Gundari (seasonal opening: May 2025)

Europe • Folegandros (Cyclades), Greece

Mark your maps: this summer, the Greek island of Folegandros will top the list of passionate travelers thanks to Gundari, the destination’s first luxury boutique hotel. A lesser-known gem of the Cyclades, Folegandros has wild and wind-carved landscapes, and Gundari (meaning “rocky place”) takes its aesthetic inspiration from this natural splendor. Set amid a protected wildlife reserve on the island’s southeastern coast, the resort comprises just 30 bioclimatic, Cycladic-style suites and villas that blend into the copper-colored clifftops. Each suite features a private solar-powered heated infinity pool that appears to drop into the Aegean Sea below.

Foodie alert: helming the restaurant is Lefteris Lazarou, Greece’s first Michelin-starred chef, whose menu emphasizes responsibly sourced seafood and produce from the on-site organic farm

A deep reverence toward the land is evident throughout the EarthChec–certified hotel. Before construction started, over 600 indigenous plant seedlings were collected and nurtured, and today there’s a focus on protecting the threatened Eleonora’s Falcon, one of the island’s rare native species with a population of fewer than 20,000

Relaxed-chic amenities include a cliff-edge pool with a swim-up cocktail bar, an organic farm and three dining spaces

Daily ferries to Folegandros from Athens (private helicopter transfers can also be arranged); Santorini is just 50 minutes away via fast ferry

A highlight is a private cooking class at Folegandros’s iconic Irene’s Restaurant where owner “Yia Yia” Irene will teach guests to make rice-stuffed tomatoes and other beloved dishes

This summer, the property will complete the final phase of its opening with the unveiling of three clifftop villas and a small wine bar, housed in an original farmhouse on the property

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