FIRST A WORD ABOUT SIFNOS...Warning!!! If you are self-catering in Faros...organise a taxi in advance for collection from the ferry if you aren't renting a car!! We thought we could just get a taxi at the rank to get to our destination...WRONG!! The "taxis" on the island are actually hackneys. If not for the kindness of Antonias in one of the restaurants on the quay, we would have been stranded for 2 hours. He rang Jenny our host, told her the problem, and she offered to collect us herself. We were soo grateful and embarrassed that we had put her out. That was the start of our amazing holiday in Faros. Thankfully, it only got better! Jenny and Anna are wonderful hosts with loads of information about all the amenities in the area.
TO DRIVE OR NOT TO DRIVE. We opted not to rent a car for the week, and only got one the last 2 days of our stay. Rental prices are €45 per day in June...increasing in July & August to €55 per day. We saw most of the island in the 2 days...and to be honest, Faros was the best place out of all. We visited in June..and the bus schedule is quite limited from Faros to the nearest town - Apollonia - 1 bus every 4 hours. Apparently they run more frequently during the peak season (July and August). We spent a couple of days travelling to and fro by bus to get in food supplies (the mini-market in Faros is too limited for a week-long stay). Apollonia has 2 grocery stores...the one across from the school was actually better than Arades supermarket, as it had vegetables. Taking the bus was actually a great way to meet other people on holiday there.
THE ACCOMMODATION. We were so glad we stayed put in Fivos (Jenny's house). What an amazing place! First...the pictures on the website are exactly what you get. Except for the view from the terrace...it is even better than the pictures!! We spent all our time on the terrace or at Fasalou Beach. We totally relaxed. The house is spotlessly clean and all the furniture is very comfortable and the kitchen is well stocked; there was even a lovely bottle of wine and some fruit thoughtfully left by Jenny, which was really welcome after our hectic arrival. There is ample air conditioning, and even though it was more than 30 degrees outside, the terrace had a nice breeze, and we only needed the bedroom a/c at night to sleep. Fivos has 1 bedroom with a pullout sleep sofa in the sitting room. I think the house is most suited to a couple or a family with 2 small children. I don't think it would suit 4 adults.
We had a problem running the dishwasher while we were there, but, in fact, Jenny discovered it was broken and had someone out to fix it within 48 hours. We wash dishes by hand anyway...so it didn't put us out...but top marks to Jenny for being so responsive.
Her niece Anna wasn't on hand during our visit (Jenny has limited English so Anna takes care of most of the contact for her), but thanks to Google Translate, we were able to communicate just fine! And Anna responded to any email inquiries right away.
NETFLIX - The TV is a good size, but is not a smart TV. We brought our Chromecast dongle and had no problem casting Netflix to the TV...so if you like nights in...bring one with you. There is 1 HDMI port on the back of the TV, but, that's all you need. The WIFI is excellent.
FAROS - quite easily the loveliest village/view on the island. There are about 4-5 restaurants in the village, plus the Mini-market. Just adjacent at Glipho Beach there are 2 more restaurants....so plenty of places to eat out. We ate at Limanaki Fish Tavern the first night, as we got there so late. As it happens, this is the only restaurant in Faros (if not the island) that serves fresh fish. The other restaurants' fish is frozen. It's a bit pricey...but definitely worth it.
BEACHES - there are 3 within easy walking distance of Jenny's house. We spent our time at Fasalou, as it's a bit more private. The water is crystal clear...and very warm! We swam every day! Hard not to with that on your doorstep.
We have traveled all over Europe and I have to say...nothing beats a Greek holiday. And due to Jenny...this was our best holiday by far. Wish we stayed another week!!
Efcharisto Jenny!!! Mas leípeis poly.
Lynda & Owen
Ireland