Sifnos see · Sifnos attractions
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Sifnos attractions
Sifnos attractions
The island capital of Apollonia is actually part of a complex of clustered villages spread along a hillside which merge into one another. It's where most shops and services are, including banks, the post office, and a number of tourist-oriented shops and bars. There is a mini-"scene" there on summer evenings with locals and tourists going among the tavernas, cafes, and other establishments. There's an interesting Folk Art Museum (open daily April to October tel +30 22840 33730) in the main square. The other major village of the cluster, farther up the hill, is Artemonas, less lively but more atmospheric with cubistic Cycladic architecture than Apollonia. The walk between the two is steep but only takes about twenty minutes, and offers many beautiful view points.
Though Sifnos lacks any major antiquities, there are some minor ancient sites which may interest some visitors. The remains of some of the ancient mines are marked on some maps, and there is an island walking tour offered in summer (information at the Aegean Thesaurus Travel Agency office in Apollonia) which takes in some of them. The ruins of a Mycenean Citadel can be seen on the hill of Aghios Andreas (named for the church built on the same site,) reached by a steep climb on a path (signposted) leading off to the west of the main road to Vathi, about two km south of central Apollonia. The ruins consist mostly of a wall and just traces of buildings, but they give a good idea of how extensive the site was, and the views are worth the climb. A similar citadel, harder to find, is at Aghios Nikitas, about 5 km NW of Apollonia, north of the road to Cheronisos.
Bay of Vathi Many consider this the best beach on the island: though its strip of fine sand is narrow in parts, it's very long and on a beautiful enclosed bay which keeps the water calm. In the past it's been one of the least crowded of the major Cyclades beaches, but recently this is changing with new development. The several beachside tavernas there tend to be good.
The cloister of Aghios Simeon, north of Kamares, with a spectacular view on the Bay of Kamares
Kastro is the medieval island capital and is worth seeing as an almost perfectly preserved medieval Cycladic town, beautiful and unspoiled. It's on a rocky hilltop right on the sea. You can hike along the coast, or to a tiny beach with restaurant, or to a swimming "place" (rocks, not a beach), or through the fields up into the hills. There's a bus between Kastro and Apollonia/Artemonas. It's also possible to walk the approximately three kilometer path from Kastro to Appolonia, part of it hilly. A longer, twistier path leads from Artemonas down to Panaghia Poulati monastery and from there in a rough track along the sea to Kastro, offering spectacular views. Neither path has much shade. Kastro has a small Archaeological Museum (open Tuesday-Sunday, 08:30-15:00, tel +30 22840 31022) with a few excellent classical pieces. The town's lanes include some Roman sarcophagi as well ancient columns built into some houses, and if you look around you can find (poorly signmarked) a well preserved section of impressively built Classical wall.
Cheronisos: fishing village in the barren north part of the island with a very small beach, a few nice tavernas and a traditional pottery place, where the craftsman specializes in "trick" pots, for instance, fill one up with wine, pour the wine out of the spout till it seems empty, set the pitcher down for a moment, then pick it up and start pouring again -- and more wine comes out!
Chrisopigi: a small church on a small peninsula at the east of Sifnos, with some beaches nearby
Kamares is the island's main port and where almost all arrivals by boat are. Kamares has a Blue Flag beach and an array of restaurants, shops, hotels, and other services, along with a certain amount of night life. There's not really much there to tempt the visitor to linger, though, and most will prefer to stay up in Apollonia/Artemonas, in rooms in Kastro, or at one of the beach settlements in the southern part of the island.
Faros (Sifnos): The beach might be a bit windy, but the octopus at the taverna overviewing the bay is a must
Plati Ghialos, a Blue Flag beach, is reputed to be the longest beach in the Cyclades, very built up and crowded in season, and popular with families.
Lazarus Beach: a bit further south than Plati Ghialos.
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Sifnos Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.