| Serifos | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Greece |
|---|---|
| Region | Southern Aegean |
| Surface | 75 km² |
| Inhabitants | 1.420 (2011 census) |
| Institutional website | |
Serifos (or Serifos) it's an island Greek of the archipelago of Cyclades.
To know
The Monk seal photographed on an islet near Serifos
Serifos is located between Citno is Sifanto and is 73 nautical miles from Piraeus. It covers an area of 73 km² and its territory is hilly and rocky with few trees. Tourlos is its highest mountain (alt. 585 m). In its tiny valleys, vines and some fruit trees are grown.
Its subsoil is rich in iron and the mineral was mined since ancient times. Its coasts, engraved by small bays, extend for a total of 82 km.
Territories and tourist destinations
Serifos: full screen map.Urban centers
- Galani and Kèntarchos - Two semi-abandoned villages in the north of the island in a panoramic position on the Aegean Sea.
- Koutalàs - Tiny village in a bay on the south coast that was built at the time when the iron mines were in operation.
- Livadi - The port of Chora is today also a seaside resort thanks to the nearby beaches of Livadakia, Karavi and Avlomonas where there are many "rooms to let".
- Megalo Livadi - A center on a bay on the west coast built in the 19th century, when the mining industry was flourishing (1880 - 1963). Today it consists of abandoned and dilapidated houses except for some that are still used as holiday homes.
- Pirgos - Another of the many ghost towns of Serifos, inhabited at the time when the mines were in operation. It is located in the north of the island near Panagià, a village that still has a handful of inhabitants. On the square of Panagià there is a Byzantine church from the 11th century.
- Serifos (Chora) - The small capital built on a hill in a panoramic position on the Gulf of Livadi where ships and ferries dock. A typical Cycladic village with a handful of white, cube-shaped houses overlooking alleys with numerous arches. There is an older upper section and a lower section. The high square of Serifo houses a modest neoclassical building where the municipal offices and the church of S. Athanasio are now located, with a beautiful iconostasis inside. The lower section hinges on Piazza dei Mulini where there are small shops and nightclubs.
Other destinations
Other known and lesser known beaches of Serifos are:
- To Gianni (Αϊ-Γιάννη) - On the east coast, just north of the previous ones is a lonely beach among the most beautiful in Serifos.
- Avessalòs (Αβεσσαλός) - A beach on the west coast between barren and unattractive landscapes.
- Kalò Ampeli, Gànema and Kutalà (Καλό Αμπέλι, Γάνεμα is Κουταλά) - All located on the southern coast. The first is beyond Ramos where the campsite is located and can be reached from Livadi. The second and third, located on the same bay, can also be reached via an asphalted road that passes through "Megalo Choriò".
- Psilì Ammo and Agio Sosti (Ψιλή Αμμο is Αγιο Σώστη) - Both are located on the bays of the same name on the south-eastern coast and can be easily reached from Livadi via asphalted roads. Psilì Ammos is, as the name suggests, a small crescent-shaped beach. In the summer there are two taverns. Agios Sostis is even more isolated. It consists of two beaches on a short isthmus of land that joins a promontory to the mainland. The south beach has calmer waters than the one on the north side where there is almost always a certain wave motion.
- Sykamià and Platì Yalò (Συκαμιά is Πλατύ Γιαλό) - On the north coast, both beaches can be reached from the village of Panayà via partially paved roads. The sea is quite rough making bathing dangerous. Platy Gialò is more easily accessible. It is close to a tiny village with a tavern and has a car park. Traces of a center from the early Helladic period have been found nearby.
- Vaya (Βαγιά) - Also located on the southern coast a short distance from Kalò Ampeli, it is a beach of colored pebbles and is considered the most beautiful on the island but does not have the slightest tourist structure.
How to get
- From Piraeus:
- With the fast hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways (Two hours and 40 minutes of travel)
- With the hydrofoils of Aegean Speed Lines. Tickets can be purchased at the "Sea Lines" agency on the Aktì Poseidonos seafront nº 30a a Piraeus. Tel .: 30 210 4274009-10, 4112152, 4113855. Fax: 30 210 4112269
- With the ferries of Ventouris (in 4 and a half hours)
- Apiliotis Travel, ☎ 30 22810 51115, 30 22810 52352, fax: 30 22810 51115. Shipping agency.
- Kondilis Shipping & Tourism, ☎ 30 22810 51241, fax: 30 22810 52135. Shipping agency.
How to get around
What see
- Moni Taxiarchon. White 17th century fortified monastery dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel. It is located near the village of Galani and is 8 km from Chora. Ancient books and manuscripts are kept in the sacristy.
- Ruins of the Venetian Castle. Only parts of the walls remain of the Venetian castle built on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Athena that once dominated the town of Chora.
- White Tower (Aspropyrgos). A circular Hellenistic ruin near the village of Koutalas.
- Panagia village. It takes its name from the Madonna and to whom a church from the 10th century is dedicated. It offers a panorama of the whole island.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Moderate prices
- Corals camping (On the beach of Livadakia), ☎ 30 22810 51500.
Average prices
- Teach them, ☎ 30 22810 51220, 30 22810 51381, 30 210 2137426, fax: 30 22810 51298. Cat "C" hotel with 19 rooms, open from May to October. Manager: Charalambos Bobolos
- [link not working]Naias (Livadi), ☎ 30 22810 51749, 30 22810 51585, 30 22810 51587, 30 693 254-0172, fax: 30 22810 52444. Hotel of cat "C".
- Gorgona (Livadi), ☎ 30 22810 51784, 30 22810 51971-2, 30 6944 677160 (Mobile phone), fax: 30 22810 51792. Open from April to October. Nine holiday studios.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Serifos: Panorama of the bay of Livadi, docking point for ferries from Piraeus and from the others Aegean islands. Above you can make out the houses of Chora, the small capital of Serifos
