Part of the outer Cycladic island complex, Serifos is what a Greek island would’ve looked like in the 80’s; unspoiled, unchartered and unimaginably beautiful. While its cousins Santorini and Mykonos get the lion’s share of the spotlight, Serifos stands pat. It has resisted the luring sirens of (over)modernity and tourist infrastructure. It’s also done little to parlay its stunning natural beauty into a permanent investment tool to attract more visitors. We hope it stays that way. Because the island is too serene and authentic to turn into another thematic park. Let’s just say it’s too pretty to fail.
Serifos is home to mythical names such as Medusa, Perseus and the Cyclops. However, in true Serifian style, these aren’t necessarily advertised as a marketing ploy to get more people to visit. To their credit, they’ve left the mystical allure untapped. Probably why there aren’t any airports or boutique shops and cruise ships docking.
In all honesty, Serifos doesn’t need that kind of trump card. The whole island is a jewel, and the rest is just gravy.
Much like its Cycladic kin, the desolate, mountainous landscape is the first thing that one notices. Back in the day Serifos was a big mining island. Nowadays you can check out this fin de siècle spectacle including a rusty crumbling bridge delving into the sea, along its wagons and trails still left intact as if out of some rust belt town scene. The Mining Trail meanders through cascading hillsides and green fields and ends up in the caves, where one can have a quick gander at the scene. With a guide.
The timecapsule feeling doesn’t end there, either. Walking up the Chora, everything seems stuck in time, evoking a sense of nostalgia that even Netflix wouldn’t be able to recreate. Ano Chora and Kato Chora comprise the biggest village in the island. The main draws? The village square. Cats and all, with the church perched on top, there isn’t a worry in sight.
The beaches are equally docile and tranquil. No beach bars and music. Just the sound of the waves.
Serifos is for the dreamers and the romantics, the strivers, the pushers. Models and z-lebrities need not apply.
