Sifnos has thirty waymarked trails, a network of kalderimia (paved paths) inherited from the time when people walked from one village to the next, from a chapel to a mill, from a potter to a shepherd. The island is also the gastronomic capital of the Cyclades. Here, walking and eating are two sides of the same pleasure, and you pass naturally from one to the other, never forcing the pace.
From Apollonia to Kastro: the trail of panoramas
The path connecting Apollonia, the small capital, to the medieval village of Kastro is one of the island's finest. You leave the lively lanes and set off along a kalderimi bordered by dry-stone walls. White chapels punctuate the walk, each with its icon and dried flower bouquet. The landscape gradually opens onto the Aegean, and Kastro appears, clinging to its cliff like a swallow's nest. This fortified village, ringed by houses that form a rampart in themselves, offers from its terraces a panorama of quiet beauty. You sit down for a Greek coffee, facing the blue.
Legend has it that Sifnos counts 365 chapels and churches, one for every day of the year. All are maintained by the locals, who renovate them for the patron saint's feast. Along the trails, these small, immaculate buildings serve as reassuring landmarks: they punctuate the walk, invite a contemplative pause, and remind you that on this island, the sacred and the everyday are one.
Artemonas to Cheronissos: crossing the island
Crossing Sifnos from south-west to north-east means passing in a few hours from terraced, cultivated hillsides to wild valleys planted with juniper, before descending towards the sea. The trail connecting Artemonas to the small port of Cheronissos crosses the heart of the island, where sunflowers and capers grow between the walls. At Cheronissos, the last pottery workshops carry on a craft millennia old. You arrive pleasantly hungry, and the taverna by the harbour, feet in the sand, serves a grilled fish worth the journey in itself.
Pottery is inseparable from the Sifniot identity. The island's abundant, high-quality clay has sustained generations of artisans since Antiquity. Today, a few workshops open to visitors offer the chance to try the wheel and shape your own piece. These bowls, dishes, and jars are not mere souvenirs: they are the same vessels used to cook revithada and mastelo, the same forms found in the archaeological museum at Kastro.
Vathy Bay: a gourmet walk
Vathy is a round bay, almost enclosed, sheltered from the wind like a well-kept secret. You reach it by a coastal trail that skirts deserted coves before opening onto this miniature village. A few houses, a monastery dedicated to the Archangel (the Taxiarchis), and tavernas whose reputation extends far beyond the island's shores. Here you taste the finest of Sifniot cooking in a disarmingly simple setting: feet in the sand, the sea three metres away, time abolished.
Profitis Ilias: the belvedere of Sifnos
The island's highest point is gained by a gradual walk through a landscape of gentle hills. At the summit, a whitewashed chapel and a circular panorama over the archipelago: Milos to the south, Serifos to the north, Paros to the east, and all around the immense blue of the Aegean. The ascent is steady, never strenuous, and the silence that reigns up there invites contemplation. You understand why the Greeks placed their prophets on the heights.
From Faros to Chrysopigi: between chapels and coves
The south coast of Sifnos holds a walk of great gentleness. From the small port of Faros, the trail follows the rocky shoreline, passing from one cove to the next. You swim at Glyfos, dry off on the smooth rocks, and continue towards the headland where the monastery of Chrysopigi stands. Set on its promontory, linked to the land by a narrow bridge, it is the most famous image of Sifnos, and one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades. The late-afternoon light there is superb.
Sifnos at the table
You cannot separate the trails of Sifnos from its cooking. The island is famous for revithada, a chickpea stew cooked all night in an earthenware pot, which was once carried to the village oven on Saturday evening to be eaten on Sunday. Mastelo, lamb braised in red wine in a ceramic vessel, is the other unmissable speciality. The clay soil that made the island's potters famous also shaped its gastronomy: they cook in clay, store in clay, serve in clay. Add fresh manouri cheese, capers picked from the walls, wild thyme that scents the local honey, and you understand why Sifnos is a journey as much for the palate as for the eyes.
When to go
Sifnos is best savoured in spring and early autumn, when the light is golden and the warmth gentle. The months of May, June, and September offer the finest conditions for walks: flowering trails in spring, a sea still warm in September, and that gentle pace of life that is the charm of the Cyclades off-season.
In September, do not miss the Sifnos gastronomic festival (Nikolaos Tselementes), which celebrates the island's culinary tradition through tastings, cooking workshops, and competitions among local chefs. It is the ideal moment to discover the diversity of Sifniot recipes in a village-festival atmosphere.
How to reach Sifnos
Sifnos is accessible by ferry from Piraeus, the port of Athens. The crossing takes between 2h30 by fast ferry and 5h by conventional ferry, with daily departures in season. The boat docks at Kamares, a pretty port tucked into a crescent-shaped bay, from where buses connect Apollonia and the main villages. On the island, a bus network runs from May to October. But the finest way to get around remains walking: the waymarked trail network (available on the SifnosTrails website) links all the villages, and distances always stay manageable.
Our stays in Sifnos
- Sifnos, Milos and Kimolos, the enchanted Cyclades: a guided trip to discover three islands with distinct personalities, with a passionate guide.
- Cycladic enchantment: Serifos, Sifnos and Milos: a self-guided stay to explore these islands at your own pace, between trails and flavours.
- Naxos and Amorgos, destination Cyclades: for those who wish to extend the Cycladic adventure towards other shores.
Solène Roux
Responsable Éditoriale
