We spent a week in Greece, and no we didn’t go to Santorini…or Mykonos…or Crete…or any of those other islands that travel agencies love to promote. We went to Sifnos.
The number one question we received from all our friends and family when we announced this destination choice was…
Why Sifnos?
Greece was not on our bucket list of “places we must see before we can’t walk anymore,” so no one was more surprised than I when we selected it for our 2018 vacation. The idea began when I was researching walking holidays and began seeing some of the options on the island of Crete. I liked what I saw but the island was so big and it required a car to properly explore it. So I started looking at other Greek islands, specifically looking for locations that had plenty of hiking and didn’t require a car to get around. That’s how I discovered the Sifnos Trails website and immediately knew it was the perfect destination for us!
I also stumbled upon the Sifnos Chronicles, an excellent blog written by Sharon Blomfield. Blomfield is a Canadian traveler and author who fell in love with Sifnos and wrote a book about it — I highly recommend it if you’re interested in this island!
Sifnos is a small island and has a permanent population of approximately 2,600. The island is mountainous with terraced hills of olive trees and its highest peak is 680m above sea level. It is part of the Cyclades (pronounced keeklaades), a region of islands known for their pristine white buildings and abundance of minerals. Sifnos has seven villages connected by a central pedestrian walkway which branches out into smaller paths, making it the perfect island for a walking holiday. The paths are well maintained and marked, with one of the best hiking apps I’ve ever used.
Good hiking and excellent food — those are usually our requirements for vacation — so imagine my delight at discovering that Sifnos is known for its cuisine! Nikolaos Tselementes, a famous chef known for his classic Greek cookbook, was from Sifnos and the islanders have respected his memory by continuing to offer top-notch food. For such a tiny island, it’s amazing how many cafes and tavernas are available. During our stay on Sifnos, we noticed most of the tourists were French and I’ve read elsewhere that most tourists who visit Sifnos are Greek or French — both groups are known for appreciating excellent food, so I’d say that’s a good indicator. There are some interesting facets to Tselementes and his impact on Greek cuisine, so if you consider yourself a foodie click HERE — this article may also explain the French fondness for the island.
Sifnos is also famous for its churches and feasts which are held in honor of saints. Each feast is overseen by Panigiras, a person or family who keeps the icon of the saint for a full year and is responsible for hosting the feast. Most of the churches on Sifnos are privately owned as they were built by locals to secure their salvation and most were built in the 16th through 18th centuries. For more information on Sifnos churches, click HERE and for the feasts, click HERE.
A place of well-marked trails amidst natural beauty, good food and a culture I’ve never experienced — the question should be…
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