- Day 6: Last Day on Sifnos and Travelling Home
- Days 2 – 5: Exploring Sifnos
- Day 1: Flight to Athens, Piraeus and Sifnos Arrival
Monday 19th – Thursday 22nd June 2023
A Condensed Trip Report
I’ve collated the days we spent exploring Sifnos into a single post. Mainly because, honestly, I forgot to take detailed notes and can’t remember exactly what we did on each specific day. However, I do recall the more exciting parts, and this is what you’ll find below.
Monday 19th June – Hiking Profitis Ilias
On our first full day, Ed suggested a hike from Apollonia to the monastery of Profitis Ilias, the highest point on the island. Situated a few kilometres west of the capital, it isn’t a long walk, but the day was warm, and it involved a reasonable climb, so we ate a good breakfast and packed plenty of water before setting off by bus from Kamares.
Disembarking at the main bus stop in Apollonia, we had a bit of a walk south through the village to reach the start of the marked hiking trail:
The trail itself was pretty straightforward. Well marked with signposts and easy to follow, it first descended gently before climbing towards the summit on which the monastery rests. We made it to the top in just under an hour and enjoyed the stunning panoramic views:
On our return to Apollonia, we found an open rooftop bar, sat in the shade to enjoy a well-earned beer and snack, and then caught the bus back to Kamares.
Tuesday 20th June – Hiking from Faros to Vathy (Almost)
On our second day, we took another local bus to begin a hike, this time from the southeastern coastal village of Faros. Another marked walking trail starts here and meanders around the headland, past Apokofto Beach, to Chrisopigi Monastery, one of the most famous sights on the island. It’s a pretty easy walk with minimal climbing and took less than half an hour.
After a brief stop to explore the monastery, we continued southwest on a mixture of paths and roads until we reached the beach resort of Platis Gialos. As it was Ed’s first time on the island, we walked the length of the beach so that he could explore, then backtracked in search of somewhere for lunch. It was a little early, and many tavernas weren’t open, but we eventually found one midway down and enjoyed a decent meal.
From Platis Gialos, the plan was to pick up another marked trail heading west to Vathy and catch a late afternoon bus home. Unfortunately, I’d started to feel unwell shortly after leaving Faros and, by the time we’d finished lunch, wasn’t sure I could walk much further. I suggested to Ed that he continue alone and that I take a bus back to the hotel and meet him later, but he was happy to return to Kamares with me and either relax at the beach or find a local walk.
It took a little while for the next bus to arrive, but we made it back to the hotel by mid-afternoon, and I went straight to my room for a sleep in the hope of feeling better for the evening. Though not fully recovered, my sleep did help, and we had another couple of drinks at Captain’s Bar, followed by a decent meal.
Wednesday 21st June – Car Hire
Having just a few days on Sifnos, we debated hiring a car as the local bus network is decent. We eventually settled on a one-day rental so that we could cover some of the less accessible locations and make sure that Ed saw as much of the island as possible during the trip.
We picked up the vehicle early on our third full day, setting off first to Apollonia and then north to the small fishing village of Cheronissos. After a brief walk and an early snack lunch, we headed south towards Vathy, stopping at Agios Andreas church. Once again, I’d managed to get there and find that the Mycenean Acropolis ruins were closed, but it’s possible to walk around the fence and still access the church for its impressive views across the south side of the island:
At Vathy, we parked and walked along the beach, then stopped for a drink at one of the beachfront tavernas. I felt like having a dip in the sea, so I changed into my beach shorts and spent about 15 minutes swimming in the clear and calm water of the bay.
For me, no trip to Sifnos would be complete without a visit to my favourite sunset spot: Agios Simeon church. Set high upon the hillside north of Kamares, it’s probably my favourite place in Greece. We left Vathy late afternoon, returning to the hotel to rest, get changed and await the sunset before heading out again. The drive to Agios Simeon takes about 15 minutes along some windy roads, with a very steep section at the end as you approach the church, but it’s worth it.
Photos don’t do the view justice; the sense of peace and tranquillity here is unparalleled.
We basked in the view for a while, then drove to Apollonia via Kamares, deciding to eat in the capital to make the best use of the rental car.
Thursday 22nd June – Kastro, Last Full Day
It felt like we arrived only yesterday, but our last full day on Sifnos was already upon us. Rather than use the car to visit Kastro yesterday, we decided to see it by bus today: Ed had found Kavos Sunrise online, a Cuban-inspired ‘dive bar’, selling cheap rum cocktails with an eccentric owner, and decided we had to visit and be able to drink, hence not using the hire car!
We spent some of the morning at Kamares Beach, relaxing on sunbeds outside To Kohyli Taverna. We then returned to the hotel to shower and change before catching the early afternoon bus to Apollonia, where we changed buses for Kastro. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the old capital’s narrow and winding streets and down to the iconic Church of the Seven Martyrs:
I could sense Ed’s growing thirst for some cheap rum, so we backtracked and found Kavos Sunrise at the southern end of Kastro. It’s certainly a unique experience! €5 for a plastic cup half filled with rum plus whatever mixer you choose. It didn’t taste great if I’m honest, but Ed somehow managed a second one – I declined!
Feeling more than a little merry, we took the buses back to Kamares, where we’d reserved a table at Passione Italiana, my favourite restaurant, for our final evening meal. I’m not sure we needed the whole litre of house wine, but it went down quickly enough, and fortunately, we managed three courses of food, which helped to soak up some of the alcohol!
