When you think of a Greek island your mind may wander to Santorini, Rhodes or Mykonos but think of all the untouched, peaceful islands these are the places where you go for the true Greek culture. Sifnos is one of these gems. With hiking trails and beautiful beaches, it should definitely be on your list of places to visit! The ferry from Athens took around 5 hours stopping also at Kea and Sifnos neighbouring island Serifos. On arriving in Sifnos we were met with beautiful whitewashed houses and a mountainous landscape. We decided the best thing to do would be to rent cars as our apartment was not near the port but instead near what the locals describe as the “main town/ capital”. The cars were well priced but mostly because it is still considered to be the off season due to only just opening up after the lockdown. We needed 2 cars and we each paid €16 for the whole weekend. This makes it so much easier to explore the island as although there is public buses the waiting around for them would have eaten into our exploring time. We soon arrived at our house up the small local streets by Appollinia. After we had dropped our stuff at the apartment, we went for some lunch in one of the only restaurants open at this time of day. The food was good and suppressed our hunger. After we were all fed, we headed to see one of the many churches on the top of a mountain by a small fishing village, Cheronissos. Even from this height you are able to see just how clear the water is with it glistening up at you. Around this church were many goats all protecting their young and it seemed as though they were also protecting the church. After looking at the church we continued down into the fishing village and beach. This was so peaceful and gorgeous with no one else around due to there not being tourists and the hotels not opening yet. However, the size and the lack of tavernas there suggest that during the peak of the season this place may still stand in a peaceful tranquillity. It was definitely a little slice of paradise. That evening for the sunset we headed to the town of Kastro which had an ancient wall and the most beautiful stone streets leading through the houses. This little village was one of the most beautiful places and also had a small chapel on the rocks by the water. These views were amazing. After the sunset we decided to get some food and drinks from the supermarket and head back to our house for the evening. Today we woke up to beautiful sunshine so we defined the best plan of action would be to head to the beach! We found a beautiful sandy beach with a few cafes along the sand. We had some lunch and coffee in Yalos cafe which was the best meal we had so far. While also looking out at the extended stretch of sea that was a beautiful turquoise. For a few hours we decided to relax on this beach & swim. Considering the weather wasn’t that hot the water was warm allowing for us to have a proper swim in the beautiful waters. This beach also had a little chapel on the rocks looking over the beach and the sea. It was clear that this island loved their churches and monasteries. This little town and beach was popular with the locals but also had a lot of hotels and apartments to rent. In the height of summer, I can imagine this would be a busy part of the island, but it deserves the recognition for its beauty. After the beach we wanted to head somewhere to get some food and decided the best place would be back to the area where we ate the first evening. Finding a grill restaurant, we managed to get some Greek food. That evening was spent chasing the sunset around the island. We had planned to walk up to a church to watch the sunset over the sea, however we underestimated the height of it and decided we would not make it in time. Instead of this we parked up and walked along a dirt track to the edge of the island and managed to catch the most amazing sunset as it set over the sea. For the rest of the evening we went to a bar within the town that the locals would probably describe as “nightlife”. But it worked for a drink and to relax. On Sunday we had our ferry booked for 2:40pm so the morning was spent looking around the port town. These offered beautiful ceramic shops and pottery while also hosting a bunch of lovely restaurants. As Sifnos is famous for its ceramic and pottery so we decided that we should definitely get a few gifts and just appreciate their artwork. Our time on Sifnos was one to remember as we were able to experience the traditional Greek island life without the invasion of extensive tourism. It is truly a special island and I would recommend it to everyone.
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The Academics:We are three Brighton University students who have been given the opportunity to study at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. This blog will be our way of sharing our experiences of living and studying in Greece, plus will include tips and advice for those also looking to study abroad or even just visit Athens. Who we are:
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June 2020
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