Sifnos - a rare gem of the Aegean Sea
Sifnos, an Aegean island located in the Western Cyclades (83 nautical miles from Piraeus), greets the traveler with its steep cliffs interrupted by an occasional bay. This deceptive front conceals the natural vibrant beauty found beyond the barren fortress of rock. A fertile island, its hillsides flourish with olive groves and tamarisks enclosed by stone walls grown over with hanging bougainvillea – a scene woven into the landscape.. It is quaintly Cycladic with picture postcard villages and many captivating views of Sifnos and the sparkling Aegean Sea.
Doting the island are windmills, 365 small, stark white Cycladic chapels (one for each saint's day), and the ruins of 40 Hellenistic dovecotes. There are several noteworthy churches, a few monasteries (some with rooms to let), archaeological sites, vestiges of the Middle Ages and many interesting walking paths leading to historic churches. The sandy beaches have received the blue flag certification for clean waters. As this beautiful island is not cosmopolitan and retains its traditional atmosphere it is appealing for family vacations.
The island has been inhabited by Mycenaeans, conquered by Venetians and Turks, and fought for Greek Independence in 1821 In ancient times Sifnos was known for its wealth from gold and silver mines near Ag. Sostis. According to legend, one year the islanders replaced the solid gold egg annually sent to Apollo at the Temple of Delphi with a mere gilded one so as to keep more gold themselves. Apollo retaliated by condemning the island to “emptiness” (“Sifnos” in ancient Greek). Although the island is verdant, the mines were flooded and later depleted along with Sifnos’ wealth.
Sifnos is also known for its own style of ceramic decoration and pottery and to date there are fifteen ceramic workshops on the island. Two thousand years ago cooking pots were the chief export and today descendents of generations of master potters still work at the wheel. Also called the “poets island”, Siphnos was home to several prominent writers. It has also acquired a reputation for its fine traditional cuisine and is the birthplace of the famous chef, Teslementes, (1878-1958) author of renowned cookbooks.
Visitors to the island will dock at Kamares, a pleasant port with a lovely beach and camping nearby and buses to take one inland. The town of Apollonia, (dedicated to Apollo) is the commercial center and the capital since 1836; it’s built on three hillsides which spill into one town below. The view from the top is breathtaking and the landscape is enchanting with its chapels, and terraces of wheat, olives and grapevines. In the square the folk museum displays embroideries and Sifnian’s unique pottery. Stone paved streets lead to traditional shops and cafes and when the sun goes down Apollonia is the center of nightlife on the island. The churches Panagia Ouranofora and Agia Sostis are of interest. Away from the town, near the lovely beach at Vathi , stands the acropolis of Agios Andreas atop a steep summit above the Aegean (the highest point of the island). The view from this archaeological site dating back to Mycenean times is spectacular.
Nearby on the east coast are the remnants of the medieval town of Kastro (castle), Siphnos’ capital before 1833 and the most interesting area of the island built high up overlooking a bay to protect inhabitants from pirates.. The picturesque town’s ruins of 14th century buildings still stand amongst the typical Cycladic houses lending historic charm. The archeological museum housed in a Venetian building exhibits Archaic and Hellenistic sculpture and ceramics from the Geometric and Byzantine period. There are two impressive churches (16th c.) worth seeing.
The loveliest village in Sifnos is Artemonas (named after Apollo’s virgin sister Artemis). Winding stone paved streets lead one past ship-owners’ Neoclassical homes with gardens and whitewashed Cycladic houses displaying Sifnian decoration.
Platis Gialos is the most touristic area located near the monastery Moni tou Vounou (Monastery of the Mountain) and one of many beaches where ancient potters made the island’s cooking pots sold all over Greece. Some houses here were actually kilns. Between Platis Gialos and the fishing hamlet of Faros lies the stunningly beautiful monastery of Moni Chrysopigi (Golden Spring, the namesake of the island) built in 1650 on a stark rock above the sea Its revered icon plucked from the sea by fishermen was clamed to have saved the island from plague in 1675.
Beaches at Kamares, Faros, and Platis Galos are the most popular and there is camping nearby as well. The lovely beaches of Hersonissos, Vroulidia and Fikiada Fassolou are quieter and Vathi is the most gorgeous.
Sifnos can provide a relaxing family holiday where nature, history, the gleaming white Cycladic villages, good food, the sea, the sun and the vistas combine to give you an unforgettable vacation on a rare gem of an Aegean island.
| 
