Sifnos Maps

Sifnos is an island in the western Cyclades, located between Serifos and Milos. The island covers 29 square miles and has a permanent population of approximately 2,600 residents. Apollonia, the capital, is located in the island's center on a hilltop and consists of three connected villages featuring traditional Cycladic architecture with whitewashed houses, domed churches, and dovecotes. Kamares on the west coast serves as the main port.

Sifnos was wealthy in antiquity due to gold and silver mines, sending offerings to Delphi including a treasury building. The ancient mines are now exhausted. The island is known for its pottery tradition, continuing from ancient times, with workshops producing traditional terracotta ware. Sifnos is also celebrated for its culinary traditions, having produced several famous Greek chefs, and is considered a gastronomic destination.

The island features numerous churches and monasteries, including the Monastery of Chryssopigi, the island's patron, dramatically positioned on a rocky promontory on the south coast, connected to the mainland by a narrow bridge. The coastal village of Kastro, the medieval capital, preserves Venetian fortifications and narrow alleyways with ancient marble fragments incorporated into buildings. Artemonas, another large village near Apollonia, features grand neoclassical mansions. Sifnos has good beaches, hiking trails connecting villages along ancient paths, and a well-developed but not excessive tourism infrastructure.