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Sifnos [CLICK HERE FOR A MAP OF SIFNOS]
Apollonia [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN APOLLONIA ] The
islands capital, is a countryside village located in the center of Sifnos, most
notable for its traditional Cycladic architecture, staying
Apollonia has a very active nightlife which it is nice to be situated near, but in the case of the hotels and pensions in the area they are mainly on the quiet footpaths.
Sifnos is an excellent island for walking and if you intend to do a lot of excursions by foot then Apollonia or Artemonas would be good places to stay. There are lovely footpaths that begin in Apollonia and go through the hills to remote monasteries and high points for views of the entire island.
Artemonas [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN ARTEMONAS ]
Kamares [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN KAMARES & AGIA MARINA ]
The community of Agia Marina belongs to the village of Kamares. The beach, which is 100 meters from Alkyonis villas, is a long sandy beach. The length of the beach is about 700 meters. Agia Marina community has two tavernas and Kamares village has many more. Also in Kamares you will find small tourist shops as well as food markets.
Kastro [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN KASTRO ]
Faros [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN FAROS ]
The village of Faros is 7 km away from the capital village of the island (Apollonia) and 12 km away from the port (Kamares). It is accessible to the rest of the island by a paved road and there is a regular bus service to Apollonia.
Platy Yialos is said to be one of the longest beaches of the Cyclades and it is an excellent place for spending the day swimming in the water or playing beach games on the sand. There are sea-side tavernas and cafes here, a few bars and mini-markets. The distance from Platy Yialos to the island’s capital village of Apollonia is 10 km. This area is accessible by paved road and there is a regular bus service from Apollonia to Platy Yialos.
Vathi [ CLICK HERE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN VATHI ]
Vathi is a beautiful old traditional fishing village with a beautiful long sandy beach set in a large bay with a few excellent taverns. The beach of Vathi has only been accessible by paved road for a few years, and accordingly it is less developed and touristic than the island’s other beach areas. There is a traditional potter’s workshop here and a monastery in the middle of the sandy beach. Located 10 km. away from the island’s main village of Apollonia, there is a bus service connecting Vathi to the rest of the island.
Some Sifnian Highlights
Hike to the top of Profit Elias for a view of the entire island
Explore the historical and fascinating village of Kastro and the old Acropolis here. There are two restaurants, a wonderful rocky beach you can climb down to called Eftamartyris, plus possibly the best bar on the island – Kavos Sunrise. I strongly recommend having an ouzo here! The owner/bartender is also a shepherd with a university degree in sociology, and the view is absolutely amazing. Also, Seralia at the bottom of Kastro has a great fish taverna right over the water.
Spend a day on the beach in Vathi.
Wander through the pedestrian paths of Apollonia, up to Artemonas - along the path on your left is Gregory’s, the best shop on the island for traditional biscuits (cookies).
From Faros, a small fishing village, there is a short hiking trail to Chrysopigi, by far one of the most beautiful spots on the island, and at Chrysopigi on the beach there are two wonderful tavernas for lunch. The trail follows the headland along the coast and offers views of the turquoise waters.
There is a monastery named Poulati that is well worth a visit (it is another hike, from Kastro) and at the bottom of it is a gorgeous rocky beach for swimming, if you aren’t afraid of steps.
Panigirias or Festivals
Visiting Sifnos during one of the island’s many panigirias is a definite bonus to those travelers seeking experiences with a true Greek flavor. A “panigiri” is a traditional fiesta celebrating the name-day of a saint, held in the church bearing the saint’s name. To start there is church service and mass, followed with a feast of Sifnian foods and plenty of local wine. After eating comes the local music, accompanied by singing and dancing, and this occasionally lasts until sunrise! The churches most often hosting a panigiri are located in the mountains away from the villages and the walking distances to reach them can vary from one to two and a half hours. In general the festivals held in the evenings have more of the ‘fiesta’ atmosphere while those held in the mornings tend to be of a more serious religious nature. However this does vary so ask before each panigiri so that you know what to expect.
What makes these Sifnian festivals different in relation to similar ones found on the mainland and other Cycladic islands is the complete absence of commercial events. The expenses of each panigiri are undertaken by a different Sifnian family every time. The family wishing to undertake this obligation must declare it on the day of the festival the year before. The expense of a panigiri ranges from 1,200 € to over 3,000 €. This includes: the food, the wine, the musicians asked to participate in the festival (usually a violinist and a laouto player), the donation to the church, the fees for the priests, the fees of the church singer(s), and the expenses for maintaining the church and all the buildings that belong to it for the entire year.
All are welcome to attend, just bring a sturdy pair of walking shoes and a Zorba-esque flair for fun!
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Sifnos
is one of a group of 6 small islands forming the Western Cyclades. The appeal of
Sifnos, for Greek and foreign visitors alike, is due to its successful retaining
of traditional ways of life, its removal from the beaten track of mass-tourism,
its turquoise beaches and the historically unspoiled settlements, churches and
monasteries found here. Sifnos is well known for its food as well, and many
world famous chefs have come from this small island.
The island
is unspoiled by any modern architecture, and is threaded with ancient footpaths
that wander through the foothills to the island’s many small white churches
and monasteries, and ancient ruins. Tourism hasn’t touched this island in the
way it has Santorini and Mykonos, so there are no sea sports or activities for
hire; instead there are tavernas on the beautiful sandy and rocky beaches alike,
and good café culture. The main village of the island, Apollonia, has
pedestrian marble paths off of which, all the island’s nightlife and many
great tavernas are located. The hills of the island create panoramic sea views
everywhere you go, with sheep and goats roaming in all the pastoral areas. I
guess it sounds like the archetypal Greek island, but not many of them are as
"Greek island like" as Sifnos is, which is part of Sifnos’ appeal.
Is
a beautiful small old village with Venetian mansions intermingled with
traditional Cycladic architecture. The views of the sea and of the other island
villages from Artemonas are wonderful. Artemonas is connected by footpath to the
main village of Apollonia so you are not too far from all the islands facilities
(banks, market, restaurants, post office, central bus stop). This is also where
the bus service begins and ends so it is an easy spot from which to explore the
island by bus. As many of the island’s walking paths are based around
Artemonas it is also a great spot for exploring the island on foot.
Is
located on a bay. This is where the boats arrive and depart from, but we don’t
like to use the word harbor because this may paint a different picture from the
accurate one of a small village on a sandy beach. There are tavernas, cafes,
pubs and shops here and a bus service that links Kamares to the beaches on the
other side of the island and the main village of Apollonia in the center of the
island. Best of all in Kamares are the beautiful sunsets.
This
remarkable village is
the island's most historical, built on the summit of a small peninsular
and surrounded with views of the Aegean Sea. At its base it has a small pebble beach named Seralia
200 meters down and accessible only on foot. Until the 19th century
Kastro was the island’s capitol and its significance as a defensive town,
designed to protect its inhabitants from marauding pirates, is visible today in
the uniquely fascinating architecture.
A
quaintly charming traditional fishing village resting on a sandy beach with
turquoise water. From here you can eat at sea-side tavernas, relax on the beach
or take a walk to the island’s most theologically important and visually
stunning monastery located on a rocky precipice in 
Platy
Yialos
If
you are looking for a beach holiday then I strongly recommend Vathi. This is a
very remote beach (well, remote by small island standards, nothing by normal traveling
distances!), however a quick jaunt into town is not a simple 5 minute task.
There are buses of course though or you could rent a scooter for a very
discounted price if you got it for the length of your entire stay.
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