DESTINATIONS SIFNOS |GREECE & CYPRUS star attraction... SIFNOS, GREECE
With great food and beaches, Sifnos is a celeb favourite, writes Alice Barnes-Brown
we love...
Hilltop town Apollonia Apollonia, the island’s hilltop capital, is a maze of whitewashed lanes. Clients can spend an afternoon admiring how the sunlight hits the rainbow of wooden doors along the main shopping street, or peer behind them to explore Apollonia’s collection of Sifnian crafts including handmade canvas bags, understated jewellery and chic linen clothing. Suggest a visit to a ceramics workshop to discover the stew pots used to cook the island’s staple chickpea-based dish, revithada.
book it...
Islands of Greece offers a seven-night stay in a Double Room at Verina Terra from £1,199 on a bed-and-breakfast basis, with flights from Gatwick departing May 25, 2025, plus transfers and ferries. The hotel features an outdoor pool and restaurant serving Greek fare, just a few steps from Platis Gialos.
islandsofgreece.co.uk
where to stay...
Low-key to luxury “Sifnos has everything from simple B&Bs to five-star hotels or villas,” says Alan Garner, product manager for Islands of Greece. “Our favourites include the Mosha Pension or the Hotel Nymfes. For luxury, try the Apsila Pool Suites, Verina Hotels or the Niriedes Hotel.” Sigma Residences (pictured), which opened in 2023, also offers a collection of nine stone- built homes overlooking a steep olive valley.
make time for...
Chrisopigi Monastery Built on a rocky promontory in 1650, Chrisopigi Monastery is surrounded by the beautifully blue Aegean. Inside the monastery is a shaded courtyard and a cool chapel filled with glittering golden icons and a quirky ship-shaped candelabra. The Apokoftos beach next door awaits those keen to cool off in its serene waters or dine in its fabulous fish tavernas.
get active…
Walking trails Sifnos has 19 official hiking paths, some dating as far back as 3,000BC. The most famous route is the Eternal Capitals trail, which sets out from the village of Artemonas and heads for Apollonia with a pit stop in the seaside spot of Kastro. Deviate from the trail slightly to follow a cliff-edge causeway to the Church of the Seven Martyrs, a blue-domed, Mamma Mia-style chapel crowning a craggy rock, before stopping in legendary local haunt Kavos Sunrise for a Cuba-inspired cocktail.
Gialos Beach Platis Gialos means ‘wide shore’ in Greek, and this half-mile stretch of yellow sand is one of the largest beaches on Sifnos. Families will love the shallow and calm waters, which are also perfect for paddleboarders and kayakers. There’s a small harbour where clients can book boat trips, while the Instagram-friendly Yalos Seaside Obsession restaurant provides all-day refreshment, Shirley Valentine-style.
travelweekly.co.uk
5 SEPTEMBER 2024
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PICTURES: Shutterstock/Pawel Kazmierczak, Aerial-motion, Pinkcandy
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