Visiting the Cyclades: Sifnos

 In Sifnos, we chose to stay in Apollonia. the capital, and part of a hub of villages that make up the bulk of the population of the island.  We stayed there for a number of reasons.  On the trip I wanted a balance between staying on the ocean and  staying in villages.   Also, Apollonia is the center for public transportation on the island.  From there we had the option of day trips to a number of the beaches.

But perhaps the main reason is that we were able to book a room at Eleonas Apartments, one of the most highly touted places to stay on Sifnos.  The choice paid dues as soon as we landed.  The owner of Eleonas also owns a travel agency at the port.  By prior arrangement,  we were driven from the port to the apartments.  

Our apartment was a split level, with a sitting and small dining area at ground level, and a kitchenette,  bathroom and bedroom on the upper level.  The bedroom opened up to a large terrace.  We had a view of a church, with the ocean in the distance.  The apartments are set amidst a grove of olive trees.  An estate bottle of olive oil was a welcome gift.  All this for 75 euros a night.

As we often do on vacation, we bought local liquor to enjoy in our room.  The terrace was a wonderful place for me to sip ouzo and Roslyn to enjoy tsipouro.  Since it is made from grapes tsipouro is technically an unaged brandy.  It is clear and tastes like a cross between vodka and grappa.  You can get it with anise flavoring, but that would defeat our purpose since Roslyn avoids ouzo because she does not like the taste of licorice.

Town center was just a short walk away.

The main street is Steno, which means narrow.  Bars, restaurants, boutique shops and jewelry stores vie for your euros.  I am told that in August it can resemble a crowded Mykonos backstreet except that instead of nouveau gauche tourists, the lane is teaming with rich Athenians fleeing the city heat.  No crowds in May.

 

We had dinner at Drakakis, one of the better known Steno restaurants.  Roslyn had crab salad, while I had lamb kabobs.  We shared the wonderful potatoes.

This upscale restaurant did not have a down scale house wine.  Also missing was our happy ending.  No after dinner drink or dessert on the house.

On the advice of Alex, our hostess, we took the bus to Vathi.  It proved to be our favorite beach, on an island justifiably known for great beaches.

There are at least 3 tavernas on the water.  We chose Okeaniaa. 

The food was almost as good as the view.  

I ordered a Sifnos specialty, Mastelo.  Mastelo is either lamb or goat slow cooked in a clay pot.  Make sure you try it.

While Roslyn explored I ordered a Greek coffee.  A couple of words of advice on Greek coffee.   For caffeine junkies, always order a double.  Typically a single is about 2 euros, and a double is only 1/2 euro more.  Second, ask for it with some sugar, even if you never use sugar in your coffee.  You need to take the edge off.

At Vathi my alpha personality eased into a beta state--total tranquility. 

The next day we took a bus to Kastro.  Kastro means castle or fortification, often Venetian in origin. Before leaving we stopped for coffee at the local cafe.  Many upscale cafes attracted both locals and tourists, but this was the gathering spot for locals.

The Kastro is a winding uphill trek.  There are shops, but most of the restaurants had not yet opened.  Along the way we encountered ancient tombs.

The architecture was interesting.

But even better were the views from above.

Roslyn's ingenuity got us back to Apollonia.  No bus was due for several hours.  The taxis we had seen at the taxi stand were gone.  We tried to call a taxi, but there was no cell service.  Roslyn had the idea to text the travel agent that picked us up at the port, asking him to call a taxi.  It worked.

We had not planned on renting a car.  But Alex convinced us.  Unlike Milos, rental cars are cheap on Sifnos.  Our car, which was delivered to our apartment, only cost 30 euros.  We also were also able to drop it off at our studio.

The two most touristed beaches are  Platis Gialos and near the port.  We decided to drive to 2 more tranquil beaches.

Chrissopigi has a church on a promontory 

We ate on the water.  I had lamb chops and Roslyn had calamari.

We next traveled to Faro beach.  For those who want a beach vacation Platys Gialos and Kamares have the widest range of accommodations,  but rooms are available at Vathi, Chrissopigi, and Faros.

Having visited beaches we next went to Artemis the sister town to Apollonia.   

While Roslyn did a bit of shopping, I had coffee.  Are you noticing a trend?

After resting and freshening up in our room we headed to dinner.  Having a car saved us the 1/2 mile walk to Kelari taverna in the neighboring town of Kato Petali.

Kelari was our favorite restaurant on Sifnos.  Kelari serves standard taverna food prepared extremely well.  The prices are very low.   When we arrived most of the diners were tourists, no doubt aware that Tripadvisor rated it the top restaurant on the island.  But as we lingered, the later eating local crowd arrived.  By the end of the evening we heard nothing but Greek.

Roslyn is pictured above with the wine press.  It used to be pulled by mules.  They now would like to strap in a couple of tourists.  My appetite got the better of me.  No picture of my lamb chops, but above is a picture of a Sifnos specialty, chickpea balls.  Top notch free orange cake for dessert.  The house wine, which they grow themselves, was cheap and good.

The next day our ferry for Syros left in the evening.  Alex graciously allowed us to stay in the room until we needed to leave for the port--the advantage of a wonderful hostess, and traveling off season.

If you visit Sifnos, and you should, consider staying at Vathi in the fall if you want quiet days at the beach and lovely taverna meals in the evening.  This is a winning combination for sun starved northern europeans.  If you want a beach in walking distance, and lively evenings then consider staying at the port.  In past visits I have stayed in Kamares.  I also highly recommend staying in the center at Eleonas Apartments in Apollonia.