Beaches of Sifnos
A wide beach, as it's name suggests, Platis Gialos is by far the most popular beach on Sifnos, indeed one of the longest beaches in Cyclades. The village has restaurants, hotels, rooms for rent, a municipal camping ground, grocery stores, and pottery workshops where visitors can observe the craft of making pottery in the traditional Greek fashion.
The name of the official Port of Sifnos comes from the ancient Greek word 'Kamara', meaning 'arch' or 'dome' which is a reference to the many caves on the rocky coast of the bay in the distant past. Those caves have now been turned into houses, shops, cafes and underground storage where local boats are stored over the wintertime. Since the end of the last century Kamares boasts the largest seaport and township on the island. The main town is located to the right of the Bay of Kamares, and here you will find an array of shops selling groceries, pastries and pottery. There is also a Tourist Information Centre, Newsagent, gallery and pottery workshops, Restaurants, Hotels, Rooms to Rent, car and motor cycle hire and private camping grounds.
Vathi, meaning 'deep', takes it's name from the depth of the sea in the Harbour, as well as from the fact that the Harbour here is situated at the bottom end of the surrounding area. A quiet and picturesque village, it is easily accessible either by land or by boat into the small harbour. You can also use the old trail to Vathi which takes you through Katavati.
Faros meaning lighthouse, obviously takes its name from the old lighthouse that was located right at the entrance of the small Harbour. Situated on the northeast side of Sifnos, Faros is considered to have the safest harbour on the island. Indeed Faros was the official harbour untill 1883. This pretty fishing village is small and quiet, and like Fasolou, Faros and Glyfo it has a number of beautiful sandy beaches along the nearby coves.
Chryssopigi is a small peninsula 10km south of Apollonia. Enjoy the idyllic scenery, the golden beaches and the blue waters. Small coves create sceneries of unique beauty, while the isolated beaches offer visitors the feeling of a private beach. The region is considered one of the most beautiful in the whole island. The monastery of Panagia, built in 1650, is located at the edge of the peninsula and the local legend says that the icon of Panagia came to the island out of the sea.
The name of this small, rather isolated, community on the north side of Sifnos means peninsula, and derives etymologically from hersos, meaning untitled land, and nessos, meaning island. On your way to Herronissos, you will come upon Troullaki, a tiny rural community where there is a taverna, and Yiavrouha, another small settlement where there is a pottery workshop.
