Serifos Guide

Serifos, an island in the South Aegean region of Greece, greets you with brown, iron-streaked mountains and bays so blue they look painted on. This is the raw Cycladic island, with a landscape built from iron and granite rather than soft green hills. Ferries dock at a long stone jetty in Livadi, where yacht crews mingle with locals and fishing boats bob at the harbor dock. You feel the island's Cycladic atmosphere the moment you step off the boat.

Above the port, Serifos Chora cascades down a rocky mountain like a whitewashed waterfall frozen mid-flow. Built amphitheatrically on its hill, it is one of the most elegant towns in the Cyclades, and its narrow, maze-like alleys lead you past small squares, blue-domed churches and viewpoints that stop you mid-step. Chora sits about a mile above Livadi, close enough to reach on foot if you have the legs for the climb. Livadi holds most of the island's beds and services, and together with Chora it makes up the only inhabited part of Serifos — everywhere else feels wonderfully empty. That emptiness is exactly what makes the beaches so good.

Beaches and that unspoiled Chora are what pull most visitors to Serifos in the first place. Livadi has its own serviceable town beach, and Livadakia lies just across the base of the Poundi peninsula, an easy stroll away. For something quieter, walk the 40 minutes northeast from Livadi to Agios Sostis, where two beaches share a narrow spit; swim on the calmer south side rather than the more exposed north one. Skip the car here, since parking is scarce and the walk is half the fun. Psili Ammos, a crescent of sand tucked below the main road with a couple of tavernas nearby, has even been named by international media among Europe's top twenty beaches.

South of Livadi, three large bays shape the coastline: Kalo Ambeli, Koutalas and Livadi itself, laced together with smaller coves you can have almost to yourself. Koutalas keeps a shady, pebble-strewn beach and one old-time taverna that has barely changed in decades. Ganema, fringed with tamarisk trees, offers golden sand and a beach bar with loungers if you want a lazier afternoon. Vagia's horseshoe of golden sand is often called the island's most beautiful beach, though facilities there are minimal, so bring your own water and shade. Across this stretch you will find rocky headlands, fine pebbles and the kind of deep-blue water that makes you want to stay until sunset.

The north coast asks for more patience but rewards it with a proper day trip. Partly paved roads run down from the village of Panagia to Sykamia and Platys Gialos, two beaches with very different personalities. Platys Gialos is the easier of the two to reach, with a parking area and a taverna close by for a late lunch. Sykamia takes more work, down a steep, winding road through terraced hillsides, but a good taverna set back from its grey-brown sand makes the detour worthwhile.

Serifos rewards anyone willing to look below the surface, too. Countless small coves along the coast are made for snorkeling, and a local scuba operator runs dives to around a dozen sites, including wrecks, plus day-long snorkeling trips through July and August. The same operator rents boats and arranges fly-board sessions if you want to try something new. Further out, boat trips reach the islets of Vous, just 2 km east, Serifopoula, 8 km northeast, and Piperi, 10.5 km north, while the caves and cliffs of the southern coast serve as a quiet habitat for Mediterranean monk seals.

Back on land, Serifos has a reputation as a genuinely good walking island, small enough to cross on foot and threaded with old footpaths that lead to half-forgotten hamlets. Trails climb to the summit of Troulos, the island's highest point, opening up panoramic views over Serifos and the surrounding Aegean. The lighthouse offers its own sweeping view of the sea, a good spot to catch your breath before heading back down. Once you have felt the shape of the island this way, the practical details of eating, moving around and settling in are easy to pick up as you go.