Sifnos is a lovely island, and our weeklong visit was made all the better by staying in Xenia’s home and hospitality.
She has prepared her grandmother’s house very well for 2-4 guests. Everything you need is there – from extra bed linens and towels to plenty of paper products in the kitchen.
The two small buildings are charming and reflect the local traditional building style very well – bright white washed exterior walls with light blue-colored window shutters and doors set in thick stone and plaster walls. The house is clean, well maintained and she has decorated both buildings beautifully. My wife and I sat on the small deck overlooking the town in the morning with coffee and reading in the early evening, and sat in the main living room in the heat of the afternoon and after the sun went down to read and nap. There is an air conditioner if you are home in the hot part of the day. Mosquitos kept us inside with windows closed at night.
The kitchen building has a nice table with seating for at least 4 and is well appointed with plenty of glasses and dishes. That building also has the bathroom with a hand-shower.
The location is spectacular. Top of a tall hill, sitting just below a lovely, iconic church. The deck has 180 degree views of the south-eastern part of Sifnos. It's a 10-minute walk down hill to Apollonia along an interesting quarter mile walkway between the homes – lovely views and you can imagine folks doing this walk daily for years and years. 10 minutes in the other direction to the small village of Artemonas, with more restaurants and lovely bakeries. It’s a 5 minute walk up and down stairs from the free parking area – rolling bags don’t make that trip easier. Xenia arranged help for us and our large suitcases.
Exploring the island is easy from Apollonia. The buses are easy to locate and travel to all the significant towns. Taxis are also available from the taxi stand in front of the post office, or by phone.
The local hand-painted maps are pretty, but can be difficult to follow – paths, roads, trails all seem to be suggestive of relative locations and direction and possibly not meant to be taken literally. GPS works and exploring is fun. If you don’t have difficulty with stairs, this location is lovely.