Sifnos, a relatively unknown island of the Cyclades archipelago and not yet discovered by mass tourism. The island is small yet it is definitely one of the nicest islands we visited during the island hopping through Greece. The island has an awful lot of hiking trails, impressive mountain scenery and small villages with white houses. It is an island for adventurers and people who love good food! Everything on Sifnos is set up for slow travel. Put this undiscovered gem on your bucket list before it is ‘discovered’!
General information on Greece
Are you working on a travel plan for Greece? Then check out our tips for the best travel period, daily budget and transport to and in Greece. You can find all information about Greece here.
Sights of Sifnos
How to get to the island of Sifnos
Tours of Sifnos
Sights of Sifnos
1. Discover the capital of Sifnos, Apollonia
2. Visit the village of Artemonas
3. Visit Platis Gialos
4. Discover Kastro on Sifnos
5. Visit the Church of the Seven Martyrs
6. Admire the other beautiful churches
7. Choose from one of the many hike trails
8. Head to one of the beaches on Sifnos
Map sights of Sifnos
How to get to the island of Sifnos
You can only reach the island of Sifnos by boat. However, this is not a problem because with more than 2 million tourists in Greece every year, transport is incredibly well organised.
Ferry / Ferries: The Greek islands are well connected, with daily departures from the mainland (Athens) and the other islands such as Santorini and Milos ferries to Sifnos. The ferries are comfortable, cheap and fast. We used the website of Direct Ferries to check ferry times. However, we recommend buying tickets at the port itself. This will save you another few euros!
Tip: Going to Greece in high season? Then book your ferry tickets in advance. This is because the ferries can be fully booked.
Tours of Sifnos
Sifnos is perfect for exploring by motorbike, scooter, ATV or car. By arranging your own transport, you have complete freedom to visit the places below. It's best to arrange this at the port or at your accommodation.
It is a small island so all the sights are close together. You can therefore explore the island in just a few days. We recommend spending 2 nights/3 days on the island.
Tip: The tip we actually always give is; arrange your own transport. This is by far the easiest way to get yourself around the island. Bear in mind that in the main season, you should book your car, scooter or ATV in advance. You can easily do this online at, for example Sunnycars.co.uk - book your rental car safely and quickly here.
Read also: 9x The best sights in Milos, Greece (with map).
Read also: Island hopping through the Cyclades, Greece. A 3-week round trip.
Things to do on Sifnos, Greece
Sifnos is a small island and is not yet often combined with islands such as Santorini, Milos and Paros during the island hopping through Greece. Despite its small size, there are many things to do. Below, we share with you the best sights.
Check out the map at the bottom of this blog so you can create your ideal day layout!
1. Explore the capital of Sifnos, Apollonia
This is the island's capital but don't expect crowds or lots of buildings. Compared to other islands, Sifnos is incredibly quiet. However, you do have plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants to choose from here.
2. Visit the village of Artemonas
A small and very photogenic village. You can easily combine a visit to Artemonas with a visit to Apollonia. The villages face each other and it is just a short walk.
3. Visit Platis Gialos
This is where we had settled during our stay Sifnos. This village is literally at the end of the tarmac road and ideal if you like good food, beach and sunshine! We stayed at Giaglakis Rooms, an incredibly nice place that we recommend to everyone.
4. Explore Kastro on Sifnos
Kastro is a medieval village on the island of Sifnos. You will find the famous Greek narrow streets and colourful courtyards here. It is lovely to spend a morning walking around here and enjoying the sea views.
5. Visit the Church of the Seven Martyrs
If we are talking about Kastro then this landmark should definitely not be missed. The Church of the Seven Martyrs is probably the most photographed place on the whole island. The church stands on a rock at the edge of the island and can only be visited via a long staircase.
6. Admire the other beautiful churches
On Sifnos they have an awful lot of churches, namely 235 that you can visit all of them. We recommend you visit not only the Church of the Seven Martyrs to watch at the Monastery of Chrysopigi, Panagia Poulati and Agios Symeon. At all three churches you have a beautiful view of the sea!
7. Choose from one of the many hike trails
Sifnos has few tarmac roads but, on the other hand, has many hiking trails! We spoke to several people who sometimes stayed on the island for weeks to hike. It is the ideal way to explore the coast and see the hundreds of little churches or pigeon-houses. Just keep in mind that it is not a flat landscape and the villages are far apart. So make sure you have good shoes and plenty of drinks along the way.
8. Head to the beaches of Sifnos
There are an awful lot of beaches on the island where you can cool off after a long hike or after visiting one of the villages. These are our favourites:
Platis Gialos beach, Vathi beach, Fassolou Beach and Apokofto beach.
All the sights on Sifnos are relatively close together, making it easy to combine them. Most places are easy to reach by car, ATV or scooter. Just keep in mind that you have to drive on unpaved roads for certain stretches.
Map sights of Sifnos
⊹ Pin it for later ⊹
We try to keep our blogs as up-to-date as possible but this cannot be done without your help. If anything has changed, please let us know via [email protected].
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase through these links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. By using these affiliate links, you support Thousandtravelmiles. This allows us to roam the world, fund the website and offer you free information for planning your trip. This means that a ‘real’ person does a little dance of joy when you make a purchase through this link! You're a legend!