Sifnos is an island in the south of the Cyclades. It’s known as a foodie destination, as one of the best Greek chefs and one of the most established Greek cookery writers, that went on to publish hundreds of books on cooking, Nikolaos Tselementes, was from Sifnos. Traditional things you can eat here are: fish and chickpeas dishes.
It’s a relatively quiet island, ideal for family vacations or groups of friends. The distances aren’t huge and you can easily explore the island in a few days. This travel guide contains all the things we did in just 72 hours! wh
You can see more from the last time I visited (mainly outfit shots), years ago, here. These days I focus more on the travel bit of the trip and less on the outfits (though I share them all on my Instagram, follow me @fani.mari).
The island has so many churches and monasteries, and it is characterised by the typical Cyclades style of white-washed houses with blue details. Many homes have multi-coloured shutters which are so cute! The island is mostly dry, not too many trees, which again is typical of the Cyclades morphology. But there’s something wonderful about that scenery! It’s a great place for hikes and walks in nature, though we didn’t have the time on this occasion!
As the massive sea lover that I am, I don’t find Sifnos to be the best destination if you love the deep blue turquoise waters. There are only a couple of beaches on the island that I personally think are worth it. However, just because the water isn’t super blue, that doesn’t mean it’s not clean! So here are some recommendations below.
Platys Gialos is one of the best beaches on the island with sunbeds and many places to eat.
Glyfo is somewhat of a hidden gem. No sunbeds but many trees for shade. You have to go to Faros beach and walk through the right side and a few minutes later you’re at Glyfo. While you’re there you can get some snacks or coffee from Angel café.
Finally, Chrysopigi is a personal fave, as the waters are clear and it’s a great place to relax. If you get hungry there’s a taverna right on the beach. A short walk away, you’ll find the monastery of Chrysopigi which is beautiful (far end on the below photo)!
Breakfast
Yalos is on the beach of Platys Gialos, great for breakfast, lunch or a quick snack by the beach.
If you want to grab something quick, Prago in Apollonia is the best bakery in town and great coffee too.
Lunch/Dinner
Omega3 on Platys Gyalos beach: small sharing platters with a focus on fish and seafood. Probably the best food we had on the island. Unique and quite fresh. We paid around €50 per person with wine.
Cayenne: dinner at Apollonia. Nice little area and great food. Seafood and meat are both great as well as the entrees and the environment is also nice. The staff was super attentive and very friendly.
Cantina: nice dinner at Seralia beach (at the bottom of Kastro). Built in the rocks, right above the water. The environment was better than the food, so perhaps getting a few entrées to enjoy the setting is best. It’s owned by the same people that own Omega3 and it’s relatively new, I think it opened in 2020.
Maiòlica: for lunch on the beach (Platys Gialos) great sharing platters, salads, pasta and more.
If you want to eat at Artemonas, the only place that’s really worth it is Chryso.
Dessert/Wine
At Kastro, Dolci is really nice for dessert and wine.
Botzi 93 is the nicest place for drinks in Apollonia. They also have a rooftop area.
Kitrino Podilato at Artemonas is nice for desserts and drinks.
Cosi in Apollonia is also nice.
Kastro: The old city centre and the ancient wall – very picturesque and very pretty just before sunset. It’s worth seeing the Epta Martires Monastery (translates as ‘seven martyrs’) built on the end of the cliff. So picturesque. Kastro (meaning castle in Greek) is a very authentic town.
Artemonas is a lovely little village for an afternoon walk just before the sun sets. Enjoy a coffee in the main square.
The main town of Apollonia is a great place to walk around in and the main place for food, drinks and walks. If you want to shop, the island is known for its pottery! Also if you’d like to shop for nice unique jewellery, my fave store is Cotecheri with items from Greek designers.
Are you visiting soon? Let me know if you do!!
