The island of Sifnos in Greece

The island of Sifnos is the most popular destination for visitors of the western Cyclades, but according to "Cycladic standards" it is still reasonably quiet. In peak season there are besides the ferries from Pireaus also direct connections with the more busy island of Paros in the central Cyclades. The island is popular because of its hilly landscape which has typical white cycladic villages dotted around it, and because of several good beaches.

During the Archaich period Sifnos was a florishing island because of the discovery of gold. To thank the gods a golden egg was offered in Delphi to the god Apollo each year. The story goes that at a certain moment the inhabitants did not offer a golden egg but a goldplated one and that after that their goldmines were flooded. After that good luck turned its back on the island of Sifnos. The inhabitants started making pottery instead.

Because of its popularity there is not enough accommodation on Sifnos, and so it can happen that some people are left without a hotel or an apartment when they arrive in high season. In this period it makes sense to make a reservation ahead or to arrive very early in the morning if you want to be assured of a hotel room. All the ferries arrive at the small port of Kamares, a lively village surrounded by steep and high hills. In the harbour you find the taverna's and there is a sand/pebblebeach. The number of hotels is limited. At the place where the ferry arrives there is a tourist information. Closeby you find also the bus station to the the chora Apollonia and several other villages. All the busses first drive eastwards and after that they head south. Not many people live in the northern part of Sifnos. The bus ride goes through a valley with figtrees and olive trees. The island is not as barren as you might think at the first glance when you sail in by ferry, and farming is still economically important here.

The mostly modern capitol Apollonia is situated at the crossroads and this is one of the reasons why it has grown bigger. There is no real historic center in the village, and it has expanded to neighbouring villages. In Apollonia there is a square where the roads come together and behind it are the tourist streets. The village is best seen while walking around its streets with white houses. The best view is at the hill of Peto Petali, where the windmills are. On the rather isolated eastcoast is the village of Kastro, the former capitol. Another major attraction of the island is a row of fine beaches in the south, of which Vathi, which is situated in its own mini bay, is the best. There is also a taverna here. You can get to Vathi by bus over the new road, or you can get there by kaik from Kamares. There is also a path that leads to the coastal village of Platis Gialos, with its taverna's, rooms for rent and some smaller hotels. This is the "main beach" of Sifnos. A little bit more to the east is the popular village of Faros with its three small beaches

Sifnos belongs to the islandgroup of the Cyclades, a Greek islandgroup in the Aegean Sea, east of the Peloponnesos. The island is situated in the western part of the Cyclades about a six hours journey from Piraeus, the harbour south of Athens. There are a little over 2000 inhabitants and it is 74 km² in size. The capitol nowadays is Apollonia, which is almost melting together with Artemonas, the village of the beautiful gardens. The village of Kastro, which was build during the Venetian time, is the most authentic.