Peace, hiking and fine food in the Cyclades
Sifnos is a ‘tiny rocky world’ with ‘godly’ views – and fewer tourists than other Greek hotspots

Known for their “honeyed” light, their whitewashed towns and the harsh beauty of their mountainous interiors, the Cyclades islands contain some of Greece’s hottest tourist spots.
But Sifnos, in the west of the archipelago, is a quiet place, says Lydia Bell in Condé Nast Traveller – a “tiny, rocky world” where life still follows an older rhythm. Ancient terraces of fig, almond and olive groves grace its hillsides, and wild verbena, mint, sage and thyme scent its air.
Perched high on the island’s spine are tiny, domed churches and “mazy” villages that command “godly” views of the cerulean sea. It lacks the flashy hotels of Mykonos and the dazzling beaches of Milos, and it doesn’t have an airport; visitors come for “discretion, isolation, hiking” – and some of the region’s best food.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It was a Sifnian, Nikolaos Tselementes, who wrote the nation’s first recipe book, in 1910 – a work so celebrated that his surname became a Greek word for cookbook. But locals say the island’s true cuisine is lighter than that found elsewhere in Greece, with rosemary flowers favoured over rosemary leaves, parsley over coriander, dill over fennel, black pepper over chilli, and so on. You could take a cookery class with George Narlis, whose farm supplies some of the island’s best restaurants.
Sifnos was also famed a century and more ago as a potter’s island, its shore studded with wood-burning kilns. Recently, there’s been a revival of the craft, with at least 16 ceramics studios operating today. A tour should include Sifnos Stoneware, known for its “delicately pretty” dishes.
But perhaps the surest way of tapping into the island’s soul is to attend a saint’s day celebration at one of its remote churches, where you’ll find food shared among all-comers at long, “monastic” tables, and much singing and dancing to the music of the lute and violin.
Accommodation options include Nós (stayatnos.com) and villas such as Sifnos Pav and Sifnos Pad (fivestargreece.com).
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
'You might be surprised by how much you find yourself cheering for them'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'
Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
-
A journey into Egypt's western desert
The Week Recommends There is much more to be found in Egypt when straying from the usual tourist destinations
-
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: full of 'revelations and surprises'
The Week Recommends The Design Museum's sweeping collection of all things swimming contains hidden depths
-
The Ugly Stepsister: 'slyly funny' body-horror take on Cinderella
The Week Recommends Emilie Blichfeldt's cutting Norwegian revision of the classic fairy tale leaves no character unscathed
-
John Boyne shares his favourite books
The Week recommends The bestselling novelist picks works by Tobias Wolff, Christos Tsiolkas, and Agatha Christie
-
The Brightening Air: a 'gripping' family drama
The Week Recommends Connor McPherson's Chekhovian drama about a pair of siblings whose lives are upended by the arrival of their relations
-
6 isolated homes for hermits
Feature Featuring a secluded ranch on 560 acres in New Mexico and a home inspired by a 400-year-old Italian farmhouse in Colorado