Sifnos, the gentle island
Seventy-seven square kilometres of terraced hills, white villages, chapels by the hundred and a cuisine the rest of Greece envies.
Beaches
A different swim every day
Our little cove is five minutes down the path. For the rest of the week, here are Eleni’s favourites.
The cove below the house
Flat rocks, clear water and a fig tree for shade. Bring your snorkel.
Vathi
A deep, sheltered bay with shallow water, perfect for children, and tavernas on the sand.
Chrysopigi
Two small beaches either side of the island’s most famous chapel, built on a rock in the sea.
Faros
A fishing hamlet with a sandy beach and a coastal path to the next bay.
Sarakiniko, on Milos
White volcanic rocks like the moon: worth a day trip by ferry.
Villages
Up the hill, one village after another
Apollonia
Kastro
Must seeArtemonas
Kamares
Sifnos has more than 300 chapels. Every summer, each one has its feast day, with music and food for the whole village.
Food
The island where cooks come from
Nikolaos Tselementes, the father of modern Greek cooking, was born here. Order these at any taverna, and leave room for honey pie.
By boat
A day at sea
Small boats leave Kamares and Vathi in the morning for the south coast: sea caves, beaches you can only reach by water, and a lunch stop with a swim.
More to do
Slow pleasures
Walk the old paths
Sifnos Trails: marked footpaths between villages and monasteries, best in May, June and September.
Visit a potter
Sifnos has made clay pots for 3,000 years. Workshops in Kamares and Platis Gialos welcome visitors.
Take a cooking class
Learn revithada and mastelo with a local cook, then eat what you made.
Watch the sunset from Kastro
Or simply from the terrace, with a glass of island wine.
