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Sifnos is one of the bigger islands
within the Western Cyclades island group. It has an area of
75 km². Around 2000 people live on the island. Tourism is a
lot more important here than on the neighboring islands.
Also Sifnos is a lot greener than most of the other islands
meaning it has a lot of water. Agricultur may not be big on
Sifnos but the locals grow some wine and olives. There are
ten villages on the island.
Back in antiquity Sifnos was one of the richest islands in
all Greece. It had rich silver and gold mines. These are long
exhausted. Today the island is famous for its pottery and
basketry. As you can imagine one does not earn riches by
following these trades so they were looking for an
alternative. Tourism was just what they were looking for.
Apollonia (Chora)
Almost half the islands population lives in the local capital
Apollonia. With its narrow cobbled streets and white houses
it’s a good looking and rather typical village. Beside that
the small town comes across as modern. There are plenty of
new houses and all the conveniences we tourists can ask for.
There are great bus
tours Dubai, you can book online
Apollonia is up in the hills about 5 km away from the port.
There isn't all that much to see. They have a tiny little
museum but that’s about it. Rooms here are a lot cheaper than
in for example Kamares (the port).
Kamares
Kamares is a lively port town. Only about 200 people live
here but the place is very popular with tourists. There is
local beach and it is just convenient when you arrive by
ferry. Since space is limited everything is rather compact.
There are a number of hotels and rooms to rent. Prices vary
so it is recommended to shop around. In high season the rooms
fill up quickly though. As a result prices go up. Expect to
pay around 50 Euro. The local tourist information for a
change deserves the name. They are helpful and knowledgeable.
Kastro
Kastro is considered the
most beautiful and also the most romantic village on the
island. It is situated on the east coast and on a steep slope
about 100 meters above sea level. Cute white houses, narrow
alleys, you name it. They also have a small museum if you are
into that kind of stuff. The have some sculptures and pottery
on display. At least admission is free.
Directly at the sea there are number of other villages.
Platys Gialos for example is a typical tourist village packed
with souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels. At least there
are plenty of rooms to rent making it a bit easier to get
one. Another popular name is Vathi. It has a nice beach and a
number of good restaurants and private rooms to rent. Faros
is a small fishing village. The three local beaches are kind
of brownish which most people probably wouldn't fancy.
Sifnos Getting there
There is no airport of
Sifnos.
Ferries Sifnos: There are daily ferries to Athens,
Serifos, Milos and
Kithnos. Not as often but still frequent
are boats to Folegandros,
Sikinos, Paros,
Syros and Santorini.
Bus Sifnos: There is a surprising amount of busses on
the island and they are cheap. Getting around is no problem
then. There is at least one bus per hour between Chora and
the port. The villages are easy to reach as well.
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