The sail from Santorini to Sifnos was smooth as glass. We arrived around 8: 00 a.m. and anchored in a beautiful crescent shaped bay, Platys Gialos. Sifnos is a mountainous island with fertile valleys, beautiful beaches and several small towns. It has been inhabited since 3000 BC. It has a number of beautiful Cycladic villages including Kastro, and Appollonia that we were able to visit on our excursion. There are also a number of sandy beaches, 365 Churches and monasteries. Sifnos is more green and fertile then it's neighbors. Platy Yialos is said to be one of the longest beaches in the islands. It is an excellent place for spending the day swimming or playing on the golden sandy beach.
I was signed up for the excursion that was offered, The Dazzling White Villages of Sifnos. We met at the gangway at 9:00 a.m. and boarded the tender for the quick ride ashore. Once ashore we were met by our guide and got on another luxury motor coach for the ride to our first stop the monastery of Panayia Chrysopigi, the protectress of the island and unique symbol of Sifnos.
On the road leading to the village of Platis Yialos is the holy rock of Chrissopigi (golden fountain), a famous breathtaking site of Sifnos. On the top of this rock which forms a small peninsula stands the monastery. The monastery is famous for its architecture and location built on a rocky promontory, it is cut off from the mainland by a narrow strip of sea and was built in 1650 and connected to the rest of the island by a small bridge. It is the most visited monument on the island, as much for the beauty of the site as for the peaceful atmosphere of this tranquil location.
The monastery houses the miraculous icon of Panagia Chrissopigi to whom more than 35 miracles are attributed and who is the patron saint of Sifnos since 1964. The main church is a barrel-vaulted basilica without any aisle with inside walls forming a semi-circular arc. The main church is a barrel-vaulted basilica without any aisle with the inside walls forming a semi-circular arc. The floor is made of marble and has an inscription with the date 1818. The church has a wonderful carved wood icon screen.
We left the monastery and followed the winding roads, to an interior village, Apollonia. Along the way we passed numerous hillsides that were terraced with rock walls, and often planted with grapes. Apollonia village is a lovely village that has been the capital of Sifnos since 1836. It is located in the center of the island. It is built around three hills and is the commercial and administrative center of Sifnos.
We left the bus and enjoyed a downhill walk along its stone paved pedestrian alleys leading through the village before we rejoined the bus. The village is full of narrow stone-paved streets and Cycladic-style houses decorated with brightly colored flowers, and strange chimney pots decorated with birds.
We then went to the village of Kastro, a lovely cliff-top village located 5 kilometers from Apollonia. It offers a magnificent panoramic view of the sea. The capital of the island until 1836, Kastro played a very important role in the history of Sifnos and has been inhabited since the prehistoric period. The current village was built in the ruins of the ancient capital of Sifnos and is the only village of the island with a strong medieval character. The town is pedestrian only and is full of little streets, and alleys, lined with two story homes and churches. A big part of its boundary walls survive as well as the features of a Venetian fortress. Venetian coats of arms and ancient wall-fragments can still be seen on most of the houses of the village. We took a walk through the (pedestrian only) medieval village situated at the top of a rock with steep cliffs on its side and panoramic views over the sea and the neighboring islands. Kastro retains all of the characteristics of a fortified village, having been rebuilt in 1630 during the Venetian colonization. When we finished walking through the village we stopped at a lovely café, Leonidas Taverna, for meza and drinks. The 30 minute rest was welcome has we had been walking up and down hills for a couple of hours.
We then went back to the village of Artemonas where we observed a uniquely picturesque traditional village, seemingly unscathed by modern life. In the village’s old aristocratic neighborhood you can admire neoclassic mansions built 200 years ago. The whitewashed houses with their fluid architecture are a truly enchanting experience for all visitors. While here our guide was asked by a local what we were doing. When she found out we were invited into her home to see the insides of one of these mansions. It was lovely. We then visited another church within the town. Interestingly one of our group ask the guide about choirs, and she had no idea what was being asked. I was able to let her know that the question was whether choirs were used in the churches, or just cantors. The answer was as I expected that just cantors sing in the churches on the island.
We then had a chance to visit a couple of bakeries where Daniel and I bought some lovely cookies before we headed back to the ship. We had one last stop to make, the monastery of Panagia tou Vounou (Our Lady of the Mountain). Located on a hillside between Apollonia and Platis Yialos, the site offers a fantastic panoramic view. It was founded in 1813 by the monk Gerasimos Avranopoulos.
The main church was built in the 19th century with Doric columns and capitals from an ancient building and is an extension to an old church dating from the 17th century. It is a cross-in-square church with four columns, five domes and three aisles. The church has a beautiful carved wood icon screen and in the abbot's quarters some vestments and ecclesiastical vessels can be seen. The view from the patio was breathtaking.
We learned from our guide that Sunday is Rivithia day when all the restaurants serve the delicious chickpea stew that is the specialty of the island, but if you don't get there early you may miss out. Another specialty along these lines are the delicious rivithia keftedes which are falafels. We then made our way back to the ship where the captain soon weighed anchor and we sailed to the other side of the island to Kameras.
The ride was a bit choppy as it was windy but we enjoyed what was to be a last lunch on deck 6. Then we had a nice surprise. We had an on deck Champagne & Carviar “service”. Not a splash – since it wasn’t beachside, but champagne and caviar served poolside around 2:30. We soon arrived and anchored at Kameras. Kameras has a long golden sand beach long beach, and is the main ferry port of the island. The main street is the harbor road with restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels on one side of the street, and the tables and chairs and the bay on the other. There are a couple supermarkets, and finally on your left a long crescent shaped beach with the tiny village of Agia Marina on the far side.
The bay of Kameras is a long sheltered cove and it is the rare day that there are any waves. The beach is surprisingly shallow and it takes a long time to get to where the water is over your head. Plus the shallow bay insures that the water will be warmer since it is easier for the sun to heat up.
The water sports platform was lowered and FT enjoyed a final day of kayaking as I went ashore to explore the small village. The village is just as described above, with not a lot of activity, especially considering that we were there on a Friday afternoon. It seems that the season does not start for another month or so.
It was then back to the yacht on my final tender ride of this trip. We enjoyed a last round of cocktails on the pool deck and a last al fresco dinner. Once again we made two voyages without stepping foot in the dining room.
Tonight’s menu included:
Starters
Marinated Crab Meat Salad with Avocado- Cucumber Crème
Spicy Thai Beef Salad with fresh Mango
Homemade Vegetable Spring Rolls
Soups
French Style Onion Soup
Chilled Raspberry
Salads
Greek Style Caesar salad
New Potato Salad with bacon
Chef’s Main Dishes
Marinated Norwegian Salmon with Potato Crust
Whole Roast Prime Rib-Eye Beef
Turkey Breast Roulade
Desserts
Chocolate Silk cake
Crispy Apple Tarte
Ginger Pudding with vanilla and Honey Sauce
After dinner we headed back to the cabin as both FT and myself had to pack for the dreaded trip home. Bags were put outside the cabin and we weighed anchor one last time and sailed to or port of debarkation, Piraeus, Athens, Greece. We enjoyed another wonderfully smooth sail to our final destination Piraeus, a distance of 98 nautical miles.
More pictures are available on my flickr page by clicking HERE
The author of this blog is not compensated by Sea Dream Yacht Club in any manner.
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