Sifnos, Cyclades: Island Guide, Beaches & Hotels

The island of Sifnos

Sifnos belongs to the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, east of the Peloponnese, and lies in the western part of the group about 6 hours from Piraeus. It covers 74 square kilometres and has a little over 2,000 residents. The island is popular for its hilly landscape dotted with white Cycladic villages and for its beaches, and it holds many dovecotes, beautiful churches, several monasteries and remains of antiquity including Hellenistic towers and the Mycenaean acropolis of Agios Andreas. In the Archaic period Sifnos flourished on its gold mines and offered a golden egg to Apollo at Delphi each year; when the islanders sent a gilded egg instead, the story goes, the mines were flooded and they turned to making pottery. Because it is so popular, accommodation can run short in high season, so it pays to book ahead. A map of Sifnos helps in planning where to stay.

Villages of Sifnos

All ferries arrive at Kamares, a lively port in a sheltered bay with a sand-and-pebble beach, tavernas, car-rental shops and the bus station. From there buses climb to the capital, Apollonia, set at the island's crossroads and built over three hills in white Cycladic houses and blue-domed churches; it has been the capital since 1836 and is almost merged with Artemonas, the village of the beautiful gardens. On the more isolated east coast, 5 kilometres from Apollonia, stands Kastro, the former capital and the prettiest village on the island, inhabited for over 3,000 years, car-free and full of churches, with a stretch of old city wall, ancient sarcophagi built into the houses and an Archaeological Museum.

Beaches of Sifnos

A row of fine beaches lines the south of the island, of which Vathi, set in its own small bay with a taverna, is the best, reached by bus or by kaik from Kamares. Platis Gialos is the island's main beach, a coastal village with tavernas, rooms and small hotels, though it opens up only around June. Faros, a little to the south-east, is a popular village with three small beaches. Kamares itself has one of the largest, safe and shallow beaches, good for families. For the full list see the Sifnos beaches guide.

Sights of Sifnos

The most important sight is the Chrisopigi Monastery, set on a small island joined by a road west of Faros, dating from 1650 and standing beside a fine sandy beach. The Monastery of Panagia tis Vrissis at Exabela, a few kilometres south of Kastro, was built in the 17th century and holds old frescoes and icons. The Mycenaean acropolis of Agios Andreas, on a hill on the route from Apollonia to Vathi, dates from the 13th century BC; you can reach it in about half an hour on foot or by car, and it has a small museum and the church of Agios Andreas from 1701, with superb views over the island. The Venetian village of Artemonas and its Kohi church, built on an old temple of Artemis, are also worth seeing.

Where to stay on Sifnos

Most rooms are in the port of Kamares and in the villages of Apollonia, Faros and Platis Gialos. See the full choice on the Sifnos hotels page.

Sifnaika Konakia, Kamares

Sifnaika Konakia is a quiet, bungalow-style property built in traditional Sifnian architecture above the seaside village of Kamares, whose clean sea holds a Blue Flag. The rooms recreate the traditional Sifnian homes of the past, and the balconies look over the sunset and the clear water of Kamares bay.

Fassoulou Studios and Apartments, Faros

Fassoulou Studios stand in the village of Faros, a 5-minute walk from Fassoulou beach, with a view of the sea and the Chrisopigi Monastery. The complex has 10 studios of 27 square metres and two apartments of 42 square metres, each with a large veranda and fully furnished with kitchen, TV, fridge and air conditioning. It sits on a tranquil, traffic-free spot, well suited to those seeking peace and quiet.

Morfeas Pension, Kamares

Morfeas Pension rents rooms on a quiet spot in the middle of Kamares bay, close to the beach. The small complex has 8 double rooms and 4 apartments, all with air conditioning, a fridge and television, with kitchens in the apartments. There is wireless internet, a washing machine, plenty of parking and coffee or a snack at reception, and the beach and bus station are a short walk away.

Meropi Rooms, Kamares

Meropi Rooms sit in a quiet position in Kamares close to the beach, with balconies looking over the whole bay, the harbour and the village. The small complex has 6 double rooms and 2 triple rooms, all comfortable and fitted with air conditioning, television and a fridge, a short walk from the potteries, tavernas and shops.

Sifnos in winter

Sifnos is not sunny every day of the year. These photographs, taken by Kostas Kampoerakis, show the island under snow in February 2008, when Sifnos and much of Greece had a spell of cold, wintry weather.