The Hora of Serifos

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Aside from the local tourist population in Greece, Serifos is a little known Greek island amongst the international tourist crowd.  At roughly 29 square miles and a year round population of not even 1,500 people, this Cycladic island nestles south of the island of Kythnos and northwest of Sifnos.   There are many beautiful beaches to visit on Serifos, however when I visited, my favourite pastime was to wander the streets of the Hora.

Hora of Serifos

When you arrive by ferry into Serifos you’ll come into the port of Livadi.  Looking up as you arrive, you can’t fail to notice the pill box houses spilling over and cascading down the summit of a rocky hill.   This is the Hora of Serifos.

There is a year round local population of just under 370 people in this tiny yet beautiful village. It’s possible to take the bus from the harbour to the Hora – at a price of just €1.70 one way. It’s wonderful to wind your way slowly up the hill and be rewarded with views across virtually the whole island – and see as far as other Cycladic islands, weather permitting.

The best time to visit the Hora of Serifos, especially in the summer, is in the late afternoon/early evening.  It’s cooler to wander the tiny streets, plus the light is magnificent at this time for photographs.  The Hora’s divided into the Upper and Lower Hora, the bus depositing its passengers at the Lower Hora and then you can wander to the Upper part, enjoy getting lost in the tiny streets and marvel at the views.

You’ll come across small churches and eventually the remains of the 15th-century Venetian castle which sits virtually at the top, commanding spectacular views across the island.

Platia / Square in the Hora of Serifos

Once you’ve wandered the streets, you’ll eventually come to the main platia, or square of the Hora where you can sit and while away your time drinking a cup of coffee whilst admiring the neoclassical Town Hall.

Serifos facts

• Serifos is approx. 5 hours by slow ferry from Piraeus at a price of €31.00 or 2 hours by speed ferry at a higher price of €50.00
• I stayed in the port of Livadi in a charming, traditional AirBNB place. There are places to stay in the Hora, ranging from renting rooms to whole houses – for me it was nice to be located by the beach and choose to travel up to the Hora when I wanted to.
• It’s possible to take a 2.5km hike from Livadi to the Hora, but it’s uphill and best done by those who are keen on hiking, and in the late afternoon when the sun’s lost its strength.
• As you can imagine, Serifos is busy throughout most of August, mainly with French and Italian tourists as well as Greeks.  Not many native English speaking tourists grace Serifos, but English is widely spoken.

Have you been to Serifos or any of its neighbouring islands?  What was your experience? Would you like to go?  I’d love to see your comments.