Sifnos is my favourite island. I have been there 8 times both pre and post season. Kastro is the place to stay - good people, restaurants, bakery jewelry shops. Quiet and can get to know the locals if you stay around. Quad bike all over the island to the various gorgeous beaches. Ruins, and churches.
Kastro had me at hello back in June of -94 when me and a friend where island jumping in the Cyclades! I’ll be back again for the fourth time this June.
Sifnos is our go to Greek island. Consider renting a scooter to get around the island on your own timetable to explore. Two people on one scooter is no problem. We have been visiting here for 15+ years. The secret is getting out.
Yes, we love it too and I'm sure it won't be undiscovered much longer. I just hope the island can resist the temptation to exploit itself for tourism and says no to big fancy hotels. It's best off as a traditional island.
Fly to Mykonos and take a ferry to Sifnos about 1h.30 - Milo’s airport is dangerous, flights can’t land with strong Meltemi, Milos is one of the smallest airport in Greece. The best solution is Athens, sleep in Pireo if necessary or stop in Athens city center for a day or more. Advice!!! Came back from the island at least a day before your flight, if it’s too windy ferries will stop. Land in Santorini, stay for a couple of days, take the fast ferry to Sifnos (3h)
Flying to Mykonos is definitely an option, especially if you want to include other nearby islands such as Paros. I've never heard any reports of issues flying into Milos, though. It's definitely a small airport having arrived there myself in 2020, but I'm still happy to recommend it as an efficient way of reaching Sifnos, particularly for those who don't like longer ferry rides.
Thanks for the great intro to Sifnos. I have 3 weeks in Sept/Oct and am looking around for an island for pleasant solo hiking, daily swimming (no loungers necessary, thanks), opportunity to meet locals, minimum tourists, good food and a place to stay by a port or fishing village. I'll be using public transport or walking. This is my 3rd visit to Greece -- been to Chios, Samos, Patmos (twice) and Ikaria. I'd like to find a new "love" that is closer to the mainland for convenience from the airport. I'm also looking pretty seriously at Paros. Thoughts?? I like your videos -- more content, less blah blah.....
Paros is picturesque, but it's nothing compared to Sifnos in my opinion. You'll find Paros quite a bit busier as it's more well-known, whereas Sifnos isn't as popular yet. I'm sure you'll love Sifnos.
A brilliant, informative, unpretentious guide to Sifnos. A great help to those trying to discover the real Greece. I'd also recommend the fishing village of Faros. Especially for those wanting to relax in a quieter seaside village but with a little life. It's 3 idyllic beaches and the 5 or 6 restaurants make for magical moments. Thank you.X
This is really nice to visit . Mykonos is so crowded, noisy and you will never find a spot on the beach to sit on .Sifnos is a better island to visit .
In september I am going to Sifnos for the 4th time, now on my own, The first time was in 1987 and the last time in 2001. So I am curieus how it feels after a long time again.
I would suggest at least 4 nights as a minimum. How many days do you plan to visit Santorini and Milos? Have you already booked accommodation there or is your itinerary flexible? I would say 3-4 nights is plenty in Santorini and similar for Milos, so I would spend any remaining time on Sifnos as I think it's the best island.
I spent 3 days there in 1989 ,the first time I visited Greece. we stayed in Kamares and I remember we were picked up at the port by a lady who was offering accommodation. we had a room with outside bathroom and we would go for breakfast to a bar on the beach nearby where the song that represented Greece in Eurovision that year was played every morning . it was the only bar on the beach at that time I also remember going to Platis Gialos beach where I had stuffed tomatoes for lunch for the first time It was early September and there were nearly any tourists on the island. Greece was so much different back then
Sifnos must have been incredible back then. I know it's hardly unspoiled these days but compared to the likes of Paros it still feels quite traditional. I don't think that will last too much longer, though.
Do you think you will need a car? or do they have taxi? or is the bus just very easy? We will be going on May so not sure if the bus will be on the high season schedule. I am really looking forward to the food here.
You shouldn't need a car. The bus network is excellent and even in May it should be frequent enough to get you around. The timetable is here: sifnos.gr/en/transportation-bus-timetable/ although it only shows the current schedule, it gives you an idea of the coverage. How many days are you staying? The only time I'd recommend a car is if you have a very short stay (2-3 days) and want to see the island quickly. Otherwise the bus should be fine.
Both are nice resorts. I prefer Kamares as I think the beach is nicer. Platis Gialos does have some excellent restaurants (To Steki, Yialos, Omega3) so it's a tough choice and hard to go wrong really.
I really appreciate this guide of Sifnos and the quality of the footage as well. Do you have any tip for buying a similor quality camera or is it possible to know the camera you used ?(the last time I have been in Sifnos the only camera I had was ..my eyes) thanks Raf
Glad you enjoyed the video. I use three different cameras for most of my footage: a GoPro Hero 10, which is the cheapest and most compact 4k action camera that I own; a Panasonic Lumix GH5, which is a 4k DSLR camera and has superb quality but is less portable; and a DJI Mavic Air drone for the aerial shots. A decent mobile phone these days will record reasonable quality 4k video, so I'm not sure you need a dedicated camera unless you're specifically interested in photography/videography. Something like the GoPro Hero 10 is a good starter for video as it has built-in stabilization so produces smooth footage when walking around and the quality is very good. A DSLR or compact fixed-lens camera is the next step up and gives better quality video but is more equipment to buy and carry around.
It's such an amazing place! I first visited back in 2020 on a bit of a whim as I needed a route to take after flying to Milos. Milos was great and I was expecting that Sifnos wouldn't be as impressive, so I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it there. My parents love it too after I persuaded them to visit in 2021 (they've been back once already). It's really hard to find fault with the island and I'm sure its popularity is only going to grow as the more touristy islands (Paros, Mykonos etc) become even more saturated and people start looking for alternatives. I think the main thing keeping it from being mainstream is the lack of airport and slight inconvenience of having to ferry from the mainland or make a connection via Milos, but if you're prepared to make the effort it's so worthwhile.
@@GreeceTravelGuide Yes. Just back from a week on Naxos in early June. Love that island but it was already heaving with visitors tgst early in the season and sadly seems to be losing some of its allure. Been going to Naxos almost annually since 1998. Sifnos one of the few I've not been to yet. You've sold me 😁
Totally agree. Naxos used to be my favourite island too, think I must've visited 4-5 times since 2017 but the last time didn't feel the same. It's definitely becoming over crowded in high season, I've decided to stop going, at least for a few years. If you like Naxos though, I'm pretty certain Sifnos won't let you down.
@@GreeceTravelGuide Thanks. Good to know. Your past recommendations have always concurred with my own Greek Island experiences so I'm looking forward to seeing Sifnos now. Can't think why I've missed it as have been to all the other western Cycladic islands 🤔 Maybe I'd missed a ferry link once and forgot all about it 😁 Happy travels and continue the good work 👏 👍🏻
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Interested to know which beach is your favourite? I've not found any beach on Sifnos that compares with Kamares but maybe I've missed it.
Sifnos is my favourite Greek island, so I am a little biased but I would say it has much more to offer in terms of beaches, good food, sightseeing and hiking. I've only visited Serifos once and it was back in 2020 during COVID-19, but I found it very quiet. There are some nice beaches and the Chora is pretty, but it feels much smaller as a lot of the western side is undeveloped and not accessible by car. I'd only recommend Serifos for 2-3 nights if you wanted somewhere quiet, whereas Sifnos you could spend 5-10 days no problem. You can see my trip to Serifos on this video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-e23iwNHOM9Q.htmlsi=wpoq3p8C1FMSTr0k&t=930
Thanks for the lovely, helpful video! What are your thoughts on visiting in early April? Will restaraunts be open? And bus routes will still be active, even if not as many numbers as the high season?
Glad you enjoyed the video. I've never visited Greece as early as April before. My understanding is that, particularly on Greek Islands, the tourist season does not really get going until after Easter (Greek Orthodox Easter) which, in 2024, is Sunday 5th May. Travelling before this date will probably mean that accommodation is very limited and many restaurants will still be closed. That said, all islands have year-round local populations so there will be a functioning bus service and no doubt some places will be open. Personally, if you can delay you trip by a month and go in early May instead, I would recommend it - the weather will be warmer and there will definitely be more tourist facilities available. Alternatively, you could visit the mainland or a larger island such as Crete, where there is a larger local population.
