2011
Walking, hiking and trekking on Sikinos
BOATS SIKINOS
- Aqua
Jewel and Aqua Spirit
- Vintsentsos
Kornaros
- Artemis
WALKS
(last update on the 24th of December 2011)
*** = very beautiful
**** = exceptional
N = new in 2010
NN = new in 2011
1. Aloprónia - Chóra - Zoödóchos Pigí - Epáno Chorió - Aloprónia ***
2. Aloprónia - Agios Pandeleímoon - Stamatiní - Chóra ***
3. Aloprónia - Dialiskári - Agios Geórgios and back
4. Aloprónia - Panagía Sykiá - Chóra
5. Chóra - Profítis Ilías - Agia Triáda - and back via Zoödóchos Pigí ***
6. Chóra - Stamatiní - Episkopí - Agia Marína and back ****
7. Chóra - Stamatiní - Episkopí and back ****
8. Chóra - Stamatiní - Episkopí - Pigádi Manáli - Agios Pandeleímoon - Aloprónia ***
9. Chóra - Stamatiní - Troúllos and back ***
10. Episkopí - Pigádi Manáli - Agios Ioánnis and back ***
11. Episkopí - Pigádi Manáli - above Agios Ioánnis and back ***
Síkinos
is a fairly small island (41 km²), situated between Folégandros and Ios,
in the southern Cyclades. The island is still very quiet and not really
affected by the tourist invasion to the Cycladic isles. Santorini is the
southern neighbour of Sikinos, but the difference between the two islands
could not have been bigger. There are only about 200 people living at Síkinos and the mountainous interior only has a few roads: from the little
harbour of Aloprónia to the double main town, consisting of Chóra or Kástro
and Páno Chorió, and (fairly recently) from Chóra to Episkopí.
The
Agios Geórgios takes care of a boat connection from the Piraeus to Síkinos and this
twice a week - this boat line goes via Kýthnos,
Sérifos, Sífnos, Mílos and Folégandros and then continues to Santoríni.
The Vintsentsos Kornáros takes care, once a week, of a connection between
the Piraeus and Anáfi - a line that calls at Mílos, Folégandros, Síkinos,
Ios and Santoríni.
Other interesting boat lines connect Síkinos with Sýros, Páros, Náxos,
Ios, Folégandros, Santoríni and Anáfi, and also with Kímolos, Mílos,
Kýthnos, Kéa and Lávrio. These boat lines are made by the Aqua Jewel,
the Aqua Spirit and the Artemis - the successors of the old Panagía Tinoú
and Panagía Chozoviótissa.
At first sight, Síkinos
has not a lot to offer – in some travel guides this island is not
mentioned at all. But for people who like peace and quiet, hiking and
friendly people, Síkinos is really a very pleasant island.
The interior is very
dry and barren, but the beautiful valley between Aloprónia and Chóra
looks really attractive.
Chóra itself is a
very peaceful but authentic little town; it is situated at an altitude of
280 metres, and besides some pleasant little streets it also possesses a
nice kástro and a kind of walled in square with in the middle the church
of Pantánassa. The town is dominated by the large monastery of Zoödóchos
Pigí, built around 1700 and it was protected against the pirates by heavy
walls.
At 4 km from the
main town you can find Episkopí, a temple in honour of Apollo, dating
from the 3rd century BC. Later on, in the 5th
century, this temple was converted into a church – a very nice example
of the reuse of walls and pillars.
The beach of the harbour of Aloprónia is really nice, ideal for children; there are umbrellas and benches. The remote beaches of Agios Geórgios and Agios Pandeleímoon can only be reached on foot, in summer also by means of small boats.
But it is mainly
with regard to hiking that Síkinos is very interesting. The ancient
network of trails is very well preserved and offers the opportunity to get
to all of the far-off places and remote valleys of the island.
Unfortunately, the trails are not at all indicated, even not by means of
the traditional coloured dots. Fortunately, however, there exists a
detailed map of Anávasi, with on the back side a special map with
information on the hiking trajectories crisscrossing the entire island.
Since January the 1st 2004 you are visitor n°
To be recommended are the trip to Chóra and back, the trip to Episkopí,
the marvellous trajectory between Episkopí and Pigádi Manáli, the very
lonely valley between Agios Pandeleímoon and Stamatiní with at the
highest point a truly magnificent view, and the trail to the Profítis Ilías
and the heights of Kafkáres.
As operating base for the hikes you can take either Aloprónia or Chóra,
but most of the B&B’s and the only hotel are to be found in Aloprónia
– over there, the beautiful beach is also an advantage. The number of
restaurants (off season, there is only one) and shops is limited, but
because of the good bus connections with Chóra it is possible to have
dinner in the main town and to return to the harbour at about 10 or 11 pm.
The sun set from the monastery of Zoödóchos Pigí or from the outdoor
terrace of the very nice restaurant "To Iliovasílema" (which
means “sun set”) make it really worthwhile to stay “up town” for
at least one evening. Both the food and the reception in "To Iliovasílema"
or in the small restaurant "Síkinos Etsi k' allioós" in the
main street of Chóra are wonderful.
Panorama of Chóra
The monastery of Zoödóchos
Pigí
The monastery of Episkopí
The monopáti to Episkopí
Sun set
The thyme bushes that exist everywhere