Apollonia: A Visit to the Island Capital of Sifnos

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025 Koen 0 Comments

This destination guide covers my visit to Apollonia, the main town and island capital of Sifnos.

Driving to Apollonia

After my visit to the beautiful fishing village of Cherronisos on the northernmost tip of Sifnos and the nearby Monastery of Agios Georgios, it was time to continue my road trip across the island.

Next up on my Sifnos road trip would be Apollonia, the island’s capital and main commercial hub.

I drove back from Cherronisos on the road to Troulaki, and at the junction turned left towards Artemonas and Apollonia.

cheronissos sifnos — *The fishing village of Cherronisos in the north of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

cherronisos sifnos fishing village beach — *Cherronisos. ©Paliparan*

Monastery of Agios Georgios Cherronisos Sifnos — *View over the Monastery of Agios Georgios. ©Paliparan*

Northeastern coast of Sifnos

The road from Troulaki to Apollonia initially runs through a rugged mountain valley, offering great views over terraced fields and the occasional house or church in this sparsely populated part of the island.

Afterwards, the road follows the northeastern coast of Sifnos, with equally stunning views over the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

troulaki apollonia road sifnos — *Driving from Troulaki towards Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

road view — *View from the road. ©Paliparan*

remote church — *Remote church. ©Paliparan*

mountains sifnos island — *Wild mountain interior of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

coastline aegean sea — *After a while, the road leaves the mountain valley and opens up to beautiful views of the northeastern coastline. ©Paliparan*

Churches

From the northeastern coastal road on Sifnos, you can spot numerous small churches wedged between the main road to Apollonia and the rocky coastline.

Almost all of them occupy highly picturesque locations, with their whitewashed walls set against the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

Some of these churches can be reached via narrow side roads, either paved or gravel tracks, some barely suitable for standard cars.

Others, such as the Church of Agios Sostis, require a 30-minute walk along rugged coastal paths from the trailhead on the main road.

Although I was tempted to hike to Agios Sostis, I decided against it as it would take too much time.

Instead, I walked to another picturesque church I had passed by car, which required a much shorter walk from the main road.

The nearby settlement (which like the church seemed to have no name, at least none I could find on any sign or online map) also had two traditional Cycladic windmills.

hiking path sifnos island — *Walking to a picturesque church just off the main road. ©Paliparan*

cycladic church sifnos — *Whitewashed Cycladic church ©Paliparan*

sea view sifnos — *Lovely views over the coastline. ©Paliparan*

windmill cyclades — *Whitewashed houses and windmill. ©Paliparan*

sifnos eastern coast — *View across the northeastern coastline of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

Kastro views

From the coastal road connecting Troulaki with Artemonas and Apollonia, there are also some terrific views of the old town of Kastro in the distance to the southeast.

Kastro was the historic capital of Sifnos before Apollonia took over the title in 1836.

If there’s just one town you visit on Sifnos, it should be Kastro, and I was planning to head there right after my visit to Apollonia.

kastro sifnos — *The old island capital of Kastro as seen from the Troulaki-Apollonia road. ©Paliparan*

Panagia Poulati Church

While driving along the road to Apollonia, I happened to spot another stunning sight from the car – the Panagia Poulati Church.

As you reach Artemonas, take the narrow gravel road that winds down the mountain to get as close as possible to the church, then walk the final stretch along a narrow footpath.

The Panagia Poulati Church is not only one of the most beautiful churches on Sifnos but probably one of the most stunning in all the Cyclades.

With its whitewashed walls and striking blue dome – set against the Aegean Sea as a magnificent backdrop – this church is about as quintessentially Cycladic as it gets in terms of picturesque setting.

Although the Church of Panagia Poulati is beautiful up close, it is an even more spectacular sight from a higher vantage point.

You can also walk further down the hill from the church to the sea, where there’s an inviting swimming spot, although the water can be rough in this part of the coastline as it’s exposed to the strong seasonal meltemi winds from the north.

sifnos church travel visit sights — *Panagia Poulati Church. ©Paliparan*

church panagia poulati — *Walking down towards the church. ©Paliparan*

sifnos seashore aegean sea — *From the church, it’s a short walk down to the seashore, where there are some inviting spots to swim. ©Paliparan*

sifnos sea coast — *There are some great views from the church over the coastline. ©Paliparan*

church of panagia poulati apollonia sifnos — *A final look at the Church of Panagia Poulati. ©Paliparan*

Towards Apollonia

After visiting the Church of Panagia Poulati, it was finally time to drive the last few miles to Apollonia.

Located in the centre of the island, Apollonia essentially forms a conglomeration with the town of Artemonas to its north.

Apollonia might seem unassuming at first, but the town hides many charms in its backstreets.

You won’t notice any of this when driving through Apollonia by car, so ignore your first impressions from the road and park to explore further on foot.

I parked my car in the free car park in the centre of Apollonia, which is clearly signposted throughout the town (Google Maps location).

apollonia sifnos scenery — *Approaching Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

apollonia town centre sifnos — *The town centre of Apollonia. The charms of the town can be found in the smaller pedestrian streets, and not along the main road. ©Paliparan*

Exploring Apollonia

Apollonia is basically divided into two parts by the main road leading west towards Kamares.

First, I planned to explore the part of the town north of this road, and afterwards, head south to explore the other side.

Between the pharmacy and a Piraeus Bank ATM is a pedestrian street that climbs north up the hill, and this is the route to take if you want to explore the sights in the northern part of Apollonia.

Make sure to take the first side street on the right, through a covered arch, to reach a beautiful courtyard in front of the 16th-century Church of the Virgin Mary Ouranophoras.

apollonia steps street — *Climbing up the steps along the pedestrian street running to the north of Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

steps street — *If you want to explore Apollonia, be ready to climb lots of steps. ©Paliparan*

*Climbing up some more steps. ©Paliparan*

Church of the Virgin Mary Ouranophoras Apollonia Sifnos — *The lovely Church of the Virgin Mary Ouranophoras. ©Paliparan*

More churches

Sometimes the best way to explore a town – especially one on a Cycladic island – is simply to wander around without following any predefined route to specific sights.

Just forget the map and follow whichever path looks like it might lead you somewhere interesting.

Apollonia is a small town, so you can’t really get lost anyway.

Besides, I found Apollonia to be the kind of place where looking at a map can actually be confusing due to the many small lanes, alleys, and steps.

You certainly get a much clearer sense of direction and feel for the town by simply observing as you walk and following your instincts.

As I wandered around the northern part of Apollonia, I came across a few more small yet beautiful churches, as well as several great vantage points offering lovely views over the town and surrounding countryside.

alley backstreet — *Exploring the small alleys in the northern part of town. ©Paliparan*

church apollonia sifnos — *Another beautiful Apollonia church. ©Paliparan*

alley apollonia sifnos — *Picturesque alley in Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

countryside apollonia — *In Apollonia, you only need to walk a block away from the main north-south thoroughfare to feel as though you’ve already left the town and entered the surrounding countryside. ©Paliparan*

steps greece cycladic town — *Climbing some more steps. ©Paliparan*

apollonia sifnos — *The quiet lanes of Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

Agios Ioannis

One of the most picturesque sights in Apollonia is the Church of Agios Ioannis in the northern part of town.

From various parts of the town and the surrounding countryside, you can catch glimpses of the twin towers and blue dome of this church, which has a commanding position on top of a hill.

The path to the Church of Agios Ioannis is also highly scenic, offering lovely views of the whitewashed church and surrounding houses, with the Aegean Sea in the distance.

From the church, there are equally splendid views back over Apollonia and the rugged countryside of Sifnos.

Church of Agios Ioannis Apollonia sifnos — *Walking towards the Church of Agios Ioannis. ©Paliparan*

view sifnos — *View from the church over Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

Lunchtime

As it was nearing lunchtime and I was starting to feel hungry, I decided to walk back towards the centre of Apollonia and look for a taverna where I could enjoy some Greek food.

Retracing my steps through the idyllic streets, I eventually arrived back where I’d begun my tour of Apollonia.

This time around, I headed towards the southern part of the town centre of Apollonia, where most of the bars and restaurants are located.

Eventually, I came across an inviting restaurant along the main pedestrian street, where I decided to sit down.

apollonia sifnos town walk — *Walking back towards the town centre. ©Paliparan*

town street — *One of the many picturesque streets of the town. ©Paliparan*

walk town cyclades — *Walking around Apollonia in search of a place to eat. ©Paliparan*

apollonia bar restaurant — *Eventually, I found an appealing restaurant in the streets of Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

Cayenne Restaurant

The taverna I chose for lunch – Cayenne Restaurant and Art Gallery – turned out to be an absolute gem, as the meal was truly excellent.

To start, I had grilled halloumi cheese with fig jam, which turned out to be an incredibly delicious dish.

I also enjoyed the Byzantine-style meat patties with caramelised leeks, followed by crème brûlée for dessert.

As I still had quite a bit of driving ahead and didn’t feel like having beer or wine, I just had water with my meal.

Overall, I can’t recommend Cayenne Restaurant highly enough, and if you’re visiting Sifnos, this place is worth the drive to Apollonia in its own right.

cayenne restaurant art gallery — *The courtyard of Cayenne Restaurant & Art Gallery. ©Paliparan*

church saint nectarios cayenne restaurant apollonia sifnos — *Cayenne Restaurant is situated right next to the Church of Saint Nectarios. ©Paliparan*

grilled halloumi fig jam apollonia sifnos restaurant food — *The grilled halloumi in homemade fig jam was divine. ©Paliparan*

crème brûlée — *Crème brûlée. ©Paliparan*

Church of Saint Spyridon

After an excellent lunch, I wandered a bit further south along Apollonia’s main pedestrian street.

Along this street, you’ll find the Church of Saint Spyridon, which is not only the largest church in Apollonia but also the main church of the island of Sifnos.

It’s well worth walking further south beyond the church, as this pedestrian street with its many steps, whitewashed houses, and colourful flowers and trees, is incredibly picturesque.

saint Spyridon church sifnos apollonia — *Church of Saint Spyridon. ©Paliparan*

church apollonia saint spyridon — *Walking back to the Church of Saint Spyridon. ©Paliparan*

Afternoon explorations

Besides strolling along Apollonia’s main pedestrian street, I also explored more of the backstreets in the southern part of town.

Once again, many of these side streets opened up to superb views of the surrounding countryside, just moments after stepping away from the main thoroughfare.

Although afternoons in the Cyclades – especially off-season in towns on lesser-visited islands – are never the busiest time of day compared with the livelier evenings when everyone is out for a stroll, they’re the best time if you enjoy photography and want to take in the beauty of the towns in complete tranquillity.

After a while, I made my way back to the centre of Apollonia, where the Folklore and Popular Art Museum is also located and could be worth a visit.

As I was planning to head on to Kastro, I decided against visiting the museum and returned to the car park for the drive to my next destination on the island.

apollonia sifnos backstreets — *Backstreets of Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

apollonia sifnos bar — *Bars and restaurants in Cycladic towns can be rather quiet in the afternoon. Most will only get more lively in the evenings. ©Paliparan*

apollonia church — *Another church in Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

island capital main town sifnos apollonia — *Exploring the streets of Apollonia, the main town of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

apollonia sifnos street — *I always love the beautiful patterns of the stone paths in Cycladic towns. ©Paliparan*

apollonia backstreets sifnos — *Exploring the backstreets Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

countryside sifnos — *View over the surrounding countryside. ©Paliparan*

apollonia sifnos flowers view — *You don’t have to go far from the main street to enjoy stunning views over the mountainous terrain of the island. ©Paliparan*

apollonia sifnos view — *View from Apollonia. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

Apollonia, the main town and island capital of Sifnos, may seem unremarkable from the main road, but it reveals its hidden charms when you explore the backstreets on foot.

Especially while walking along its long, winding pedestrianised main thoroughfare, with its many steps up and down the hills, you can truly appreciate the beauty of Apollonia.

On your stroll through Apollonia, you’ll encounter typical Cycladic churches and whitewashed houses, along with plenty of great viewpoints.

During my visit, I also enjoyed an excellent lunch at Cayenne Restaurant, which alone is worth a trip to Apollonia.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Wonderful Greek Island Escape: My Trip to the Cyclades‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. A Misty Morning Walk Around the Old Port of Hamburg
2. Review: EuroCity Train ‘Berliner’ Hamburg to Berlin and Prague
3. Back to Germany: From Prague to Frankfurt by Train
4. From Frankfurt to Athens: A Flight Into the Greek Sun
5. Greek Ferry Guide: How to Reach the Western Cyclades
6. Review: Speedrunner Ferry Piraeus to Serifos and Sifnos
7. Sifnos Travel Guide: Explore the Best Sights and Beaches
8. Kamares: The Rugged and Relaxed Port Town of Sifnos
9. The Church of Agios Symeon: The Best Sunset Spot on Sifnos
10. Cherronisos: The Hidden Seaside Retreat on Sifnos
11. Apollonia: A Visit to the Island Capital of Sifnos (current chapter)