Visit Sifnos, Greece

Sifnos is one of the smaller Cycladic islands, but has much to offer visitors with its golden sandy beaches, hiking trails, white washed villages and over 200 churches. Sifnos though, is mostly known to Greeks for its gastronomy and its pottery.

The gastronomy scene on the island is not due to its agriculture or raw ingredients, but instead due to it being the birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, author of one of the most famous cookbooks in Greece. Due to his notoriety the island became known as a food destination and has attracted the countries top restauranteurs and chefs there elevating the food scene.

Most visitors into Sifnos will arrive into Kamares, the port town of the island. Kamares is more charming than many other Cycladic port towns and the main road there is filled with restaurants that spill out onto the beach and you can dine with your feed in the sand. Kamares is also one of the best, if not the best places to watch sunset on the island.

Around a 10-minute drive from Kamares is Appolonia, the islands capital, which runs right into the next village Artemonias. Named after Apollo and Artemis the two villages are wonderful examples of Cycladic architecture with white, cube shaped buildings and jumbled pavements lining the little alleyways filled with little taverna ands shops. Apollonia is the busiest of the two and where you’ll find the islands main nightlife, whereas Artemonas is better known for it’s food and you can find little traditional sweet shops and bakeries.

Beyond these villages you’ll find Kastro, the former capital and oldest village on the island. Perched on a hill Kastro offers magnificent views of the sea and across to its popular church, the Church of the Seven Martyrs, which is often seen in images representing the island.

Faros offers visitors to Sifnos a relaxing fishing village. Located about a 15-minute drive from Apollonia on the east coast of the island, the tiny town is best known for its crystal clear waters and soft sands. The water here is often as calm a lake and is perfect for swimming in. There are a few tavernas to choose from and from Faros there is a hiking path that hugs the cliff until reaching Panagia Christopogia, the most famous church on the island.

For a slightly busier beach experience Platis Gialos is just a few minutes’ drive south from Faros. Here the beach is longer and there are restaurants and a couple of shops that line the beach. Like Faros, the gradient into the sea is very shallow making it easy to swim in and a great choice for families.

Around a 20-minute drive from Apollonia, on the western coast of Sifnos, is the tiny village of Vathi. A traditional Cycladic beach town you’ll find a couple of tavernas here, a lovely sandy beach and a tiny square with the village church and locals relaxing and watching the day go by.

With plenty of interesting towns and villages, beaches that are great for couples and families alike and excellent cuisines, Sifnos offers something for everyone.