Explore Serifos Island, Greece

An island of raw beauty

In Greek mythology, it is said that Serifos is where Perseus grew up, bringing back Medusa’s head to save his mother from the unwanted romantic attentions of Polydectes, and where the Cyclopes were said to live.

Craggy and rocky, Serifos has a raw, rugged beauty all of its own, its land of iron and granite making it the rockiest island in the Cyclades. Arid and yet spine chillingly beautiful, with steep mountains that dramatically cascade into broad ultramarine bays, the more beauty that one uncovers, the more surprising it becomes that this gem of an island hasn’t been ‘discovered’ to the extent that its Cycladic cousins Mykonos and Santorini have. And therein lies its allure. Its lack of airport and ferry routes connecting it to the more popular islands have led to it being blissfully off the beaten tourist track. That’s not to say that the island is inaccessible. On the contrary. Due to its proximity, 65 nautical miles away from Piraeus – Serifos is in fact easily reachable, a mere two and a half hours by high-speed ferry away and you’re taking your first dive into the crystal clear waters of Livadi. It’s rather more of a place that those in the know choose to visit, think well-heeled Greek and international travelers, a handful of whom have bought properties on the island, and the fact that it is still a well-kept secret couldn’t make them happier.

Peppered with the occasional remnants of past mining enterprises (rusting tracks, cranes) and the odd village scattered around the island, Serifos is relatively deserted outside the quaint hilltop capital of Chora or the bay of Livadi down below. Its rugged terrain provides the perfect backdrop for its plethora of incredible beaches; some rocky and pebbly, others boasting powdery gold sand, they all come with crystal-clear waters that you can’t wait to dive into, and for the most part can be accessed by car, through paths or by boat.

So while tourism has made a slight mark on the island in the shape of a few small coffee shops, cocktail lounges and shops selling expensive kaftans rather than retsina, it’s evident that they cater towards very low-key tourism, and that’s what makes Serifos irresistible; it is incredibly low-key, with any remnants of any nightlife mostly confined to Chora and Livadi, while the rest of the island is as wild and raw as any tiny speck on the map you could hope to unearth.

Serifos is the kind of Greek island you wished you could discover. It’s a land of memories that you’ll cherish forever, of long languorous lunches in rustic tavernas right on the beach, beautiful bays with crystalline waters, diving off rocks into the cleanest waters imaginable, eating under a blanket of stars as they shine in the clearest skies at night, and so much more …..