Serifos

Serifos is one of the most characterful islands of the Cyclades, and its chora is a masterpiece. The ferry arrives at Livadi, the port, and a long, winding road climbs to the capital, which crowns a hill above the island like a white crown. The chora of Serifos — with its flat-roofed houses, its labyrinth of lanes, its windmills, and the ruins of the castle above — is one of the most beautiful and authentic in Greece. Its streets are best walked in the evening light, and the beaches of the west coast, where the mountains drop to the sea in coves of extraordinary beauty, lie a drive away. Swims are taken at Livadakia, a pretty cove below the chora, and at Kalo Ampeli, a beach often left almost to oneself. Serifos has a wild, bare beauty — a landscape of rock and light — and a friendly, unpretentious population that makes visitors feel at home. It is the Cyclades at their most real, and it rewards those who take the time to look.

Serifos has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and in myth it is the island where Danae and the infant Perseus were washed ashore in their chest, and where Perseus later used the Gorgon's head to turn the island's king to stone. In antiquity the island was a member of the Delian League, and its iron and copper mines made it a place of some importance. In the Middle Ages Serifos was part of the Duchy of the Aegean, and its castle — above the chora — was built by the Venetians in the 15th century. Under the Ottomans the island was poor and quiet, and its mines were reopened in the 19th century by foreign companies, bringing a brief prosperity and a famous labour uprising in 1916, the Serifos mining revolt, which became a symbol of Greek working-class struggle. The mines closed in the 20th century, and Serifos returned to its quiet life of farming, fishing, and, increasingly, tourism. Its wild beauty and its authentic chora have made it a favourite of those who love the real Cyclades.

Serifos has some of the most beautiful beaches in the western Cyclades, and most of them are wild and uncrowded. Livadakia, just below the chora, is the island's favourite: a pretty cove with soft sand, a taverna, and calm water. Livadi, by the port, is long and sandy. But the jewels are on the west coast, where the mountains drop to the sea in a series of spectacular coves — Kalo Ampeli, Psili Ammos, Ganema, and the little beaches of the Megalo Livadi area — reached by rough tracks or boat, with water so clear it looks like glass. Bring water and a picnic, and you will have some of the best swimming in the Cyclades almost entirely to yourself.

Serifos food is simple, honest island cooking. The island is famous for its wild greens, its goat and lamb dishes, and its seafood, and the tavernas of the chora and Livadi serve the classic Cycladic table with a friendly, unhurried warmth. The local cheese, the island's honey, and its excellent wine complete the picture. The island has a real food tradition, and the festivals of its churches — with tables laid out under the trees — are famous for their abundance. For a proper Serifos meal, find a taverna in the chora, order the goat or the fish, a plate of greens, and a carafe of local wine, and eat as the light fades over the sea.

May, June, and September are the best months on Serifos: warm, quiet, and beautiful, with the chora at its most peaceful and the beaches calm. July and August are busier — Serifos is popular with Greeks and with a younger crowd who love its beaches — but the island is large and its west coast stays wild. Spring is lovely, with wildflowers, and autumn lingers warm into October. Whenever you come, stay at least a few days, and spend one evening in the chora as the lamps come on along the lanes.

Serifos is reached by ferry from Piraeus, a crossing of about two and a half hours, with services from the other Cyclades and seasonal boats as well. Ferries land at Livadi, from which the chora is a steep drive or a long climb up the hill.

A car or scooter is essential to reach the west-coast beaches; the roads are rough, and the rewards are huge. Swim at Livadakia and at the coves of the west coast, walk the lanes of the chora at dusk, and visit the ruined mine at Megalo Livadi. The island has a strong, welcoming character — talk to the locals, try the local food, and let Serifos show you its best, which it keeps for those who stay.