails you could follow: there is the alternative path to Ano Meriá, which first runs in the valley and then climbs up to Agios Sóstis along a rocky hill ridge; another trail goes straight to the right, until it gets to Chrysopigí. When making these hikes with a few people, it might be funny to follow both of the trails to Ano Meriá and to watch each other progressing through the landscape.]

(0h39) We returned by following the same route, because it truly is a magnificent trail, and because the panoramic view on the sea is actually the nicest from this trail. From the beach you follow the path on the left of the bed of the valley and you then begin with this beautiful and fairly easy climb. After 12 minutes you keep to the left – in the meanwhile you should have a look at the trail on the opposite rock crest; that is the alternative route, which just climbs out of the valley.
About 4 minutes further down you pass the large tree, you curve to the left on the rocky slope and you follow a strip which is nicely paved in white. You then have to watch out: you should go up on the right and NOT continue straight ahead, going down on the narrow path.

(0h57) You climb up steadily, with a great view on the uncountable terraces on the slope of the hill on your right – this used to be the agricultural area of Folégandros. After another 8 minutes you reach a kind of pass with Agios Sóstis in front of you: you now have the sea on both sides! On your right you see Mílos, Poliégos and Sífnos, and on the left Ios, Síkinos and Santoríni.

(1h05) You notice the glittering strip of the trail in front of you, and on the right there is the hill of Agios Sóstis. 

The nice monopáti that returns to Ano Meriá.

You now proceed for several minutes on a marvellously paved path. After 7 minutes you arrive at a rocky and triangular spot, with on the right a cistern and some drinking troughs. Over here the alternative path is coming from the right. You take a left, between walls.

(1h12) You now climb straight to the houses of Ano Meriá: some parts of the trail are beautifully paved and others are stony. After 15 more minutes you have reached your final destination – all the time you have been all alone.
It was a pity that when we were there, the tavern of Kyría María was closed! (1h27)

[If you want to return to Chóra on foot, you should first walk along the asphalt road to the left. After about 13 minutes, a few minutes past the large church of Agios Geórgios, you notice the two mills next to the little church of Stavrós. Over here you find a small road off the right – see the hike Stavrós - Giórgi t' Aga - Chóra.]