Serifos and Sifnos island hopping walking tour

Arrival at Athens airport and transfer to hotel in Piraeus by private taxi. Your driver will hand over your envelope with the ferry tickets for your trip.

Note: If you arrive at Serifos from another island, we tailor your trip and provide the ferry ticket you need and book an additional night in Serifos instead of Piraeus. You are then able to do the circular walk from Livadi via Chora today.

You will walk to the port or ask the reception desk to assist with your transfer to the port. Usually you will arrive in the morning on Serifos. Your hotel will be in Livadi, close to the port. After checking in you will have time to do the great circular walk from Livadi via Chora. If you are in for a longer walk or if you arrived already a day earlier to Serifos, you can take a taxi to Panagia and
walk all the way down to Livadi, passing Chora on your way.

Challenge: 4,8 km / 3mi, 250m ascent , 250m descent

Today you’ll follow a circular trail starting in the village of Panagia.
The trail is a rocky path through agricultural land, and you will cross a pretty creek. You’ll walk through the settlement of Galani, whereafter you make your final descent to the deserted beach of Sykamia where you may go for a swim. You walk back via a different route, most on dirt roads and paths, until you
reach the village where you started off: Panagia. In the center of this village is the old Byzantine church of Panagia, dating from the 10th century. If it is open, don’t miss to look at the wonderful fresco´s dating back to 1300 AD.

Challenge: 8,2 km/ 5,1mi, 360m ascent/descent

Todays walk starts in Chora that is connected with a frequent bus connection with Livadi. After a coffee on the town square you start your walk on the best preserved path on Serifos: the path to Kallitsos, also called Kentarchos. This is a picturesque settlement with narrow streets and traditional houses. You continue to Galani and pass the monastery of Taxiarchon on your way. This
monastery looks like a fortress. There is still one monk who may invite you for a sweet before you continue. Via Galani (another tiny village that owes its name to the oldgalenite mines), you reach Panagia with its old church. You walk back to Chora via a great path offering beautiful views of Chora and towards the sea).

Challenge: 15,6 km/ 9,7mi, 680m ascent/descent

You will take high speed to Sifnos today (included). Depending on the arrival time, you will have time for a shorter or a longer circular walk from Apollonia.
The shorter walk follows the old donkey route that was once the only main connection between Apollonia and the port of Kamares. On your way back you walk past the church of Agios Antypas that once was in use as a primary school. For the longer option you first ascend through rural countryside and make a loop to get to Artemonas. Here starts your descent to the picturesque church of Panagia Poulati. Whilst enjoying great sea views you reach Kastro, the capital of Sifnos until 1836. Your ascent back to Apollonia is along a green valley. You cross the creek and via a beautifully constructed donkey trail you reach Apollonia.

Challenge: 4 or 9,7 km / 2,5 or 6mi, 125 or 350m ascent/descent

Today’s walk leads you via paved paths and dirt roads along the south-eastern highlights of Sifnos. Via well-kept cultivated terraces you reach the Holy Monastery of Vryssi, that now also hosts a museum of Ecclesiastic Art.
Then follows a gradual descent to the beach of Apokofto and the Church of Chrysopigi. This section offers beautiful views to the Aegean sea. There is a possibility to cut the walk short at this point. But it is worth to continue! Next
stop is Faros port, the main port of Sifnos till 1883. A great paved path leads you to Kastro, that was the capital of Sifnos until 1836. From the Kastro you go uphill and back to Apollonia.

Challenge: 15,4 km or 8 km /9,6 or 5mi, 500 or 170m ascent/descent

You take a local bus to Platys Gialos. From Platys Gialos you walk along a slope full of junipers and ascend to the chapel of Profitis Ilias Kondou. Your efforts to climb up here are rewarded with panoramic views! This is an absolute highlight walk on Sifnos. The descent towards the remote bay of Fykiada is one of the best parts of the week! Leaving Fykiada Bay behind, you face a steep ascent and walk through the hinterlands until the Megalogianni cave. From there you descend to the beautiful bay of Vathy and take a local bus back to Artemonas.

Challenge: 9,5 km/ 5,9mi, 310 ascent/descent

For today’s linear walk, you ascend gradually in a south-westerly direction.
Via Monasteries and chapels you pass through old fields, olive groves and abandoned huts. The views are spectacular! You reach the remote church of Panagia Toso Nero, an ideal place to rest. Through even wilder and harsher surroundings you get to the highest point of today from where you may see even the Taygetos mountain on the Peloponnese!
The last section is a steep downhill to the port of Kamares. There is an alternative provided in our road book.

NOTE: On day 6, 7 or 8, or if you have booked additional nights in Apollonia/Artemonas, you can alternatively walk to the summit of the Profitis Ilias with its church situated at the highest point of Sifnos (657m).

Challenge: 13,5 km/ 8,4mi, 610m ascent, 790m descent

You can choose today to relax on the beach, but it is also fabulous to
make a last terrific round walk on Sifnos. The route follows the old
donkey route that connected Kamares with Apollonia. The trail itself and the views of the gorge are great. Just before reaching Apollonia, the route bends south and ascends along an old nunnery and several chapels through fields until the high pass at 420m above Kamares is reached. From there a steep descent until you reach the port of Kamares.

Challenge: 11,4 km /7,1mi, 425m ascent/descent

After breakfast you depart per ferry or high speed to Piraeus or another destination. Sifnos has connections with Piraeus, Naxos, Santorini and Amorgos (Katapola). In the peak season there may be other connections as well.