The quiet bay
Vathi, Sifnos
Written by Elena Philippou, who hosts Villa Olivia Clara above Platis Gialos.Updated August 2026
Vathi is a deep, sheltered sandy bay on the south-west coast of Sifnos, at the end of its own road. The water is the calmest and shallowest on the island. The tavernas stand on the sand and there is a chapel at the water's edge. When guests ask us where to take small children, this is the beach we name first. Stay here if you want real quiet. 17.5 km by road from Platis Gialos and our house, 14.7 km from the port, 15 to 20 minutes by car from Apollonia.
The road ends at the water and nothing passes through. The bay is wide and protected and the sea stays calm even when the weather is rough, and dinner is a walk along the beach to one of the few tavernas. Hardly any shops, no nightlife. For anything more you drive to Apollonia, 15 to 20 minutes. Potters have worked here for generations and the workshops still sell.
Vathi at a glance
| What it is | A sheltered sandy bay at the end of the road on the south-west coast, with a few tavernas, the potters and a chapel on the sand |
|---|---|
| Beach | Wide, sandy, calm and shallow, one of the gentlest on the island for small children. A quieter golden-sand cove on the left of the bay |
| Eating | A few tavernas on the sand, open in summer. Nothing after the season |
| By road | Kamares 14.7 km | Platis Gialos 17.5 km | Apollonia 15 to 20 minutes |
| Bus | Seven a day each way via Apollonia, first from Artemonas at 09:00, last out of Vathi at 23:15. €3.50 from the port, €2.20 from Artemonas |
| Walks | Trail 5 from Apollonia, about 9 km and 3h50 one way. Fykiada beach about 1h45 on the marked path |
| Best time | Any calm day with children. Late afternoon, once the day-trippers have left |
Distances are road kilometres routed over OpenStreetMap. Bus times and fares are the municipality's summer 2026 timetable. Bus timetable and stops
Is Vathi worth visiting?
Yes. With small children, this is where we send people. The bay is deep and sheltered, so the water stays calm and shallow a long way out. The sand is soft and the tavernas stand right on it, lunch is a short walk up the beach. We also send people here who want quiet and nothing else. For shopping, or anything beyond a taverna dinner, you drive to Apollonia, 15 to 20 minutes, and there is no nightlife at all. Day-trippers come by car and by boat and are gone by late afternoon.
The bay and the chapel
The beach runs round the head of the bay. The sand is golden and shelves gently, and the water stays shallow and warm well out from the shore, so the smallest swimmers are fine here. The little church of the Taxiarchis stands right on the sand and everyone photographs it. On the left of the bay there is a quieter golden cove with showers, changing rooms and toilets but no sunbeds, so it stays unorganised and calm, and the tavernas are a short walk back. The bay opens to the west, so the light is best in the evening.
Eating on the sand
A few tavernas stand along the beach in summer, tables on the sand and the boats in front of you. Manolis has been there since 1976, and Tsikali, Okeanida and Symposio are the others. The cooking is classic Greek. They open from late May to early October. Outside those months nothing is open. There is no shop of any size in Vathi, so bring what you need from Apollonia.
The potters of Vathi
Potters have worked on Sifnos for some three thousand years, and Vathi was a potters' village until the Second World War. In the nineteenth century the workshops here were sending tableware and cooking pots all over Greece. The working studios in the bay still sell hand-thrown pieces. Buy a tsikali, the clay cooking pot. Our ceramics guide says which studios welcome visitors and what to look for.
The trail from Apollonia
Sifnos Trail 5 crosses the interior from Apollonia to Vathi, about 9 km and 3h50 one way over the hills. It is a proper half-day with a swim at the end. Some guides print an hour and a half for it and they are wrong. Go early and carry water. Take the bus back, seven a day run from Vathi via Apollonia. From Vathi a marked path also goes to Fykiada, about 1h45 on foot. It is a small sandy beach with no road, with the chapel of Agios Georgios and one of the island's oldest olive trees beside it.
Getting there and the bus
Vathi is 14.7 km by road from Kamares, the port, and 17.5 km from Platis Gialos. From Apollonia the road takes 15 to 20 minutes. Seven buses a day run each way on the Vathi line via Apollonia, the first from Artemonas at 09:00 and the last out of Vathi at 23:15. Singles are €3.50 from the port and €2.20 from Artemonas. If you are staying here you want a car. Parking is at the end of the road. Boat trips from Platis Gialos also call in the bay.
Vathi and the villa
Our house is above Platis Gialos, 17.5 km from Vathi by road, and if you have small children it is the beach we tell you about first. Calm water and lunch on the sand, and you are home by the afternoon. A La Mer's boat trips from Platis Gialos call at Vathi too, if you would rather go by sea.
What we tell guests before they come
Vathi is quiet because there is nothing else there, no shops to speak of, no nightlife, and the tavernas close with the season. The sea is shallow a long way out, which children love, and for a long swim you would pick another beach. The road in is narrow and ends at the water. Parking fills on August weekends. Day-trippers arrive by car and boat through the middle of the day and are gone by five.
Vathi, Sifnos: common questions
Is Vathi in Sifnos worth visiting?
Yes. It has the calmest and shallowest water on the island, soft sand, tavernas on the beach and the Taxiarchis chapel at the water's edge. For families with small children it is the first beach we recommend.
Does Vathi have a beach?
Yes. A wide sandy beach runs round the head of a sheltered bay, shallow and calm even in rough weather. On the left of the bay there is a quieter golden-sand cove with showers and changing rooms but no sunbeds.
Is Vathi good for small children?
The best on Sifnos, with Kamares. The water is shallow a long way out and stays calm when the north wind blows, and lunch is a few steps from the towel.
How far is Vathi from Apollonia and Platis Gialos?
15 to 20 minutes by car from Apollonia. 17.5 km by road from Platis Gialos and 14.7 km from Kamares, the port. Seven buses a day run each way via Apollonia.
Can I walk from Apollonia to Vathi?
Yes, on Sifnos Trail 5. It is about 9 km and 3h50 one way across the interior, a half-day walk. Some guides quote 90 minutes and that is wrong. Go early and take the bus back.
Are there restaurants in Vathi?
A few tavernas on the sand, open from late May to early October. There are no shops of any size, so bring what you need from Apollonia.
Is there a bus to Vathi?
Seven a day each way in summer on the Vathi line via Apollonia, the first from Artemonas at 09:00 and the last out of Vathi at 23:15. Fares are €2.20 from Artemonas and €3.50 from the port.
Which part of Sifnos is best to stay in?
Vathi for small children and real quiet. Platis Gialos if you want a beach holiday with more going on, Apollonia for village evenings, Artemonas or Kastro for the architecture. Faros has low-key beach days with more coves. Our where-to-stay guide compares all eight villages, with distances and bus times.
Thinking about Vathi for your beach days?
Our house is above Platis Gialos, 17.5 km from Vathi. Write to Elena with your dates and who is coming, and she will point you to the beach days that fit.