Sifnos
In 1910 a cook born in Artemonas, Nikolaos Tselementes, published a cookery manual destined to become so influential that even tod...
Updated 10 July 2026
Sifnos
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This season · July · Summer
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The story
The story of Sifnos
From the ancient mines to Kastro
Sifnos was already known in antiquity for the wealth of its gold and silver deposits, so much so that the inhabitants financed the construction of a famous treasury at Delphi with the proceeds of the mines, before these were exhausted or, according to legend, submerged as divine punishment for an act of impiety. In the Middle Ages the island came under Venetian control, becoming a possession of the Duchy of Naxos, and it was precisely in the Venetian era that Kastro arose, the fortified capital built in a defensive position on a promontory overlooking the sea, designed to protect the population from the pirate raids that plagued the Cyclades for centuries.
Kastro, the fortress town suspended over the sea
Capital of the island from the classical era until the nineteenth century, Kastro is a fortified settlement unique in the Cyclades: the houses, built in continuous rows, themselves form the surrounding wall, with no break between dwelling and defence. The alleys, paved in marble, wind between the remains of Venetian towers, Byzantine churches embedded among the houses, and fragments of ancient inscriptions reused in the walls. From the edge of the promontory the view plunges straight into the sea, with no beach in between: an architecture designed for security that today offers one of the most dramatic panoramas in the Cyclades, especially at sunset.
Apollonia and Artemonas, the twin centres
The modern capital of the island, Apollonia, takes its name from an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo, traces of which remain, and it spreads over three hills connected by a central street lined with shops, ceramic galleries and taverns. A short distance away, Artemonas — Tselementes's birthplace — retains a more aristocratic character, with neoclassical villas built by the island's wealthy families between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, restored windmills on the heights, and baroque churches with blue domes that contrast with the more sober architecture of the rest of the island. The two centres, practically adjoining, together form the social and commercial heart of Sifnos.
The Monastery of Chrysopigi
On the south-eastern coast of the island, the monastery of Panagia Chrysopigi stands on a rocky islet connected to the mainland by a thin strip of stone, an image that has become the very symbol of Sifnos. Founded in the seventeenth century, according to tradition, after the miraculous discovery of an icon, it is dedicated to the island's patron saint, celebrated with one of the most heartfelt religious celebrations of the year, forty days after Easter. The white, angular architecture, the sea surrounding it on three sides, and the small bay below, popular for swimming, make Chrysopigi an almost obligatory stop, capable of summing up in a single glance the island's faith, architecture and landscape.
The ceramics of Sifnos
Thanks to local deposits of high-quality clay, Sifnos is traditionally one of the main ceramic centres of the Cyclades, with a production that once supplied kitchens throughout the Aegean: glazed terracotta pots, particularly the characteristic tsoukalia used for slow cooking, along with jugs, plates and decorative vases. The villages of Vathy and Kamares still host craft workshops where potters work at the wheel with techniques handed down from generation to generation, open to visits from those who want to see first-hand a craft that made the island famous well beyond the borders of the Cyclades.
The 227 churches and the patron saint festivals
Few Greek islands can boast a density of places of worship like Sifnos: there are around 227 churches and chapels, many of them isolated on hillsides or along the paths, often cared for by a single family that keeps the tradition alive for generations. Each chapel has its own patron saint and its own festival, the panigyri, celebrated with religious services followed by music, dancing and food shared among all the participants: a custom that marks out the island's summer calendar more than any event organised for tourists, and remains one of the most authentic ways to get to know Sifnos's social life.
Vathy and the coastal villages
On the western side of the island, Vathy occupies the bottom of a sheltered, horseshoe-shaped bay, with a small fishing harbour, a sandy beach and a handful of potters' workshops working just steps from the sea. It is one of the quietest places on Sifnos, also reachable by boat from the main port of Kamares, and offers a different pace compared to the livelier inland centres. Kamares itself, the ferries' port of arrival, retains a lively but intimate atmosphere, with taverns along the waterfront and a convenient beach right next to the pier.
Revithada and mastelo: the signature dishes
Sifnos's cuisine owes much of its fame to slow cooking in wood-fired ovens of the terracotta tsoukalia: revithada, a chickpea stew with onion, bay leaf and oil, is put to cook on Saturday evening and left in the communal oven all night, ready for Sunday lunch, a tradition that still brings whole families together today. Mastelo, lamb or kid cooked with dill and local wine in a sealed terracotta pot, is instead the dish for great occasions, traditionally served at Easter. Alongside these are manoura cheese, aged in grape marc, and mathotsiko and xinotyro, fresh cheeses typical of the island.
The paths between the villages
Sifnos preserves a dense network of paved paths, estimated at around sixty kilometres, which once connected all the island's villages and which have now been restored and signposted for hikers. The routes cross terraces planted with olive trees, isolated chapels, windmills and old olive presses, offering glimpses of the sea rarely found along the roads. The stretch between Apollonia and Chrysopigi, or the one that climbs to Kastro from Apollonia, are among the most walked, coverable in a couple of hours with no particular technical difficulties.
When to go and how to experience the island
Sifnos lends itself well to a visit focused on the gastronomic and hiking experience rather than on beach life alone: late spring and early autumn offer ideal temperatures for walking and for enjoying the local cuisine without the crowds of August, when the island, much loved by the Greeks themselves, fills up rapidly. A stay of four or five days allows you to alternate between Kastro, Apollonia and Artemonas, a day dedicated to ceramics between Vathy and Kamares, and at least one walking excursion to Chrysopigi.
- Strolling through the fortified alleys of Kastro at sunset
- Visiting the monastery of Chrysopigi on the islet connected by an isthmus
- Watching the potters at work in the workshops of Vathy or Kamares
- Tasting Sunday revithada in a traditional taverna
- Walking along the paved paths between Apollonia and the nearby villages
- Discovering the neoclassical villas of Artemonas, Tselementes's birthplace
- Taking part in a panigyri, a village's patron saint festival
FAQ
Come si arriva a Sifnos?
Qual è il periodo migliore per visitarla?
Cosa vedere in un solo giorno?
Dove parcheggiare ad Apollonia?
Sifnos è adatta a un viaggio gastronomico?
Quanti giorni servono per visitarla bene?
Getting there
- Nessun aeroporto sull'isola; si arriva in traghetto al porto di Kamares dal Pireo (diretto o via Serifos e Milos); spostamenti interni in auto a noleggio, autobus locale o a piedi lungo i sentieri segnalati
- In alta stagione i traghetti verso Sifnos si riempiono rapidamente per la forte presenza di turismo domestico greco: prenotare con anticipo soprattutto per agosto
Perfect for
Sifnos è considerata una delle capitali della cucina tradizionale greca, patria del celebre Tselementes.
La tradizione ceramica dell'isola, ancora viva nelle botteghe di Vathy e Kamares, ne fa una meta ideale per gli amanti dell'artigianato.
Kastro, con la sua struttura fortificata unica, è uno dei borghi medievali meglio conservati delle Cicladi.
La fitta rete di sentieri lastricati rende Sifnos una delle isole cicladiche più adatte al trekking tra villaggi e coste.
To see
What to see in Sifnos
Routes · Trovido Route
