Written by Elena Philippou, who hosts Villa Olivia Clara above Platis Gialos.Updated August 2026
Where the villages and beaches sit, and how far apart they are by road.
Sifnos is about 15 km end to end. Half an hour in the car gets you from the port to almost any beach, and the full run, Cheronissos in the north down to Vathi, is nearer three quarters of an hour. But the shape is awkward. The road from the port does not go straight to the south coast, and Apollonia, the capital, is inland. Two beaches can look like neighbours on the map and still be a long drive apart. Vathi and Platis Gialos are a little more than three kilometres apart in a straight line, and 17.5 by road.
Positions are from OpenStreetMap. The villa is our own pin. Use the plus and minus controls to zoom.
Two columns. You only ever measure from two places, the port where you land and wherever you are staying. Ours is Platis Gialos.
| Place | From Kamares | From Platis Gialos |
|---|---|---|
| Apollonia | 5.3 km | 9.0 km |
| Artemonas | 7.7 km | 11.2 km |
| Kastro | 8.4 km | 11.9 km |
| Platis Gialos | 14.2 km | — |
| Faros | 12.5 km | 10.5 km |
| Chrysopigi | 13.4 km | 3.2 km |
| Vathi | 14.7 km | 17.5 km |
| Cheronissos | 14.6 km | 23.3 km |
| Vroulidia | 12.3 km | 21.0 km |
| Kamares | — | 14.2 km |
We measured the distances on OpenStreetMap roads, twice, with two different routing engines. Every figure above agreed to within 130 metres. Checked 12 August 2026. We give kilometres only. Minutes depend on who is driving, so the guides give a range wide enough to hold a local and a first-timer, and in August everything takes longer.
These are the walks people do. They follow the footpaths, so some come out shorter than the drive. Allow about 15 minutes a kilometre. The paths climb, and the surface is old stone as often as tarmac.
For anything longer, start with our guide to hiking in Sifnos.
For most of the year you park without trying. August is different. At Platis Gialos the three car parks are full by late morning most days, so go down early or walk from the house. In Apollonia leave the car at one of the car parks at the village entrances and walk in.
Our house is the marked chip on the map, on the hillside above Platis Gialos on the south coast. The beach is at the bottom of the road, 7 to 10 minutes on foot, and Chrysopigi is a little over three kilometres by road, east along the coast. The port is on the far side of the island, 14.2 km by road. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for that drive.
For a beach week you can manage without a car, and if you want the villages and the quieter beaches, hire one. The detail, buses and taxis included, is in getting around Sifnos.
Small. About 15 km end to end. The longest drive you are likely to make is Platis Gialos to Cheronissos at the northern tip, 23 kilometres. Most of what you will want is within ten kilometres of Apollonia.
14.2 kilometres by road, through Apollonia. The two are on opposite coasts and there is no shortcut. Allow 20 to 30 minutes by car or taxi.
The villages around the capital. Apollonia to Artemonas is 1.3 km on the footpath, Kato Petali 1.0 km, Exampela 0.9 km. Kastro is 2.5 km on the old stone path, and it is a lovely walk. On the south coast you can walk from Platis Gialos to Chrysopigi, 2.4 km along the coast, and from Faros to Chrysopigi, 1.5 km. For the rest you need the bus or a car.
Not for all of them. Platis Gialos, Kamares, Faros, Vathi and Chrysopigi are on the bus network. The quieter coves, Fykiada and Vroulidia, need a car, a boat or a long walk.
No, and it surprises people. Apollonia is inland, in the middle of the island, 9 km from us and 5.3 km up the hill from the port. Go in the evening, for the Steno, the tavernas and the shops.
That is us, a house for eight above Platis Gialos, with the beach at the bottom of the road. Elena answers every message herself.
Village, beach and monastery positions, and the road geometry the distances are measured on, come from OpenStreetMap.