After our Africa trip we made our way to Greece in order to “quarantine” before being allowed into the UK. We chose Sifnos island in the Cyclades that is only a 3hr ferry from Athens.
It is considered a gastronomic island with an extensive network of hiking trails - more than 100km of trails. Two of my favorite things, so it was a no-brainer to choose this island instead of so many other more popular options. It is also a relatively quiet island with not a lot of tourists like Mykonos or Santorini, but still with plenty to do and see.
Its steep hillsides have been tamed by agricultural terraces, creating giant steps on the landscape. Low stone walls divide plots planted with olive, fig and almond trees in the midst of thyme bushes with tiny purple flowers.
You will need a car to explore the island or a scooter which is what we got.
STAY: Verina Astra is perched on the top of a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea, and a blue dome monastery dangling above an emerald cove. It does not get better than this! It has a very good restaurant that attracts people from all over the island. The suites are dreamy with terraces also overlooking the Sea. It’s hard to leave.
Hiking down to the cove from the hotel is a MUST. I still dream about swimming there again.
SEE/EAT/DO:
Artemonas: just a 5min drive from the hotel, this is probably the prettiest village in Sifnos. Dusk is a wonderful time to explore its narrow cobbled pedestrian-only alleys. It’s a bit quieter and less touristic than its neighbor Appolonia.
Apollonia: is the capital of the island, built on three hillsides in the heart of Sifnos. At first it does not appear that it has much to offer, but if you get off the main roads into the pedestrian-only alleys, you will find plenty of shops and restaurants. Even if a bit touristy it still has maintained some of its charm.
Platis Gialos: a long yet narrow strip of sandy beach. Unless you like sunbathing, the main reason to go to Platis Gialos is to eat at Omega 3. It’s a very small unassuming restaurant serving delicious seafood. You might come across celebrities coming to Sifnos just to eat there.
Monastery of Panagia Chrissopigi: built on a rocky peninsula connected to the island via a bridge, this is a beautiful monastery to be visited and a good area to go for a lovely swim.
Atsonios pottery workshop in Vathi, by Tsopos beach: one of the oldest pottery workshops on the island - opened in 1870 - the workshop can be visited if you want to see their work.
Kastro Village: picturesque white fortress-like village with narrow alleys that wind through arches. Don’t miss the The Church of the Seven Martyrs beneath the walled village during your exploration. But the star of the show for us in Kastro is Cantina, a fantastic restaurant from the same chef as Omega 3. It is located on a cove, in a very old traditional building that was kept in its current state when converted to this restaurant. The food and ambiance are fantastic and probably one of our favorite restaurants ever.
Hiking: there are many hiking trails all over the island. You can Google hiking in Sifnos and many websites will pop up with information on the different trails and maps. I hiked from the hotel towards Kastro and them from there to Appolonia where I got picked up. It was wonderful and the trails are well-marked.
