September 10, 2022
Sifnos surprised us. It ended up being our favourite destination so far in the Cyclades. When planning our last trip to Greece, we knew we wanted to do some island hopping. But we also wanted to avoid the crowds of Santorini and Mykonos. The islands that we ended up choosing were all so incredibly different from each other and much quieter (and cheaper!) than Santorini and Mykonos.
We really think Sifnos is one of the best islands in Greece to visit and we hope we convince you of that too in this comprehensive guide to the island!
Suggested: If you’re planning on island hopping in the Cyclades, we also have an extensive guide to Milos. Only an hour from Sifnos, Milos is known for its remote turquoise beaches like Sarakiniko and incredible boat tours to unique locations like Kleftiko. We also have a detailed guide to Paros island, perfect for those looking for nightlife at a fraction of the price of Mykonos and Santorini.
To take all of the hassle out of planning your trip, we have also written a detailed 10 day Greek island hopping itinerary.
Sifnos is part of the Cyclades islands group, close to Milos, Serifos and Paros. In fact, we visited both Milos and Paros as well and both islands are less than an hour ferry from Sifnos. Sifnos isn’t a very big island and unlike Milos, a lot of the towns are clustered together in one area. We’ve included a map here highlighting all the best sites that you shouldn’t miss on the island.
Sifnos became our favourite Greek Island within hours of arriving. It’s a blip on most people’s radar, so the island still has a great local feel to it. Even more so than Milos, which felt a bit touristy especially in the port area. Sifnos is best known for its hiking, food, and those beautiful blue dome churches. In fact there are 365 churches on the island (one for each day of the year?) for a population of only 2600. While you’re cruising around the island, every sweeping turn into a new valley will bring new panoramic views of olive groves dotted with typical Greek churches.
Like other Greek islands, Sifnos is definitely not short of idyllic beaches and rocky outcrops that are perfect to take a dip in whenever you start to get too hot. Our best beach days in Greece have been on Sifnos. There are old donkey trails meandering across the whole island that bring hikers from all over the world, with over 100 kilometres of trails across 19 routes. We met so many people that had come to Sifnos specifically for the walks across the mountainous terrain of the island. Check out Sifnos Trails to get you started picking the best walk for you. Some famous short walks include Apollonia to Kastro (half an hour one way), and Faros to the Christopigi Monastery (half an hour one way).
If hiking isn’t your thing, indulge yourself in the food. Some people say it’s the best you can find in Greece. Sifnos is home to Greece’s first celebrity chef Nikolaos Tselementes, the creator of moussaka, which has led to a massive foodie scene on the island. Best of all, Sifnos is cheap. It was the cheapest of the three islands we went to, which were all very cheap in comparison to places like Santorini and Mykonos.
Left: Kastro, Right: Church of the Seven Martyrs
We went in early June and the weather and water temperature were absolutely perfect. The whole island was serenely quiet, including the main town of Apollonia, except for the dinner buzz. It did seem as though a few restaurants and bars hadn’t yet opened up for the season. We didn’t have an issue with this as all of the restaurants we had planned on visiting were open. However if you enjoy night life while on holiday it might be worth going late in June or early July.
Although it’s not going to be nearly as busy as other islands in July and August, it will get a bit too hot. Especially if you plan on going for walks. Keep in mind that if you hire a scooter or ATV, you will be exposed for the majority of the day. In June this wasn’t so bad, but I wouldn’t want to be on the back of a scooter all day in August.
September would also be a good month weather wise, and the water will be even warmer than it is in June. We’ve heard plenty of people say that Greece is great even going into October. By traveling in the fall you’ll avoid crowds, get better deals on accommodation and won’t need to worry about other people getting in the way of your photos!
There is no airport on Sifnos, so you will be arriving by ferry. From Paros the ferry takes 55 minutes and cost us €67 per person. From Milos the ferry will take 40 mins and cost us €30 per person. You can also get to Sifnos direct from Piraeus port, the main port of Athens. It will take 3 to 5 hours depending on the type of ferry you get, with the faster one costing around €65 per person.
We booked all of our ferry’s on Ferryhopper and used the app to check in and for our boarding passes. It’s a really easy app to use, so we’d suggest downloading it before your trip, but you can always go through your email as well. Initially in Athens we were told by our taxi driver that you needed to print out your tickets for the ferries. He took us to the ticket office where they gave us hard copies. However, for all of the other ferries there were no ticket offices around (that we could see) and using the tickets in our app worked fine.
Left: Chrisopigi, Right: Panagia tou Vounou
Be prepared for delays with all ferries around the Cyclades. You may have booked the fast ferry, but if conditions on the day don’t allow for it they will revert to the slower ferry. This happened on our first ferry from Piraeus to Milos. It was supposed to take 3 hours but ended up taking twice that because of the weather.
Even with this delay, we got lucky compared to some horror stories from other people we met while traveling including cancellations and long overnight journeys on small boats in terrible weather. If you’re flying in and out of Athens, we suggest spending the night there on both sides of your trip to allow for any delays with ferries (or your flight!).
Even if you don’t get motion sickness normally, we would urge you to consider stocking up on travel sickness medication before you go. One couple we met had such bad weather on one of their ferries that the entire boat was sick. Bec is seasoned when it comes to motion sickness, so we had plenty of Kwells on hand and avoided getting sick on any of our ferries. Just ask your pharmacist for a non-drowsy option!
We had 2 and half days and it didn’t feel like enough time even for the main sites. Around 4 days would be ideal so that you aren’t rushing. Sifnos isn’t like Santorini and Mykonos where you’re constantly battling crowds. There are plenty of spots to park up for a few hours and properly relax. If you are doing some of the hikes, consider at least a couple of days for touring around the rest of the island as well.
Every corner of Apollonia is beautiful, both shots are taken along Steno during early afternoon
The ferry will land at the port townKamares. From here you’ll need a taxi to where you are staying. It cost us €25 for a taxi to the top of Apollonia. There are plenty of buses on Sifnos and a much better schedule than some other islands, but you will still have to get lucky that there is going to be a bus when you arrive at the port.
In Milos, we actually had trouble getting a taxi from the port as there were more tourists and less drivers it seemed, but in Sifnos this wasn’t a problem. Our driver also gave us her card so that we could arrange for a ride back to the port for our incredibly early ferry from Sifnos to Paros a few days later.
During your stay you can always opt to catch buses around the island. All tickets are €1.80 one way. Just know that even though the bus schedule here is better than some other islands, there is usually 2 or 3 hours in between services and you may not always want or need to stay in one place for that long. The bus schedule for 2022 can be found here.
To have flexibility and spend less time waiting at bus stops we suggest renting a scooter. We hired a scooter once we arrived in Apollonia from Auto Moto Apollo for €20 with our Australian drivers license. We didn’t book ahead which wasn’t a problem, and the roads were really quiet and easy to drive on.
People were way more relaxed here than they were on Paros and we felt completely safe the entire time. Be aware that scooter hire is seasonal. Auto Moto Apollo for example is open April 1 to October 31. There are plenty of car rentals in and around Apollonia and Kamares as well if renting a scooter doesn’t suit you.
Sifnos is internationally renowned for being a foodie haven. Suffice to say that your options are not at all limited. All of the below recommendations are places we actually ate at.
Botzi 93 Sifnos – great place for a cocktail. We came here for aperitivo both nights.
Sunset at Kavos Sunrise – we walked past here while walking around Kastro and desperately wanted to go back to sunset but ran out of time. The views are incredible.
Yalos Seaside Obsession – this one is a bit more expensive but we rate it! You can also hire daybeds for €20 and make a day of it which is what we did. This ended up being one of our most relaxing days of the entire trip.
Idroussa – we went to lunch here after spending the morning at the beach club. It was simple and cheap, right over the water and exactly what we were after.
Outdoor seating at Cayenne in Apollonia
We stayed in Apollonia. It’s the main town and is where you will find some of the best restaurants we suggested above. We stayed at a gorgeous B&B called Kouki Maria Rooms that we would definitely recommend. We were greeted with sweet lemonade and snacks on our arrival, served on the beautiful balcony that overlooks Apollonia. The aircon worked incredibly well, breakfast every morning was delicious and generous and it was only €55 a night.
From the top of Apollonia into town, beware that there will be steps. Apollonia, Artemonas, Ano Petali and Kato Petali are all within walking distance of each other. Booking accommodation in any of these towns will be very convenient.
View over Apollonia from the balcony at Kouki Maria Rooms
If you would prefer to stay in a resort then you should look at staying in Platys Gialos. There are plenty of seafront properties here, including really budget friendly ones like these apartments for €40 a night. The restaurants here are more high end and there is an organised beach here unlike a lot of other beaches on the island.
Kamares, the port town, is a convenient option if you’re only staying for one night or you don’t want the hassle of having to get to and from Apollonia or Platys Gialos. It is a charming port town, unlike the ports on Milos and Paros, and it has great restaurants and beach bars.
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ferry each way | €60 |
| Taxis to and from accomodation | €50 |
| Scooters per day | €20 |
| Day beds (set of 2) | €20 |
| Fuel | €10 |
| Accomodation (per night) | €55 |
| Food and Drink: 2 mains + carafe of wine | €30 |
Apollonia is where most people choose to stay on Sifnos. Spend some time exploring this picturesque town. The main street (the Stenó alley) is lined with boutique jewelry and clothing shops, rooftop cocktail bars and bright coloured restaurants spilling into the street.
If you wander through Apollonia in the middle of the afternoon, you will find you have it basically to yourself. But at night, this is the busiest spot on the island. The atmosphere is incredible and be sure to book ahead if you’re planning on eating at a restaurant here such as Drakakis.
This little traditional town offers panoramic views over the famous Church of the Seven Martyrs. Kastro is a pretty white-washed village sitting on top of the cliffs and filled with tons of history. You can walk from Apollonia in about half an hour (all down hill on the way there), otherwise there are plenty of spots to park just outside the village if you decide to drive.
Kastro is an ancient village, inhabited for over 3000 years. As such, cars do not have access within the village itself and it will feel like you have the whole place to yourself. There are artifacts scattered throughout the labyrinth of narrow alleyways that will lead you out to panoramic views over the Aegean Sea.
The beach here is a great option for swimming and snorkeling if it is rough on the other side of the island at places like Kamares. Head down to Captain Sifakis Fish Taverna for a fresh seafood lunch before exploring the Church of the Seven Martyrs.
This is the most photogenic church on the island. It’s located on a rocky islet that you can walk down to. Before reaching the church there are steps to the right down to the water. We had the most beautiful morning swimming here. Just be sure to only swim here during calm weather as it is very rocky. There are quite a few stairs to go down to reach the church, so if accessibility is a concern, you’ll still get beautiful views from Kastro.
This all white church is definitely worth stopping by. It is located at the highest point of the island and offers incredible 360 views.
This surprised me as being one of my favourite spots on the island. We spent a fair bit of time here swimming around the little headland and soaking up the sun.There is easy access into the water and you get a beautiful view over Apokofto beach where there is a nice taverna to stop by for sunset.
On your way to Vathi, make a stop at Agios Andreas. This church built in the 1700’s has spectacular views to the south of the island. This archeological site is a beautiful example of Mycenaean fortifications and costs just €2 to enter.
From Chrissopiggi we went to Faros for an afternoon beer at Lichnos right on the water. The beach here was absolutely gorgeous with umbrellas (no beds) set up on the beach which people seemed to be using at no cost.
Our favourite swims were at Church of the Seven Martyrs and Chrisopigi but there are plenty of beaches to check out too. We didn’t even scratch the surface of exploring all of the different beaches on the island.
The crystal clear waters surrounding Church of the Seven Martyrs
Vathi is a gorgeous horseshoe shaped beach. We spent an afternoon at the beach club here, Nostos Beach Bar. It was pretty quiet when we went, which was perfect for us. They serve lunch but we would suggest walking back up the beach to Idroussa which is much cheaper. They have little lock boxes so that you can keep your valuables secure while you get in the water as well.
This is where a lot of the high end resorts are located. We went out for a nice lunch here and stayed for hours reading on the lounges out the front of the restaurant. This beach is best if you want to splurge on a nice restaurant, or if you’re looking to do some water sports or hire a boat. Keep in mind Platys Gialos feels like the most touristic place on the island.
We didn’t have high expectations for Kamares as it’s located in the port where the ferries come in. But this may have been our favourite sunset spot on the whole island. When we hear ‘port’, we usually envisage water that’s a bit dirty, and a village that is best to transit through rather than stay. Kamares, however, is the best beach on Sifnos for families. It is a wide, shallow sandy beach with plenty of nearby cafes and restaurants.
There is plenty of space to put your own towel down, but also quite a few organised spots as well. We arrived early for a cocktail on the beach during happy hour at Old Captain. After our sundowner we went for dinner at Meropi, a charming local restaurant that sticks out over the water.
We hope we’ve inspired you to go to Sifnos on your next Greek island hopping holiday. It’s our favourite island that we’ve visited in Greece and perfect for those that want to avoid crowds, keep costs low and enjoy a more authentic atmosphere.
Suggested: If you’re planning on island hopping in the Cyclades, we also have an extensive guide to Milos. Only an hour from Sifnos, Milos is known for its remote turquoise beaches like Sarakiniko and incredible boat tours to unique locations like Kleftiko. We also have a detailed guide to Paros island, perfect for those looking for nightlife at a fraction of the price of Mykonos and Santorini.
To take all of the hassle out of planning your trip, we have also written a detailed 10 day Greek island hopping itinerary.
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Kleftiko beach is one of the most famous destinations on Milos island in the Greek Cyclades. It encompasses endless coves of turquoise waters, discovered on unique sailing experiences absolutely full of adventure.
Milos island is quiet, laid back and the most beautiful Greek island we’ve been to. Best known for pristine, turquoise beaches and windswept romance, we think you should skip Santorini and head here instead.
Sifnos is best known for food, hiking and its 365 blue dome churches. Read our guide to discover this little known treasure in the Cyclades, including the best things to see and do.
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