Serifos: An Enchanting Greek Island in the Western Cyclades

Over the years, while living on the Greek island of Syros (the administrative capital of the Cycladic group of islands – Kyklades in Greek), I had heard from various travelers how enchanting and unique the island of Serifos was.

It was said to have an ‘exquisite dreamlike quality’. Not so far away from Syros, it is in a chain that forms the western Cyclades.

The Western Cyclades

There are six main islands forming this western arc, including Kea in the north, adjoining mainland Attica, down to Milos in the south, a distance of approximately 120 km. The others are Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and Kimilos.

In recent years, I have been fortunate enough to visit all but one from my home on Syros. While they are all similar in topography, being rocky barren outcrops in the royal blue Aegean Sea, they all have their own unique characteristics and charm.

The only island I had not visited was the alluring Serifos, in the center of this group. It can be seen from the southern end of Syros, approximately 30 nautical miles away.

Serifos is medium-sized by Greek island standards, roughly circular in shape, with an area of 75 km² (29 sq mi). Its highest elevation is 585 meters (location of the Chapel of Profit Ilias), and has a permanent population of approximately 1,300 people.

It is known as the Iron Lady of the Cyclades because of its extensive iron ore and copper deposits. The mines closed in the 1960s, and it now depends on tourism and small-scale agriculture.

Journey to Serifos

So, to satisfy my curiosity, I boarded the small Hellenic Seaways ferry ‘Artemis’ early on a warm September morning. The four-hour trip down to Serifos, with a brief stop at Paros on the way, cost just 8 euros.

As the ferry enters the small port of Livadi, at the southern end of Livadi bay on the southeast coast, an extraordinary panorama emerges high above. It is the brilliant white Chora (Serifos Town) shimmering atop a mountain five kilometers away. Many consider it the most striking Chora in the Cyclades.

Most Cycladic islands have one, being a village or town on top of a mountain, overlooking their ports and harbors. They were deliberately built high up, offering protection from lazy marauding pirates of days gone by.

Apparently, these pirates of yesteryear were more at home on water and so couldn’t be bothered with steep mountain climbs.

Exploring Livadi and Surroundings

Livadi bay opens out to the north, providing a superb, large sandy beach (Avlomonas) approximately one km in length. Because of its elevated amphitheater effect, the bay offers excellent protection from the strong prevailing north winds. (Eighty percent of winds in the Cyclades come from the north.)

Anchored in the harbor were numerous yachts and motorboats. The water here is classic Aegean blue—clean and inviting with many beachcombers about.

We arrived around midday. I strolled from the port through the busy waterfront of Livadi town to find my Pension, Delfini Rooms, about halfway around the bay.

It was all better than I had expected. It had a busy touristy vibe with a wide pedestrian promenade alongside moored yachts. The lovely, warm day, with a stunning beach beckoning, enhanced my excitement.

A new island adventure, an uplifting ethereal feeling, I have experienced many times before in Greece.

When visiting these wonderful Greek islands, I always take my swimming goggles and snorkel. Swimming and hiking the mountain trails are my favorite pastimes. Serifos has a lot of both to offer.

Serifos Town – Chora

That evening, I ventured up to the alluring Chora on the small island bus, a 10-minute ride for 2 euros.

The view back down over the port and Livadi Bay is stunning. To the south, the neighboring island of Sifnos can be seen. I had been there two years earlier in similar circumstances.

Serifos Town is fascinating with its unique Cycladic white architecture and enchanting alleyways. Several iconic churches serve as magnets, seeming to hold this hilltop place together.

It was very busy with tourists like me enjoying the sunset. Its unique traditional charm is on display.

However, the many craft shops, bars, and tavernas slightly detract from its Greek authenticity. Still, it’s always a wonderful experience.

I chatted with a group of ten Americans in a rooftop bar. They were chartering a large catamaran yacht, sailing around the islands for three weeks. They were exuberant and full of the joys that travel provides.

Good fun and boisterous, American tourists always add something to the scene. We have an affinity, us Aussies and Yanks. I guess being Anglo-Saxon from the same colonial past helps.

Also joining in the chat were two English ladies from Newcastle, on the first day of their two-week holiday. While more reserved, they were equally excited to be on top of a Greek island, enjoying the stunning sunset, with an Aperol Spritz in hand.

The two English ladies and I left the large American group and headed to a nearby Taverna to enjoy a traditional Greek island meal.

When settled at our table, who should burst noisily through the door but our new American friends. By this stage, there was much back-slapping camaraderie as they occupied a large table close by.

The traditional local dishes were excellent and the Kokino Crassi (red wine) was even better.

Beaches of Serifos

The free promotional booklet about the island said that “Psili Ammos beach has been granted first prize among the twenty most beautiful beaches in Europe.” Wow, that is a big statement, so it was a must-see.

The following day started with a glorious early morning swim across the road from my pension room.

Excited by the thought of a new adventure, I set off for a one-hour hike north, in search of this paradise called Psili Ammos. The walk on the sealed black bitumen road was hot and challenging. There were several steep hills to climb before descending onto the beach.

Maybe it’s because I have been to many stunning beaches throughout Greece over the years, or because it was a very windy day, but I felt a tad cheated when arriving at Psili Ammos.

While the white sandy beach with Tamarisk trees offering shade was attractive, it certainly didn’t rank in the top twenty best beaches I have seen in Greece, and certainly not in all of Europe.

Regardless, I had a delightful swim, then relaxed in a shady spot and enjoyed the cheese, bread and fruit lunch from my backpack.

The next day, I caught a bus for the fourteen-kilometer (20-minute) journey to Koutala Bay, on the south side of the island. Set in a deep inlet, the white sandy beach was again pleasant enough, without being stunning.

At the western end was a large derelict metal mining crane/hoist apparatus that had certainly seen better days, a testament to the island’s recent mining past.

Small and lovely, the Agia Irene Orthodox Church, perched at the northern end, was for me the highlight of this beach experience. I always find these intimate small chapels intriguing with their spiritual connections. The ornate decorative interiors within the whitewash stucco walls, and the ubiquitous Greek flag fluttering above, add to their charm.

I am a connoisseur of the world’s flags, an unusual hobby, I know, and often say that the distinctive royal blue and white Greek flag is as good as any.

Whitewashed Churches

As I had discovered on my first night, the Chora on top of Serifos is the island’s main attraction, a must-see for all tourists. It is also the island’s main settlement, comprising an amphitheater of white buildings on a rocky hill.

The brochure said it was a one-hour walk up to the Chora from Livadi, partly on the main road and also on wide, well-marked steps.

It was already nudging thirty degrees when I left for this exciting expedition around eleven a.m. About halfway up, a distance of 5 km, I passed a middle-aged American heading down in the opposite direction. We exchanged pleasantries and both bemoaned the warm day.

The dazzling white Chora is separated into two neighborhoods, Pano Chora and Kato Chora. Pano is topped by the ruins of a 15th-century Venetian kastro (castle). Many of its medieval cube-shaped houses, some incorporating stone from the castle, have been renovated as holiday homes by Greek artists and architects.

All this adds to its authentic charm. This place has ‘soul’.

Upon reaching the main settlement of Pano Chora, I headed for the highest vantage point, Aghia Konstantinos Orthodox Church, 10 minutes away.

On the way up, I passed through a lovely open piazza square with a bustling café and outdoor chairs. This is the Pano Piatsa, where a marvelous neoclassical Town Hall is, and the cathedral of Saint Athanasios. It was now lunchtime and the square was busy with tourists and locals.

There are several landmark Greek Orthodox Churches in this precinct, Pano Chora. The standout is Aghia Konstantinos, at the apex of the hill and the island’s iconic landmark.

While I was recovering from the steep climb and admiring the stunning vista down over Livadi Bay and the Aegean, I noticed the same American waving from below.

Meeting Fellow Travelers

I joined him at the lower-level church of Aghios Ioannis (St John), carved into rock. It turns out that Greg had been descending when I saw him earlier, to retrieve his hire car and drive back up. We chatted and decided to head back down to the nearby Pano Piatsa square for a coffee and to further our conversation.

He was from Boston and a freelance writer and publisher. He was on his first trip to Greece and waiting for his wife and daughter to arrive the next day.

Being a travel writer, I was fascinated to hear about his work as a published author. His one piece of advice for me about writing was to “just keep reading and writing; the more you write, the better you get.” This was a ‘Wow’ moment for me, talking with an experienced and accomplished author.

We chatted for an hour and he then graciously drove me back down to the port. We exchanged contact details, as one often does when traveling. Random meetings with like-minded souls can be very uplifting, especially when traveling alone. I would be looking up his published works on my return home. (Greg Shaw – Clyde Hill Publishing)

Too Soon, It’s Time to Leave

That afternoon, I made the return trip to Syros on the same Artemis ferry. This time it was a direct journey of just two hours. There was a lot of the island I had not seen, but the ferry schedule back to Syros meant I had to leave either on a Wednesday or the following Sunday. A week would have been too long.

Nevertheless, I felt that my four days on Serifos were enough to gain an appreciation of what the island had to offer, both as a tourist and as a Greek island resident, which I am.

I would strongly recommend Serifos as a unique small island getaway with a chilled, low-key, relaxed vibe. It is not a mass tourism trap, like Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Rhodes and Kos, but a place where you can connect with Greek island traditions and charm.

The locals are extremely friendly and hospitable. They recognize and appreciate that the six-month summer tourist season provides their main livelihood.

Serifos is well-connected to Athens and other islands, being on the Piraeus, Western Cyclades ferry route. The island’s ‘X Factor’ for me was the charming port town of Livadi with its stunning beach and easy connection to the historical and enchanting Chora, perched high above.

As I had been told, it does have an ‘exquisite dreamlike quality’, and offers a unique Greek Island experience.

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Author Bio: Gavin Woodward is an Australian now living on the Greek Island of Syros … capital of the Cyclades. He likes to write about his travels around Greece … and Europe beyond. He has had numerous articles published about his Greek Islands adventures.

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