Greece - Korina Miller [358]
Café Stavros ( 22840 33500; snacks €4-6) Overlooking the water halfway along the main street is this relaxing place, ideal for people watching. It does good breakfasts for about €5.
O Symos ( 22840 32353; dishes €4-8) Among a choice of waterfront tavernas, this popular place uses locally sourced ingredients in such appealing dishes as linguini and shrimps in saffron (€12) and revythia (chickpea) soup.
Another good eatery is the family-run Posidonia ( 22840 32362; dishes €3-8), where you can get breakfast for €6.
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APOLLONIA ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΑ
pop 1054
The ‘capital’ of Sifnos is situated on the edge of a plateau 5km uphill from the port.
The stop for buses to and from Kamares is on Apollonia’s busy central square, where the post office and Museum of Popular Art are located. Because of congestion, all other buses pick up passengers about 50m further on, at a T-junction where the road to the right goes to Vathy and Platys Gialos and the road to the left goes to Artemonas and Kastro. Constant traffic seems to be the norm, but step away from the main road onto the pedestrian street behind the museum and Apollonia is transformed.
There is free parking at the big car park at the entrance to the village.
There is an ATM by the bus stop and at the Alpha Bank. The Piraeus Bank and National Bank of Greece (both with ATMs) are just around the corner from the Kamares stop on the road to Artemonas; the police station is another 50m beyond.
Internet Café 8 ( 22840 33734; per hr €4; 9am-1am) is about 150m along the road to Platys Gialos. The bookshop ( 22840 33523), just down from the bus stop, has newspapers and a good selection of books in various languages.
The quirky Museum of Popular Art ( 22840 31341; admission €1; 10am-2pm & 7.30-11.30pm Tue-Sun) on the central square contains a splendid confusion of old costumes, pots, textiles and photographs that could keep you going for hours.
Sleeping & Eating
Mrs Dina Rooms ( 22840 31125, 6945513318; s/d/tr/q €50/60/70/80; ) Laughter and flowers characterise this pleasant little complex of rooms, located a couple of hundred metres along the road south towards Vathy and Platys Gialos. The rooms are well above the road and have views towards Kastro.
Gerontios Rooms ( 22840 31473; s/d/tr €50/60/70; ) There’s another floral welcome here, high above the village centre with wide views to Kastro. From the post office head uphill and take the lane to the right of a small cafe.
Hotel Artemon ( 22840 31303; Artemonas; s/d/tr €55/70/84; ) In Artemonas, 2km uphill from Apollonia, is this old-style but very reasonable hotel that has enough rooms to make it a possible best bet in August if you’re not booking ahead. Front rooms overlook the main road.
Veranda ( 22840 33969; snacks from €4; ) A cool corner in Apollonia, with wi-fi for customers, Veranda is next to the T-junction bus stop. Knotted white drapes dangle streetside from the eponymous veranda. It does breakfasts (€3.50 to €10), sandwiches and baguettes, ice cream and sweets and you can while the night away with drinks and lounge sounds.
Lempesis ( 22840 31303; Artemonas; mains €5.50-9) Part of the Hotel Artemon and run by the exuberant chef-owner, Artemon is a local favourite, not least for terrific baked meats and dishes like revythia soup, exohiko (lamb in pastry with cheese) and goat kid in lemon sauce. The house wine is very good indeed.
To Liotrivi ( 22840 31246; Artemonas; mains €6-9) Located in the pleasant square of Artemonas, this one-time olive press serves traditional Sifniot meat dishes such as rabbit with onions, while vegetarians can enjoy artichokes with potatoes, or briam, stewed vegetables.
Apostoli to Koutouki ( 22840 31186; dishes €8.50-12.50) Signature dishes such as beef baked in a clay pot