Serifos was the third stop of our Island Hopping holiday last month.
After beautiful and buzzing Milos island, my mind and body started to seek tranquility, a relaxed vibe by the Aegean Sea. My summer wanderings had never brought me to this -almost untouched- Cycladic paradise, which insists on staying authentic.
When your feet touches its land you understand why.
It looks like a wave, suddenly formed, in a serene sea. The stress of city living, deadlines that have brought us to our limits, the demands of everyday life are forgotten when you arrive at Serifos.
There is only its unobtrusive charm, seventy-two beaches to explore, aromas of sea delicacies, the view of unlimited blue, and the ability to live in the present moment, as your mind is focused on the beauty that is here right now.
When you walk along the port, in Livadi, alongside the longest beach of the island, Avlomonas, you inhale the sea salt and when you look to your left you see the most beautiful Chora of the Cyclades, dressed in white.
In this place, which, has a rich mythological history, including references to the box containing Danae and Perseus, I left a bit of my heart.
The land of Serifos, after all, creates a powerful energy field that either drives you away or keeps you forever...
15 things to do in Serifos
- Go to the traditional cafe "Stou Stratou", in the central square of the Chora, for breakfast (order omelet, you will remember me), for (the dessert) Kormos in the afternoon, or for Raki in the evening. And generally, enjoy the evenings on the central square, enjoy the company of the people sitting in the colorful chairs, outside the neoclassical building of 1907 that houses the Town Hall. Also, try the pancakes of Barbarossa.
- Feel that your feet are sinking in gold at Psili Ammos beach. Turquoise waters, wonderful golden sand with ore castings and a small depth initially, growing gradually, it’s no wonder in 2003 it was declared the best beach in Europe. The only thing is that families with children also love also this beach so it can get busy.
- Enjoy every minute of your time at the Cocomat Eco Residences lounge bar on Vagia Beach. In a previous life, it was a complex of miners' houses, built in 1910, which has recently been renovated into a back to basics eco-friendly hotel.
- Get lost in the charming Chora, walk through its labyrinthine alleys with the stairs, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, from Pano to Kato Chora, among the whitewashed houses. A route that eventually leads you to the central path with the wide stairs that connects to the road that reaches Livadi. Try it one night and you will not regret it.
- Dive into Agios Sostis, this "double" sheltered beach, with the clear blue waters that took its name from the chapel of Agios Sostis on the side. Pebbles on one side and thinner pebbles on the other, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches of Serifos overlooking the island of Vou. And if you are bored of loneliness, go for a cool aperitif by the pool at the cocktail bar of Rizes Hotel.
- Eat breakfast or sweets at Glykisma in Livadi. Handmade traditional products, delicacies and certainly, the pastels of Serifos. Because the sweet treats are the salt-sprout of life.
- Experience the glorious Istioploikos Omilos, or Kafeneion, located in Livadi, in front of the sea, embraced by its century-old sea-tree, from 1994. There, you can go in the morning for coffee or arrive late at night for a dance until the sun rises
- At the meadow, eat at "Fagopoti", by the sea, with well-prepared local meals. In the end, you will also be spoiled with kaimaki ice cream.
- Go for a beach hopping journey. Vagia with pebbles, Ganema with sand and pebbles and Koutalas. I will also include Kalo Ambeli, a wild authentic beach with sand, at the most special beaches of the island along with Agios Sostis. While in the most crowded ones except Ganema and Psili Ammos, Livadakia and Sykamia are also included. But as I said, the island has 72 beaches, you will not run out.
10. As you go to Megalo Livadi, eat at the Tavern "Cyclopas", which cooks local meats. You can combine it with sunset hour, so you can see the colors of the sun being lost in the old mines, on the ladder and on the wagons. Along the loading ladder, there is a source of warm, sparkling water. While a little further, you can see the Governor's Office, an impressive Neoclassical building in the architectural style of Ernst Ziller, unfortunately, ruined, but recently given the green light for its restoration.
- Visit the really organized and clean camping, Coralli on the golden sand of Livadakia, 5 minutes from the harbor. With space for tents but also modern bungalows, swimming pool and lounge bar, it looks more like a hotel.
- Enjoy your cocktail at Aerino bar, with a balcony in the Aegean, at Chora! Then go through Gaidaros and finish with the Vatrahos, in the square of the Windmills.
- Follow some of the 7 mapped hiking trails that are the ideal pillars to fill your heart with the eerie Cycladic landscape.
- Go to Platis Yialos, in the northern part of the island, and eat fresh fish in Nicoulas. Make sure to taste their mellow chickpeas.
- Admire the magnificent view from the castle, where the church of St. Constantine is, which makes you feel like you are flying.
We would like to thank the Municipality of Serifos for the invitation and especially the Mayor Mr. Antonis Antonakis for his personal tour of the island and our beautiful discussions, as well as the Deputy Mayor of Tourism Dimitris Rotas. We also thank Mr. Vasilis Kanellopoulos, his wife Ermina and their daughter Sofia for the amazing hospitality at Amalia Apartments.
*All images by Polina Paraskevopoulou (Copyright)
