General Information

Sifnos is a small island of the western Cyclades, close to Kimolos, Serifos, Paros and Milos, all of them at a distance less than 20 nautical miles. The island is wedge-shaped; its extent is 74 square kilometers, the coast line reaches the 50 kilometers and the highest point is the top of Prophetes Elias (Prophet Elijah), of an altitude of 680 meters.
The island counts some 2.500 permanent residents, mostly occupied in agriculture, stock breeding and fishing; pottery is also a traditional occupation, whereas recently, seafaring and tourism add a lot to the income of the people.

The coast line varies a lot: as the sea penetrates deep in the land, it forms several small coves with sandy or rocky beaches, usually hidden from the open sea.


The small island, although rocky, is pretty fertile and produces several agricultural products and handicrafts for which it is quite well known: savory honey, various types of cheese, figs, traditional sweets and hand woven textiles. But above all, Sifnos is famous for its pottery, a traditional activity with products exported all over the Aegean Sea.


The history of the island is long and goes back to the remote past. In what concerns its name, scholars seem to agree with the tradition of Mythology that the island owes its name to Sifnos, the first settler of the island who was a son of Sounios, a mythic hero of Attica.

During the Archaic and Classical times the place knew affluence and prosperity, thanks to the gold and silver mines it exploited. Its flourish lasted as long as the ore deposits and when they were all consumed the island declined. As a result, during the Roman and the Byzantine periods it had been used as a place of exile and suffered numerous pirates’ raids and attacks from various invaders.


The Byzantine domination was succeeded by that of the Francs and later on by the Ottomans, whose domination lasted until the National Greek Revolution of 1821. Sifnos was then included in the territory of the newly founded Greek State and ever since its destiny and development is common with that of the rest of Greece.

Today the island makes part of the Prefecture of Cyclades. A lot of tourists, both Greeks and from other countries visit Sifnos, especially in summer. Nightlife is more intense in Appolonia, the capital and Kamares, the port of the island. The rest of the villages, although relatively quiet, also offer opportunities for amusement and nightlife.