Faros is exactly the kind of sleepy, waterfront village I’d been dreaming of when I planned our trip to the Cyclades islands in Greece. Located on the tiny island of Sifnos, the small harbour of Faros is lined with a handful of tavernas and the water is a dazzling shade of blue. Best of all, the beach was uncrowded and I really felt like we were on the edge of the world. Faros has two beaches; Faros, which is the first place we stopped, and Glyfos, which is a short walk around the headland.

We caught the local bus from Apollonia to Faros in the morning, and spent a few hours swimming and relaxing on the sand at Faros, the main beach. The water is so clear, that you can see the fine dusting of silver that’s scattered through the sand shining in the sunlight while you swim. Once we were ready to move on, we noticed a path at the end of the beach which wound around the headland, and led to a second beach, Glyfos. The views from the path alone are worth the short walk in the scorching Greek sun!

Faros

Until 1883, Faros was the official port for Sifnos. Today, Kamares is the main port, and I’m so glad – Faros is so quiet and peaceful, I can’t imagine it being disturbed by the frequent ferries that sail between the islands!

Glyfos

Glyfos is less developed than Faros, with only a single taverna a few metres back from the beach, but the beach itself is much more crowded. It’s a longer beach and is completely lined with trees, which provide much-needed shade from the hot summer sun. The water here is just as beautiful as at Faros, and like Faros, at the end of the beach there’s another path winding around the headland to the next beach, and Chrissopiggi monastery.

Have you been to Sifnos? Would you like to visit? Where are you favourite beach towns? Let me know in the comments!