Surprising Serifos
Phil Johnson finds an Aegean gem with a new marina
Phil Johnson finds an Aegean gem with a new marina
Serifos sits between its cousins Sifnos and Kithnos in the Western Cyclades. The three small islands have much to offer, and Serifos gave us a nice surprise as we entered the large sheltered bay which houses the main town and port of Livadi.
Rather than the small mole we were expecting, we found it had a brand new marina, or rather a substantial new town quay with lazy lines at almost every berth, plus water and electricity.
Clearly a lot of investment has gone into this large concrete harbour, a sure sign of an island on the up wanting to attract more yachts to supplement its income from the small hotel and apartment visitors.
The lazy lines were well spaced too, giving modest-sized boats plenty of room without the forced fender rubbing of some other places where we’d stayed.
The original mole is still there and now forms part of the new complex, showing just how much more space has been provided. Depths are good too, and the water is clear enough to easily see the bottom. We were there in late May and found everything to be free because, as a taverna waiter told me, ‘They haven’t employed anyone to run it yet, but a man will come at five and turn on the water.’
The taverna opposite the quay offered free showers if you ate in the restaurant. The showers, though, were a little unusual as they were in the apartment used by the staff. They did laundry too.
Posted by the new water and electric points, most of which were still wrapped in plastic, were leaflets from a boat business offering everything from repairs to spares and a whole range of services. Handy to know if you’re looking for help in these more isolated islands.
Local landmarks
Along the quay we found three supermarkets including a Carrefour, which reflected the number of French boats we saw in these islands. The shop itself was a reasonable size for a small port and had a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. There were bakeries
nearby and even a hardware shop in the streets behind the seafront.
Livadi has a tourist information centre, and the woman who runs it was keen to extol the virtues of the island’s walks, giving us free maps and advice. There was a bus to the capital, Chora, up the hill a couple of miles away but we chose to walk. It was a Waymarked route, number 1a taking us up paths and lots of steps before crossing the winding road which the bus takes. If it’s hot and you have doubts about your fitness or health, take the bus – the journey is well worth it and the views are stunning. The old kastro on top of Chora is quite breathtaking but not great for vertigo sufferers!
Chora
Inside Chora is a maze of narrow back streets made up of tiny houses which lead you to a small square with a handful of pleasant cafés and tavernas and a couple of arty shops. It’s lovely. Very atmospheric and inviting, the staff at the taverna we used couldn’t have been more welcoming or helpful.
The walk back down gave us glimpses inside tiny homes, which have seemingly remained unchanged for generations. Wild succulents and prickly pear cacti adorned the hillside and lazy lizards scampered slowly away across the paths as we disturbed their sunbathing.
Serifos, I was told, has two populations, the old who live in Chora on the hill, and the incomers who run the businesses in the port. Some of these incomers, though, have been here a while. A waiter told me if you drink the water, you’ll always come back, but beware he said: ‘I drank it 20 years ago and never left!’ You can understand why. The new marina makes the island a safe stopover for a while or a good place to sit out a blow.
We’ll be back
There are enough shops for provisions and a good selection of tavernas in Chora. The island’s interior walks keep you busy, and if marinas and quayside aren’t your thing, the bay has plenty of space in which to swing. Ferries run to neighbouring islands and local tripper boats run excursions to isolated beaches too.
Serifos was pleasantly surprising with its new marina, the friendly locals, a choice of well-stocked shops and just the hint of more to come. We’ll certainly be back.