General Info

Sifnos General Information

How to get Sifnos: One or two boats per day from Athens (Pireaus harbor). Fast boats (catamarans or “flying dolphins”) take less than three hours and are comparable to airline travel. Slow boats take about five hours and have restaurants, bars, and breazy open air decks. The one-way fare to Sifnos is between 4,000 to 9,000 drachmas ($11-25 USD), depending on the boat and class of ticket.

The Greek shipping industry is changing for the better, however, getting information about boat schedules in advance can be difficult. Aegean Thesaurus Travel & Tourism will be able provide boat schedules and book tickets approximately one month in advance. You can visit them at http://www.travelling.gr/sifnos-aegean-thesaurus for more information or contact them directly by email at thesaurus@travelling.gr or by phone at 30 284 33151.

You can also try www.ferries.gr , www.minoan.gr or www.greekislands.gr

Timing: Plan on spending one night in Athens because flights from western Europe tend to arrive in the afternoon and the Sifnos boats usually leave in the morning. Also plan on arriving on the island at least one day in advance to get acclimated to the slower island pace and because boats are sometimes cancelled due to high winds. In addition, fast boats to the islands on Fridays are frequently booked-up in advance by Athenians.

After your visit , you may want to stay on Sifnos or visit other islands. Most Sifnos boats call on Milos and Serifos, in addition to Pireaus (Athens). There usually are a few boats a week that connect Sifnos with Paros and Syros. These islands are good connecting points to the more popular spots such as Mikonos and Santorini.

Telephoning:

To call Sifnos from Europe or the US: 30 (Greece) 284 (Sifnos) and then the 5-digit number.

To call Sifnos from Athens: 0284 and then the 5-digit number.

There is now a small internet café on the island if you feel a need to get connected.

Getting around the island: The island has good bus service connecting all major points. Buses connect Platys Gialos and Apollonia every hour or so. Taxis are readily available. In addition, cars and mopeds are easily and inexpensively rented on the island.

If you’re more than a few people, we recommend renting a car from Mrs. Mahe Rigopoulou, Apollonia Rent-A-Car (telephone 30 284 31795). Her English is not very good, but you can reserve via fax (30 284 33089). If you say that you’re a friend of Efthimios Kalos, she will meet you at the Sifnos harbour with the car. Driving around the island is easy, road signs are good, and you’re never more than a 20 minutes away from the central village of Apollonia.

Activities: Everyone is free to do his or her own thing during the day. We will post an announcement each morning with information about where we will be that day and you are welcome to join us if you wish.

	Visiting the traditional Cycladic village of Kastro is a must. Swimming on the rocks behind Kastro can be a lot of fun
	Hikes to mountain monasteries
	Sipping cool drinks in the shady cafés. Parents with small kids will probably want to relax at Platys Gialos where they can sit in quiet cafés on the beach and watch the kids play in the shallow water.
	A walk in the village of Artemonis (it’s best in the early evening when the jasmine is the most perfumed). Lots of old abandoned turn-of-the-19^th-century Venetian mansions and narrow village streets.
	Shopping for ceramics, jewellery, gifts, etc. is best in Apollonia and Kamares.
	Gathering herbs (oregano, thyme, sage, capers) in the countryside
	If there is sufficient interest, we may arrange a boat trip around the island or a group hike to a ceramic studio.

Beaches: The island has beautiful beaches. Platys Gialos (means wide beach in Greek) is lovely. Vathi is even more beautiful. The beach at Kamares port is OK, but a bit noisy. You can swim from giant rocks at Kastro and Panagia Poulati.

Nudism is not officially permitted but is practised at the little cove on the far left at Vathi and the rocks at Kastro, Faros, and Panagia Poulati or any lonely deserted area.

Food: Sifnos has the reputation of producing Greece’s best chefs. Local Specialities include chickpea fritters, caper salad, roast carob-fed pork, local cheeses, almond confections. Try also a frothy iced coffee with milk called “frappé.”

In any restaurant, you should not hesitate do as the Greeks to and go into the kitchen to look around. Remember that the best things in Greek cooking are the different salads and reheated stews made with lots of olive oil. Greek yoghurt with honey is always delicious. Things like souvlaki and fried calamari are considered fast food for tourists.

	“Bus Stop” Restaurant on Platys Gialos: The owner is friendly, speaks good English, and his mom makes everything herself. As of Summer 2001, the Bus Stop was being renovated into a pizza restaurant.
	The fish restaurant between “Bus Stop” and the minimarket at Platys Gialos.
	“Café Kamini” at Platys Gialos, next to the minimarket: More of a café, than a restaurant. Great for breakfast or late afternoon refreshments. They have espresso, capuccino, and freshly pressed orange juice. David can be spotted there for an early breakfast every morning.
	Chrysopigi Restaurant at Chrysopigi: Good selection and great location. Our party will be held there.
	Liotrivi Restaurant at the main square in Artemonis (by the bus stop and parking lot). Large selection of salads, but the service can be very slow and disorganised. They also have a nice selection of Sifniot products (homemade jams, olives, etc.) for sale.
	Tsikali at Vathi (turn right at the beach when you arrive at the beach -- it’s just past the church). This is probably our favourite restaurant on the island. The owner, Nikos, looks like Brutus from Popeye. His English is not very good, but everything is home-made with love. Home-made mizithra (fresh goat cheese) cheese on the Greek salad. Carob fed pork from his farm. Roasted eggplant salad with lots of garlic. Stewed octopus with onions. His wife, Flora, sometimes makes walnut cake for dessert. Their two small kids are the servers—they are stoically serious and likely to lighten up and offer a smart remark when chatted up by a female customer.
	The sweet shop in Artemonis. Turn left at the main square where the bus stop/car park is. This place is like going back to the ‘50’s. Try the ground almond confections scented with orange blossom and the toasted almond nougat in edible rice paper.

If you get tired of Greek food, pizza can be found in Kamares and now Platys Gialos.

Medical facilities: The island has a small clinic with an English-speaking doctor in addition to two pharmacies. Medical emergencies are airlifted via helicopter to Athens.

What to bring: In addition to the usual suntan lotion, sun glasses, beach blankets, etc., bring a light jacket and long pants in case it gets cold in the evening. If you plan on visiting our farm, bring a pair of strong walking shoes or boots. Dress code for our party will be informal (shorts, sandals, etc.)