Serifos
What makes Serifos Island unique and what you need to know before visiting it!
Serifos on Google Maps
How to get to Serifos and my visit to the island
Serifos is one of the islands in the Cyclades complex located close to Athens. It takes a bit more than four hours to get there on the conventional ferry from Piraeus (a one-way ticket costs around €30), which operates throughout the year or two and a half hours on the high speed ferry (a one-way ticket costs around €45-50), which operates only during the high season (usually April to October).
Though I’ve only visited Serifos once, I was lucky enough to have a long holiday on the island. Some friends of mine own a summer house there and somehow we became a huge group of people (their friends and friends’ friends) all spending our holidays together. Altogether we were more than 20 people. Some of us were hosted by our friends in their summer house, others stayed in a hotel and the rest stayed at the camping in Livadakia. We were all located at a walking distance from each other and close to the port of Livadi.
Our friends who own the summer house don’t originate from the island but they visit it very often because of their property. Thus they have a profound knowledge not just about the island, the best places to visit and the things to do there but they’re also acquainted with locals. The latter often made us feel less like tourists and more part of the local community. Because of our friends’ knowledge of the island, they were in charge of our holiday planning. Specifically with our friend J., who has excellent organisational skills, we had the privilege to visit a number of amazing beaches and enjoy some very nice dinners. Sometimes it was rather challenging to find a table to dine all together, since our group was so large and it was mid-August, the peak of the high season. But fortunately we managed most of the times or more precisely put, J. managed.
A Cycladic Island Near Athens
Why would anyone go on holidays to Serifos? One of the obvious reasons is that it’s very easy to visit. That makes it an attractive option in the case you can’t spend more than three days on an island. This is also the reason that many Athenians favour it for a weekend getaway. The second reason is that besides its proximity to Athens, and even though tourism has grown during the past years, it remains a fairly untouched island. It has one of the most beautiful Chora I’ve visited so far, Chora is what the capital is called in all Greek islands, located on a top of a hill and looking down the harbor and the Aegean sea.
A Majestic Chora and 70 Beaches
While strolling along the beautiful stone-paved alleys in Chora, passing by the white washed cube houses with blue and green doors and shutters, you start to feel blessed. Apart from these houses, typical examples of Cycladic architecture that I’m so fond of, in the Chora of Serifos you will also encounter some aristocratic neoclassical mansions. Another good reason to visit Serifos is that it has some excellent sandy beaches with crystal-clear, light blue and green waters. As a matter of fact, for its size it’s quite impressive that it has more than 70 different beaches to visit! Last but not least, though Serifos is not Mykonos, it’s an island that you can easily spend your night out drinking, mingling and, if you are in the mood, dancing! All types of crowds can be found in Serifos, old, young, families, couples but for sure it’s a great choice if you are planning to go on holidays with a group of friends. You will encounter some non-Greek tourists, primarily independent travellers, it is not a destination for package holidays, and many Greeks.
What I’ve noticed so far and I find very interesting about the Greek islands, is that it’s very common after a while to become aware that there’s a particular holiday routine on the island, the majority of people follow religiously. This largely depends on what the particular island has to offer and it’s more prevalent in smaller islands. Serifos is a rather small island, its beauty lies in its simplicity and the fact that is a safe bet if what you are looking for is to simply enjoy yourself: both relax and have some fun night outs.
Our daily holiday routine while on the island was wake up, have a light breakfast, head to one of the many amazing beaches, spend the whole day there, go for dinner and then start the night with a tour of the bars. On the nights we’d return back home really late, or early in the morning as a matter of fact, the next day we’d crash to one of the beaches located at walking distance, as for example Livadakia or Karavi beach. On the days that we were able to wake up early, we’d visit one of the island’s breathtaking beaches. In my opinion, some perfect examples are Kalo Ampeli and Vaya beaches.
Serifos’ nightlife
The routine I mentioned above is one that visitors tend to follow especially when they visit a small island. Besides, of course, the few exceptions that prove the rule. Often if there’s no fixed routine, there’s a varied routine: visiting one bar one day, another bar the next day and going back again to the first one the day after. The obvious reason for having a night routine everybody follows is that usually there are a limited number of bar options and if you arrive earlier or later than a bar’s prime time, it’s very possible it will be empty. Since when most people go out they do so in order to see and meet others, usually crowds in small islands tend to synchronize with each other a lot.
This synchronized flow of people during the evening hours happened in Serifos too. At the evening’s beginning most people met in the main square in upper Chora. At any given evening, you’d see almost all the young people of the island scattered in different café-bars on the main square of Agios Athanasios in upper Chora, drinking wine and beers or sharing a bottle of raki (traditional liqueur that resembles the Italian grappa) or rakomelo (raki with honey and cinnamon). Though it was a fun thing to do, since we were many people, sometimes it was challenging to find a spot to sit all together.
The next stop was Vatrachos, a bar located next to the stairs you that you take to go down from upper to lower Chora. While on the square, you spend most of the time chit-chatting. In Vatrachos you go to have a drink, listen to some music and occasionally dance. The night tour usually ends in the port of Livadi, in the quite famous bar called Yacht Club. In Yacht club we found ourselves dancing many nights as well as relaxing outside while looking at the beautiful colors of the sunrise and the sea. This night routine that we followed religiously had some times few variations, i.e. a drink in the rather atmospheric bar Aerino also located in Chora, an early drink at Karnagio or an extremely late/early in the morning drink in Barouz at Livadi.
Another pleasant exception to our night routine was spending longer time sitting on the main square of Agios Athanasios in Chora to listen to a group of young people playing live music. It was not something planned and it happened spontaneously as the musicians were actually customers sitting at one of the cafes. They played Rebetika, which is a distinctive type of Greek popular music that appeared around 1920 in a period that Greece had very high rates of poverty as a result of the WWI. These songs’ lyrics are urban poetry, often describing these difficult conditions and the despair. There is a famous line of a very famous rebetiko song that says “the houses are low (small) and the winters infinite”.
There is also a group of Rebetika songs that are called the “prohibited ones” and talk about drugs: “the ship from Persia (Iran) has been detained in Korinthia (Corinth’s harbor), loaded with 10 tons of hash, leaving all potheads crying as they’re gonna be left drying”. There has been a revival of Rebetika music that started some years ago and many songs have been quite popular ever since with young Greek people and hipsters.
The unforgettable “Revithada” or Chickpea Soup
Our daily routine always involved a nice dinner. Though in Serifos you will not find many traditional recipes from the island or a variety of unique local food products and ingredients, I was really satisfied with what I ate. In most of the places you will find traditional Greek cuisine spiced up with some of the few local specialties. A dish that I find amazing, if it is cooked properly (you should definitely not miss it), is the “Sifneiki Revithada”. Actually, as the name also suggests, it is a traditional dish from the island next to Serifos called Sifnos. But as it often happens, recipes from one place are easily adopted by other places located nearby, so many restaurants served it in Serifos too. “Revithada” is a dish that is made with chickpeas, slowly cooked in the oven. I never liked chickpeas but after trying this dish, I fell in love with it and started cooking it myself.
The secret of a successful “Revithada” is to have the pot very well sealed and to cook it over very low heat for at least 6 hours. I read that in Sifnos the tradition was to bury the pot in the sand on the beach and leave it there for more than 20 hours to be cooked. Other things you can try in Serifos are sausages that are produced locally and a type of sour cheese made from skimmed milk. The service was also rather good in most of the places and I found the locals being rather friendly and laid back.
Serifos’ Economy and History with Mining
The tourist season in Serifos is not very long. The island gets full of people from mid-July to mid-August, which is the peak of the high season for Greece. Said this, you will still encounter some tourists from spring until the end of summer and the island is always busier during the weekends. Despite the short high season in Serifos, its economy is largely based on tourism. Besides tourism Serifos has some agricultural production. The island is primarily rocky but it also has some valleys offering Serifos a bit of green during the winter months.
An industry that used to dominate the island’s economy but not anymore is the mining industry. It’s impressive how long the mining activity lasted in Serifos, considering the fact that it first appeared in ancient times. In the 6th century BC the mines created so much wealth to the locals that they had even developed their own currency. The mines continued operating until the Venetian times (with a break during the Roman era) and then closed during the Ottoman period. They were reopened in 1830 when Greece won its independence against the Turks. In 1919 there was a huge strike, against the German company Grohmann that was operating the mines. During this strike, the miners had a fight with the authorities, there was a clash with the Greek gendarmerie/military police force that came from Kea island, which unfortunately resulted to bloodshed.
The reason that led to the strike was the awful working conditions and the many and sometimes deadly, work accidents. After this episode the working conditions got better. In Megalo Livadi, where the mine was located, you can still see the bridge that was used to load the iron ore on ships as well as a memorial for the people who died during the strike.
The entrances/gates of the mines are open making it possible to walk in and get an idea of how a mine looks like. Though I didn’t do it, (most possibly I never will as I can get claustrophobic at times) you can enter the mine and walk for hours in the underground trails and exit at different locations of the island. In my opinion, you shouldn’t try it without an experienced guide to accompany you as there are multiple crossings and I can imagine no one would enjoy getting lost underground.
Practical things you should know about Serifos
The majority of the rooms to let in Serifos are located in Livadi (the port) or the beach next to it, called Livadakia. There are frequent bus routes connecting Livadi to Chora (located uphill) but routes to other villages aren’t very frequent. If you want to visit some of the beaches that are further away from the port of Livadi, it’s best if you rent a car or a motorbike. If you don’t drive or for any other reason you don’t want to rent a car, you can still walk to the beaches that are located next to Livadi and swim there.
Also, you can arrange with a taxi driver to take you to one of the beaches that are further away and pick you up at a pre-arranged time. If you find yourself in Chora after midnight when buses are no longer running, you can either take a taxi or have a 40-minute walk to Livadi. There’s a pathway you can follow from Chora halfway to Livadi (and then take the main road) that’s used as a shortcut.
Visit Livadi/Livadakia, one of the two main settlements of the island
Livadi – Livadakia on Google Maps
The Livadi
Livadi (which means field in Greek) is the main port of Serifos. It’s where you’ll arrive and most probably where you’ll stay. If you don’t end up in Livadi, then you’ll probably stay at Livadakia (translating to small fields), which is the beach located right next to Livadi. A little farther from the main port there’s a second, smaller harbor which is very picturesque and filled with sailing and fishing boats. It’s a lovely walk during the afternoon when the sun sets and during the night. On this little port is also where the majority of cafés and tavernas are located in Livadi and their tables are seaside.
In addition to the many rooms to let in Livadi and Livadakia, there’s also a large, organised camping site. It’s considered to be one of the best in Cyclades and, rather weird for Greek standards, it also has a swimming pool. As many young people stay there, the owners often organise parties and events. While I was in the island they had organised a stand-up comedy show and a couple of parties. As Livadi and Livadakia are the places where most tourists stay, the settlement is quite developed and you can find almost everything. There is a bank, pharmacy, medical center, post office, supermarket, bus station, taxis and of course restaurants, cafés and bars.
Livadakia beach and Coralli camping site
On the beach of Livadakia there’s an organised and well-equipped campsite, called “Coralli”. In my opinion it’s one of the best camping sites in the Cyclades complex. It’s very clean, spacious and has plenty of shades for the tents. It’s located literally on the beach of Livadi, which is a great because when you go camping it’s great to wake up and take a dip in the sea. It also has a swimming pool, a bar and they also organize some events every now and then making it a lively place.
Eat in Livadi – Livadakia
Margarita
Margarita on Google Maps
Margarita is a “Magirio”, an eatery which prepares different traditional and homemade Greek dishes every day. It’s a family-run tavern, very simple with a few checkered-clothed tables under some pine trees. Margarita is the name of the cook and owner of the tavern. She is an older lady and the food she serves is what she would probably prepare for her grandchildren. There are salads and some other starters but besides those the list of main dishes is short. Instead you’ll be informed orally by the waiter, who is a family member, which are the dishes of the day. The ingredients are of high quality, for example many of the vegetables being served are home-grown. It’s only open during dining hours and if you go very late it’s possible that you won’t find much food left.
Stamatis
Stamatis on Google Maps
Stamatis is a simple tavern at Livadi port with some tables located a breath away from the sea. It has been our favourite choice when we wanted to eat in the port of Livadi. The menu varies and offers both traditional Greek cooked dishes (magireftá) as well as grilled meat and fish. Everything I tried at Stamatis was always tasty and value-for-money.
Drink in Livadi – Livadakia
Yacht Club Serifos
Yacht Club is a café bar in Livadi. It’s an absolute must-visit for Serifos nightlife and also the most famous bar of the island. It’s open during the day while you can enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine but mainly it’s the place you will visit in the early hours of the morning for a cocktail or two while you listen to music and dance!
Karnagio
Karnagio is a café bar located on the port of Livadi. Though you can enjoy your coffee or a snack during the day, its identity is more of a bar. You can tell it’s been there since the 80s. I liked its decor, which takes you back in time. The music it plays leans towards the rock-end of the spectrum and though it was quite chill when we went, I could imagine it being the rock bar of the island 30 years ago.
Baruz
Baruz is an after hours nightclub in Livadi playing primarily Greek mainstream hits. We only went there once and as we were a big group of people at a late hour, the DJ was kind enough to play many of the songs we requested, which I reckon is not the rule.
Be Merry in Livadi – Livadakia
Karavi Beach
Karavi Beach on Google Maps
Karavi is one of the beaches that you can walk to from Livadi or Livadakia. Although Livadakia beach is closer, many people prefer Karavi Beach for its privacy. It’s very tranquil and quiet and sometimes to the far left part of the beach people practice nudism. Karavi in Greek means ship and the beach inherited its name from the ruins of a shipwreck that were discovered in the 80s close to its shore.
Livadakia Beach
Livadakia Beach on Google Maps
Livadakia is a very long and sandy beach next to Livadi and Livadakia village. It’s sheltered from the wind and it’s full of tamarisk trees. As it’s the beach closest to the port of Livadi, it’s very popular and during high season it can get a little bit crowded. Right next to the beach there are also some tavernas where you can eat or buy a bottle of water or a take-away coffee.
Visit Chora – the Capital of Serifos
Chora on Google Maps
The Chora (the name of the capital town in every Cycladic island) of Serifos is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades complex.
The Chora (the name of the capital town in every Cycladic island) of Serifos is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades complex. Built up on a hill, in an amphitheatrical way, it’s lovely to look at as well as to experience while strolling on the beautifully stone-paved and narrow alleys. It’s divided in two parts/neighbourhoods: the upper part called, “Ano Chora”, and the lower part called, “Kato Chora”. The two are connected by a stairway. In “Ano Chora” you can find the picturesque main square of Agios Athanasios, which has inherited its name from the church located there. Except from the church that is dedicated to St Athanasios, the neoclassical mansion that hosts the Town Hall is also very prominent. We were visiting the main square religiously every single evening as there are many café-bars on the square.
If you walk a bit further away, you will see the ruins of an old Venetian castle built in 1434. It’s considered to be a romantic walk and we often saw couples going or coming back from the castle. In “Kato Chora” there are some taverns, a couple of bars, the Open Theater of Serifos and some beautiful windmills, a common feature of Cycladic islands. There are frequent bus routes that connect Chora with the port of Livadi. If you find yourself in Chora after the bus service has stopped (besides the obvious option of calling a taxi) and as long as you are a group of people, you can walk back to Livadi using a pathway that goes through the village and leads up to the main road, a little bit before reaching the port of Livadi.
Eat in Chora
Plakes
Plakes on Google Maps
Plakes is a charming tavern that was my favourite place to eat while in Chora. It’s a simple place with a terrace overlooking the hill where the upper Chora is built on. I really liked the menu: traditional Greek cuisine with some of Serifos’ specialties. I also found it to be value-for-money.
Aloni
Aloni on Google Maps
Aloni is a restaurant located somewhere in between the Chora of Serifos and the port of Livadi, less than a 10-minute drive by car. It has a very nice terrace and it’s considered to be a bit more upscale compared to other places in Serifos. The food was rewarding but for me the main reason for visiting this place is the view and the elegant, yet relaxed, atmosphere. In order to enjoy the beautiful view of the port and the sea, it’s best to be there before the sun sets.
Drink in Chora
Stou Stratou
Stou Stratou is a charming traditional coffee place on the main square in the upper part of Chora. We visited the place every night to drink raki (traditional Greek liqueur similar to the Italian grappa) or rakomelo, which is raki with honey and cinnamon (served cold or warm).
It was the peak of the high season when we visited Serifos and given the fact that the square has some natural limits, being on the top of a hill, it was often a challenge to find a table. But in a miraculous way we always managed. At Stou Stratou they also serve some snacks but I recommend that you visit the place after having dinner to enjoy a glass of cold raki, which is considered to be digestive. Also try a piece of the traditional dessert called “Kormos”, which is a chocolate log that contains biscuits.
Vatrachos
Vatrachos (meaning frog in Greek) is a bar located in lower Chora, just next to the staircase that leads you to the upper part of Chora and the main square. It’s the place to visit after spending time in the main square in order to have a long drink, listen to some music and if you are in the mood, to dance!
It’s also possible to sit at one of the few tables outside the bar and enjoy your drink while watching people going to upper Chora and back. At the time of our visit, the music was kind of lively and resembled music you might hear at a house party: many different tunes that are hits now or have been on the top of the charts many years ago. Don’t expect to hear avant garde artists, but you won’t hear mainstream songs either.
Be Merry in Chora
Serifos Music Theater
The open-air theatre is located in Kato Chora, behind the Folk Art Museum of Serifos. Every year it hosts the Serifos Festival, which usually starts around mid-July and finishes around mid-August. It primarily consists of concerts with famous Greek singers. Though the music varies, you will often listen to more atmospheric and sometimes classic Greek songs. The selection goes very well with the environment as the venue is a miniature of an ancient Greek theater overlooking the port of Livadi and the Aegean sea.
I visited the theater once and watched a live concert performed by Sonia Theodoridou, a Greek soprano with an international career. In her repertoire she included many songs of the famous Greek composer Manos Hatzidakis who I really love listening to. You might know the song “Never on Sunday”, which won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song in Jules Dassin’s film of the same name in 1960 . Other songs of his that I really like include “The Waltz of Lost Dreams” and “Kemal”.
Visit some of Serifos’ 70 beaches!
Serifos has more than 70 beaches! Though some of them have pebbles, you can find many unspoiled sandy beaches with crystal-clear, light blue and turquoise waters. You can choose between beaches with sunbeds and umbrellas and more secluded beaches where you lie on your towel under a tamarisk tree. Below are my favorite beaches of Serifos. If you don’t have time to visit them all, I’d suggest you don’t miss Vaya, Kalo Ampeli and Ganema beach.
Kalo Ampeli Beach
Kalo Ampeli on Google Maps
Kalo Ampeli (which translates to “good vineyard”) is a gorgeous, sandy beach with aquamarine waters, surrounded by rocks that produce a rough, beautiful landscape. It is my favorite beach in Serifos. It takes around 10 minutes to get there from Livadi by car and then you need to walk around 15-20 minutes to get to the beach. Though on the way back the trail is slightly uphill, in my opinion it’s totally worth the effort and I’d say, it’s a rather easy walk.
The beach is not organised and there aren’t any trees, so if you’d like some shade you’ll need to bring a beach umbrella. With this in mind, be sure to bring your sun hat and sunscreen. If you don’t have an umbrella consider visiting Kalo Ampeli early in the morning or in the afternoon when the sun is not very strong. There isn’t a canteen, so make sure you have water with you as well as some fruits or snacks. The lack of a canteen can be a positive thing If you prefer a more peaceful beach. Often in Greece, a beach without a canteen that requires some walking to reach attracts fewer people. It’s really worth staying in Kalo Ampeli long enough in order to enjoy the beautiful sunset!
Spearfishing
The beach is also ideal for snorkeling and spearfishing. Two of our friends who love spearfishing tried to catch some fish on Kalo Ampeli and they succeeded, as you may also see in the pictures. Though I have never tried spearfishing myself, I am intrigued by my friends’ passion for it.
Vaya Beach
Vaya on Google Maps
Vaya is a gorgeous beach that’s about a 15-minute drive from Livadi. It has crystal-clear turquoise waters and its sand is not so thin, which is nice as it doesn’t stick on your feet or skin. It has a really beautiful landscape and as most of the beaches in Serifos, it’s not organised. There’s a boutique hotel that has set up some sunbeds on the beach, but they are for guest use only. Surprisingly, the hotel café also only serves guests (this is what I experienced when I visited Vaya beach). Besides the necessity of bringing your own water and maybe some snacks, it’s also a good idea to bring a beach umbrella or to visit the beach early in the morning or around 5 p.m. when the sun starts to go down.
Ganema Beach
Ganema on Google Maps
Ganema is a gorgeous beach with light blue waters, quite sheltered from the summer winds (meltemia). Half of it is sandy and half of it is pebbly. Though the beach is not organized, you can find some shade under one of the few tamarisk trees. There’s a small seaside tavern where you can have a snack or buy some water. It’s a 20-minute drive from the port of Livadi. Ganema is a rather quiet beach and ideal if you are looking for a peaceful swim and undisturbed sunbathing.
Agios Sostis Beach
Agios Sostis on Google Maps
Agios Sostis is a beautiful landscape with a small peninsula creating two beautiful sandy beaches. It is named after the small chapel that is on the peninsula and it’s about a 10-minute drive from Livadi. Once you park your car you need to walk around 5 minutes to get to the beach. There are no sunbeds and umbrellas but there are a few trees that provide some shade. You should carry with you anything you will need in terms of food and/or drinks (definitely some water) as there isn’t a canteen on the beach.
Lia Beach
Lia on Google Maps
Lia is a beach that is partly sandy and partly pebbly and is located at a 10-minute drive from Livadi. You will need to park your car at about 300 meters away from the beach and then walk. As you get close to the beach there’s a house on your left. My friends told me that they have seen several artists on Lia beach. There has also been an article about Mr. George Papandreou, ex prime minister of Greece, swimming at Lia while staying at a house nearby, owned by the Greek scenographer, Mr. Pantelidakis, and the Greek architect Mr. Zafiriou. Usually it’s not that crowded and it’s perfect for relaxing under the sun. I find the rocky landscape surrounding the beach rather impressive. It’s unorganised, thus consider bringing a beach umbrella with you. Otherwise visit the beach in the afternoon when the sun is not as strong and a shade is also formed from the small hill next to the beach. You should also carry some water and maybe some snacks as there isn’t a canteen close by.
Megalo Livadi Beach
Megalo Livadi on Google Maps
Megalo Livadi beach is a small, charming, sandy beach with many tamarisk trees that offer shade and shallow, clear waters. While swimming in the sea you can see what remains from the mines that used to operate in the area including the old bridge that you can see in the picture, which used to load the iron ore on the ships. Another reason for visiting Megalo Livadi beach is to eat at the tavern “O Kyklopas” (The cyclops) also known as Kira Maria (Madam Maria) after your swim.
O Kyklopas – Kira Maria Tavern
O Kyklopas – Kira Maria on Google Maps
O Kyklopas is a tavern that offers delicious traditionally-cooked Greek dishes as well as grilled meat. In my opinion, it’s one of the best places to eat in Serifos. Apart from the excellent quality of food, I really like the atmosphere of the place with its checkered tablecloths, tamarisk trees and seaside tables. I also love the fact that both the outside setting and, to a greater extent, the interior decor take you back in time a couple of decades.
Psili Ammos Beach
Psili Ammos on Google Maps
Psili Ammos is a long and stunning beach with golden-thin sand and crystal clear blue/turquoise and shallow waters. It is located at a 10 minute drive from the port of Livadi and it’s one of the most popular beaches of Serifos. It has a few tamarisk trees under which you can relax in their shade (the beach doesn’t have any sun-beds or umbrellas). There are a couple of tavernas close by so you don’t need to worry about bringing food.
