Ricardo Larriera admits he probably didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he decided to open a luxury hotel on the untouched Cycladic island of Folegandros. For an island that didn’t really have electricity until 1974 (in fact, it was only hooked up to Greece’s main power supply in 2018) and is frequented by only a couple of ferries per day (otherwise your transfer from Athens or Santorini is a helicopter or speedboat), Folegandros wasn’t, at first glance, built for tourism like the well-trodden adjacent islands of Milos, Paros and Santorini – but that was part of its appeal.
Add that to the fact Uruguayan-born, Sydney-native Larriera divides his time between Greece and Australia – and his background is in advertising, not hospitality – he had quite the challenge on his hands when he bought an 80-acre plot of raw, rural farmland on the south-eastern edge of Folegandros. But, five years after spades first hit the ground, Gundari opened in May 2024 to critical acclaim; the result, Larriera says, of “naivety, delusion and vision”. An unlikely recipe for success, perhaps, but Gundari was listed in 2025’s Condé Nast Traveler Hot List and awarded Best Resort at the 100% Hotel Design Awards. Clearly Larriera did something right.
Ultimately, Gundari provided the long-awaited answer for well-heeled travellers looking to avoid the chaos of Santorini and Mykonos and experience something different. Island hopping around the Cyclades is nothing new but, with 220 islands in the archipelago, there are plenty that remain newcomers to the usual route – Folegandros included. Many critics dismissed its potential, says Larriera, suggesting that the moneyed set aren’t interested in holidaying off the beaten track (literally – Folegandros didn’t pave its first road until the early 2000s and you can still expect a bumpy ride on your approach to the hotel). Yet Gundari, now in its second season and nearly fully booked for the summer (be quick), has repeatedly proven them wrong. If there’s anything to know about the well-heeled traveller, it’s that they will go the distance for the right hotel.
Strategically positioned to be sheltered from the northern summer winds, and away from the traditional azured-roofed, white-washed homes found in Folegandros’ main town of Chora (more on that later), Gundari was designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape surrounding it. The warm-hued stone that makes up its walls, floors and marble counters was excavated from the ground it sits upon, while more than 600 seedlings were collected, nurtured, and returned to regenerate the land with indigenous plants.
Interiors were the brainchild of Athens-based design studio Block722. Blending in with Folegandros’ rugged landscape – think wild hills smattered with meandering handmade walls and soaring cliffs towering over the Aegean Sea – and keeping sustainable practices front of mind was the brief and, as a result, Gundari’s aesthetic and architectural cues nod to the dramatic curves and lines of the island. Renewable solar energy heats showers and pools, bioclimatic technology keeps rooms at exactly the right temperature (whatever the weather), low light pollution design, biological wastewater treatment and recycling for irrigation are all at play here, while a 100 per cent electric vehicle fleet with carbon-free emissions ferries guests wherever, whenever.
Inside the 25 suites and two villas, the husband and wife duo at Block 722 – one of whom is Danish – created pared-back, serene surroundings that have a Scandi feel. White-washed walls are complemented by dark wood headboards, stone-hued linens, paper light fixtures and oak accents. All are complete with en-suite bathrooms with both walk-in and outdoor showers, as well as private terraces centred by large sunbeds extending into infinity pools that, at the right angle, look like they tumble off the edge of the cliff.
Standout stays include a series of subterranean cave suites – built into the stone of the cliff and featuring handcrafted timber details, rustic textures, and uninterrupted views of the Aegean – as well as two villas. New for 2025, Gundari’s three-bedroom villas are complete with multiple indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces, large infinity pools and jacuzzis, and ocean views at every turn. Sundowner by the firepit, anyone?
Larriera’s penchant for vinyl is omnipresent throughout Gundari – some suites are fitted with vintage Pioneer PL-570 automatic turntables and a varied record selection (from Fleetwood Mac to Sugababes) – while at the lobby, guests can rifle through bespoke cabinetry housing his personal collection.
The nearby house bar also doubles as a vinyl-only, hi-fi listening space, inspired by the Japanese jazz kissatens of yesteryear, and is serviced by a delectable cocktail menu created by mixologists at world-ranking bar Line Athens. Highlights include the Aegean Swizzle with notes of grape, kiwi, honey and ginger, and the Primavera: red berries, white peach, jasmine and bubbles.
Tapping into similar creative nous in the kitchen, menus at flagship restaurant Orizon are the brainchild of Greece’s first Michelin-starred chef, Lefteris Lazarou, who has created a variety of dishes utilising his homeland’s flora and fauna to be served across three dining spaces: an open-air, pool-adjacent terrace, the main restaurant and a sheltered outdoor courtyard.
A la carte menus feature warming Aegean fish soup, cuttlefish risotto and Greek patisserie – all paired with local and Santorini wines – while breakfast nods to life down under. Larriera ensured brunch is big business here, incorporating Aussie favourites of avocado on toast and acai bowls, alongside kagianas (Greek-style scrambled eggs) with fresh tomatoes, feta and oregano, and poached eggs on sourdough with basil pesto and loutza (cured pork).
Gundari’s main infinity pool, featuring a swim-up bar, is the place to get your money shot and while away the hours under the Cycladic sun (rest assured that umbrellas have been bolted down for when those pesky gusts strike) but for thorough rejuvenation head to the subterranean spa. A small but mighty space, featuring just two treatment rooms fringing a hydrotherapy pool on the cliff’s edge, plans are already underway for expansion.
Guests are greeted with an effervescent concoction of elderberry, honey, apple cider vinegar and cinnamon, before picking from a treatment menu that harnesses the power of Greek beauty brand Olive Era oils. Three distinct oil blends – featuring orange, lemon and lavender or carrot and olive – promote relaxation, anti-ageing or revitalisation and are artfully used in an array of soothing massages and facials.
Gundari is well aware that part of its appeal is the island itself – and guests are more than encouraged to get out and explore. The hotel’s integration into the local community is evident in its excursions, devised by a majority-local team well versed in the island’s best (and largely undiscovered) swim spots, towns and tours.
Offering daily shuttles to and from major hotspots such as the tranquil, sandy Agali Beach – where a lunch at family-run clifftop taverna Pasithea is a must – and the main hub of Chora, Gundari offers many itineraries that give back to the island. Don’t miss boat tours to local caves and snorkelling sites, or the sunset cruise that ends with dinner at the spectacular cliff-side Papalagi restaurant.
Head into Chora with local guide Poly Gkiouri to discover a history of Venetian and Turkish rule in the 16th century, and its inter-connecting network of alleyways lined with white-washed homes and windmills. Tours end in the best way: with dinner reservations at the fairylight-festooned al fresco terraces of local tavernas. Visit Chic for the best souvlaki in town.
The expansion opportunities for Gundari are endless: construction of a rustic wine bar is already underway, while more villas are in the pipeline. But it’s refreshing to stay at a hotel that takes its status so seriously. As the newest five-star hotel on the island, promising secluded luxury in spades, Gundari ensures that a stay here isn’t just about the hotel, but Folegandros as a whole. Having successfully stamped a new island onto the radar of any discerning Greek island hopper, and with just two seasons under its belt, the potential is immense. I can’t wait to see what it does next…
From £560 per night. Red Savannah offers five night stays at Gundari from £1,925 per person including transfers from and to Santorini, plus return flights from London Heathrow.
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