SECRET CYCLADES: SERIFOS AND SIFNOS
Discover life in the slow lane on this pair of Cycladic island charmers without the crowds.
WHY IT’S SPECIAL
With their sugarcube white villages, churches, monasteries and hidden beaches surrounded by the inviting waters of the Aegean, the Cyclades are the quintessential Greek island idyll. Some, like megastars Mykonos and Santorini, are busier than others, but that still leaves almost 220 other islands to discover away from the hordes. Serifos and Sifnos, with their more sedate scenes, are two islands which well-heeled Greeks like to keep to themselves.
If you yearn for solitude, Serifos has it in spades. Only a trickle of tourism has reached this island that still feels slightly lost in time with its picturesque capital Hora, abandoned iron mines, more than 40 mostly deserted beaches and a wild, barren landscape. Neighbouring Sifnos has some serious gourmet credentials – Nicholas Tselementes, the author of the definitive guide to Greek cuisine, Greek Cookery, was born here.
Wander the frangipani-draped lanes of Artemonas with its handsome mansions, hike from honeycomb-like Venetian-built citadel Kastro along ancient mule paths and spend a day on the beach in the shadow of the whitewashed 17th-century Chrysopigi Monastery, lunching in the local taverna on local specialities such as revithada, a slow-cooked chickpea stew.
YOU’LL NEVER FORGET…
Your first view of the Church of the
Seven Martyrs that sits on a rocky promontory jutting out to sea below Kastro, its pale blue dome framed by the deep azure of the Aegean.
INSIDER TIP
If you are travelling in high season and know your travel dates, it is best to book ferries – particularly the fast ones – in advance as many are very busy, particularly at weekends.
HOW TO DO IT
British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba. com), Aegean (0871 200 0040; en. aegeanair.com), easyJet (0330 365 5000; easyjet.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) and Wizz Air (0330 977 0444; wizzair.com) all fly direct from the UK to Athens.
Both Sifnos and Serifos can be reached by fast and slow ferries from Piraeus with Aegean Speed Lines (aegeanspeedlines.gr), SeaJets (0030 21 107 107 710; seajets.gr) and Zante Ferries (0030 210 410 0211; zanteferries.gr).
Coco-Mat Serifos (0030 694 830 3164; coco-matserifos.com) is a clutch of converted miner’s cottages turned stylish retreat overlooking Vathi Beach. Doubles from €234 (£203) per night B&B. Karamoti (0030 2284 032 069;kamaroti.com) is a sensitive huddle of buildings channelling a traditional-meets-contemporary look near Artemonas. Doubles from €100 B&B. Five Star Greece (020 8422 4885; fivestargreece.com) has a handful of stunning, private villas to rent on both islands.