Sikinos
©
Sikinos

Sikinos

Quiet Cycladic island of whitewashed hill villages, mule tracks, and sea views from the Hora.

Sikinos is one of the quietest islands in the Cyclades — a place that most island-hoppers skip entirely, which is precisely its appeal. There are two places to stay: a pension near the port of Alopronia, or up in the Hora (Kastro), the old hilltop village that sits on a ridge above the sea with views in every direction.

The Hora is the reason to come. Its whitewashed streets are almost impossibly quiet, even by Cycladic standards. A small Olive Oil Museum documents the island's pressing tradition, and the surrounding hills are laced with dirt paths and mule tracks that make for excellent walking, with the sea always in sight below. The monastery of Episkopi, built on the foundations of an ancient temple, is the island's one proper archaeological sight — a beautiful walk from the village.

On a clear night, the stargazing here is extraordinary. With almost no artificial light on the island, the Milky Way stretches overhead with startling clarity.

Guide

Getting There

Sikinos is served by ferry from Piraeus (about 9–10 hours) and by smaller ferries connecting it to neighbouring islands including Ios, Folegandros, and Santorini. The Blue Star Ferries and Seajets routes are the most reliable; check ferry schedules on openseas.gr or ferryhopper.com as routes vary by season.

There is no airport on Sikinos. The nearest airports are on Santorini and Mykonos. From Santorini, a ferry to Sikinos takes around two hours on the fast boat. The small ferry Skopelitis also connects Sikinos to the smaller Cyclades on a circuit route several times weekly in summer.

All ferries dock at Alopronia harbour, from where a bus runs up to the Hora.

Guide

Things to Do

Sikinos rewards slow travel. The real pleasures here are walking the old mule paths between the Hora and the coast, sitting in the village square at dusk, and finding your own stretch of rocky shoreline. There are two main archaeological and historical sights — Episkopi and the Kastro of the Hora — and the rest of the island is yours to discover on foot.

Guide

When to Go

Sikinos is at its best in May–June and September–October, when the weather is warm, the meltemi (the Aegean summer wind) has not yet hit its peak, and the island is quiet enough that you can hear yourself think. July and August bring more visitors than Sikinos is used to — still far fewer than the big Cyclades — but the wind can be fierce and the heat intense.

The ferry connection from Piraeus operates year-round but becomes less frequent in winter. Off-season, some tavernas and accommodation close, but the Hora always has life. Spring is particularly lovely: the hillsides are covered in wildflowers, the air is cool, and the walking paths are at their best.

Avoid ANZAC Day weekend if you are not Australian or New Zealand and you happen to be on a Gallipoli tour; Sikinos itself has no particular seasonal events beyond the monastery festival on the first Friday after Easter.