Tag: Sifnos (page 4 of 4)

Greece holiday pic of the day

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Kamares beach Sifnos

Overlooking Kamares beach on Sifnos from a nearby hillside

 

Greece holiday pic of the day

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Kastro village on Sifnos

Approaching the hilltop village of Kastro on Sifnos. In medieval times, Kastro was the capital of the charming Cycladic island.

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Greece holiday pic of the day

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beachside bars and tavernas at Kamares on Sifnos

Beachside bar and taverna seating at the port town of Kamares on Sifnos

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Greece holiday pic of the day

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The beach at Kamares on Sifnos

The curved sandy beach at the port village of Kamares on Sifnos

 

 

Greece holiday pic of the day

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boy riding a donkey on Sifnos

A boy rides a donkey down a narrow street in the village of Artemonas on Sifnos

 

 

Things I love about Greece: Waking up to gorgeous views at hotels in the Greek Islands (Part 3)

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Hotel Tagoo Mykonos sunset view

A dramatic sunset viewed from Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos in September 2007

 

Sunsets, sea views & windstorms: 2007 was the year we took our first-ever September trip to Greece, breaking a pattern of travelling in mid- to late May or early June.  This particular island-hopping holiday took us to Milos, Sifnos, Folegandros and Mykonos.

Milos was our first stop; we flew there on an Olympic Airways flight from Athens the same day we arrived in Greece. We stayed at the Santa Maria Village hotel near Adamas, the main port town on Milos. Santa Maria Village is a hillside complex of hotel rooms, suites, apartments and bungalows less than a 15-minute walk from the Adamas harbour. The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Milos, and the balcony to our room had views of the gulf, 748-meter Mt. Profitis Elias and other mountains on the west side of the bay, and Adamas. No sunset views from this location, but we did get to see a spectacular sunset from Utopia bar in Plaka one evening.

Sifnos was our second destination. We stayed at Hotel Delfini, which sits directly across from the Kamares ferry port on the far side of Kamares Bay. The hotel has a beautiful swimming pool that overlooks Kamares and the bay. In our room, one of the tiniest hotel rooms we’ve stayed in anywhere, the window and the balcony both gave good views straight down the wide bay toward open sea. We saw some brilliant sunsets during our stay — a stroke of luck considering that a bad weather system moved over the Aegean during our first night on Sifnos, bringing cloudy skies and a fierce windstorm that disrupted ferry travel for several days. We actually had to spend one extra night on the island because there were no ferries going anywhere on our scheduled departure day.

Folegandros was our third stop, and we arrived more than a day late because of the ferry cancellations caused by the weekend windstorm that “stranded” us on Sifnos. We stayed at the Fata Morgana Studios, a small clifftop complex of 14 apartments near the island’s main town, Chora.This place has incredible views, including sunsets! The swimming pool and bar overlook the sea and the mountainous western half of the island, while our balcony gave us even better views — the same breathtaking sea and mountain views, plus sightlines of Chora and the stunning church of Koimisis tis Theotokou (Assumption of the Virgin Mary), perched high on the mountain above the town.

Mykonos was our final island-hopping destination, and this time we decided to stay close to Mykonos Town, rather than at a beach resort like Elia or Platis Gialos where we had stayed three times before. We chose Hotel Tagoo not only because of its many positive reviews on TripAdvisor.com, but also since it came highly recommended first-hand by some people from Toronto we knew who had stayed there the previous year. (I had recommended the Lianos Village to them for their Naxos visit; they loved it and suggested we try Hotel Tagoo next time we went to Mykonos because it had many similarities and they felt certain we would love it. They were right.)

We actually got to stay in two different rooms. Our first room was situated on the east side of the Hotel Tagoo complex, with a semi-private partial sea-view terrace that was cozy, comfortable and quiet. We couldn’t watch the sunset from that terrace, but if we wanted to see it, all we had to do was walk a few flights of stairs to the swimming pool and pool bar deck. The panoramic vistas from there are spectacular; on clear days, you can see several other Cyclades islands including Tinos, Syros, Rinia and sometimes even Giaros. As you can imagine, the sunsets look sensational from up there, too. And for our last night on Mykonos, we got to move into a room with a direct sunset view. When guests checked out of one of the hotel’s front-facing rooms earlier in the day, hotel manager Anna asked if we wanted to switch rooms for the night. We did, of course, so we got to watch a brilliant sunset while enjoying a bottle of wine on the comfort of our own terrace. It was the perfect place to spend our final evening on the island!

Below are photos of our views from the Santa Maria Village on Milos, the Hotel Delfini on Sifnos, the Fata Morgana Studios on Folegandros, and Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos.

Santa Maria Village hotel balcony view

This was the view looking straight out from our second-floor hotel room balcony at the Santa Maria Village hotel in Adamas on Milos

 

Santa Maria Village balcony view

Directly ahead is the Gulf of Milos, the wide bay that separates the east and west sides of the island

 

Santa Maria Village balcony view

Off to the right stands Mount Profitis Elias on the west side of the Gulf of Milos

 

Santa Maria Village balcony view

The mountains blocked sunsets from sight at the hotel — but there were many excellent sunset viewing spots in Plaka and Kastro

 

Santa Maria Village hotel swimming pool

Our balcony also overlooked the Santa Maria Village swimming pool and bar terrace

 

Santa Maria Village swimming pool

The swimming pool and its surrounding terrace had views of the Gulf of Milos …

 

Santa Maria Village view of Adamas

… as well as views towards the island’s main port town, Adamas, which was only a 15-minute walk from the hotel along the waterfront

 

Hotel Delfini Sifnos

The Hotel Delfini is situated on a hill above Kamares Bay on Sifnos

 

Hotel Delfini Sifnos

The Delfini has great views of the mountains that tower above the bay and port…

 

Hotel Delfini view toward Kamares

… while parts of the hotel property overlook the port town of Kamares

 

Hotel Delfini swimming pool

The Hotel Delfini has a beautiful infinity pool …

 

Hotel Delfini infinity pool

that faces straight down Kamares Bay toward the open sea …

 

Hotel Delfini Sifnos infinity pool

… has views of the island’s main port town, Kamares …

 

Delfini Hotel Sifnos sunset view

… and offers excellent sightlines as the sun sets over the Aegean Sea to the west

 

Delfini hotel Sifnos sunset view

Another sunset view from the Hotel Delfini’s infinity pool

 

Hotel Delfini Sifnos view

The window in our room overlooked the pool and the hotel’s outdoor restaurant area (under the bamboo roof), and had great views of Kamares Bay

 

Hotel Delfini balcony view

Our balcony faced right down Kamares Bay toward the open sea

 

Kamares Bay on Sifnos

Our balcony view of the rugged coastline and rocky mountain above Kamares Bay

 

Delfini Hotel Sifnos sunset view

Our balcony view of a sunset over the Aegean Sea

 

Fata Morgana Folegandros

The swimming pool terrace at Fata Morgana Studios on Folegandros has fantastic views. The island of Paros is visible in the distance in this photo.

 

Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

This was part of the view from our terrace at Fata Morgana Studios; I say “part” because the second-floor balcony wrapped around the building, offering wonderful views in several different directions

 

Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

We could see the village of Ano Mera on the mountaintop in the distance

 

Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros views

Looking straight out to sea from our balcony at Fata Morgana Studios

 

Fata Morgana Studios

A sitting area for the pool bar had amazing views of the island, sea and sunset

 

Fata Morgana Studios

The sitting area looks surrounded by nothing but deep blue sea

 

Fata Morgana Studios

Our balcony also had great views of Chora, the main town on Folegandros

 

Church of Koimisis tis Theotokou in Folegandros

This was our balcony view of the Church of Koimisis tis Theotokou at sunset …

 

Fata Morgana Studios balcony view

… and this was our view of the moon high above Chora at sunset one evening

 

Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

With all those views, I loved sitting on the balcony when we weren’t hiking around Folegandros (which is one of the best islands for walking)

 

Hotel Tagoo balcony

This was the semi-private sea-view terrace for our first room at Hotel Tagoo

 

Hotel Tagoo Mykonos view

To the left was this view of the hotel next door to Tagoo. The hillside in the distance is the Apollonia area of Mykonos island.

 

Hotel Tagoo balcony view

This was the direct sea view from our second room at Hotel Tagoo

 

Hotel Tagoo balcony view

Our balcony overlooked the swimming pool deck for another hotel lower down the hillside in what is known as the Tagoo district of Mykonos

 

Hotel Tagoo Mykonos views

The upper levels of Hotel Tagoo offer superb views of the sea and nearby islands

 

Hotel Tagoo views

On a clear day, the shimmering sea looks silver under the glare of the blazing sun

 

Hotel Tagoo Mykonos view

Standing on the swimming pool deck, two Hotel Tagoo guests watch as a four-masted luxury cruise ship sails out of Mykonos port

 

Hotel Tagoo swimming pool terrace at sunset

Guests watch a sunset from the swimming pool terrace at Hotel Tagoo

 

Hotel Tagoo Mykonos sunset view

The incredible sunset views make the Hotel Tagoo swimming pool terrace a popular gathering spot for guests each evening

 

Greece is: Spectacular scenery. Beautiful beaches. Charming villages. Stunning sunsets. Historic ruins. Picturesque churches. Amazing Athens. And more…

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Chora village on Astipalea Island

The imposing Kastro (castle) towers above whitewashed mountainside houses in Chora, the main village on Astipalea island

 

A blue domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini

Look familiar? This blue-domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini has been pictured on countless postcards, posters, travel brochures and websites.

 

Elia Beach Mykonos

Sunbeds at popular Elia Beach on Mykonos overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea

 

Folegandros island

Spectacular cliff scenery on the north side of Folegandros island

 

The Panagia Church on Folegandros

The Panagia Church on Folegandros sits high above the island`s main village, Chora

 

Seaside fishermen`s houses in Klima Milos

Syrmata (fishermens houses) in the seaside village of Klima on Milos

 

A Cycladic style house on Naxos

A Cycladic-style house overlooking Agios Prokopios beach on Naxos

 

Venetian Fortress at Iraklion harbour

The Venetian fortress next to the old harbour at Iraklion on Crete

 

Sunbeds on a rocky point near Kalithea Bay

No sandy beach? No worries! In the Greek Islands, there’s literally thousands of miles of coastline with secluded coves and inlets…

 

beach chairs and umbrellas near Kalithea on Rhodes

…and countless more great spots to relax in the sun, fish, play or swim in the sea, like this rocky point near Kalithea Bay on Rhodes

 

Delos Island

Historic archaeological ruins on the hillside and seaside below Mt Kynthos on sacred Delos island

 

Little Venice on Mykonos Town

The “Little Venice” area of Mykonos Town is a perenially popular spot for tourists to enjoy a cocktail while watching a spectacular sunset…

 

A sunset viewed from the Little Venice area of Mykonos Town

…like this one, viewed from the Little Venice seaside

 

The Temple of Apollo on Naxos

The Portara (Temple of Apollo) is one of the symbols of Naxos island…

 

The Portara at the Temple of Apollo on Naxos

…and a popular spot for tourists to visit for sunset viewing

 

Knossos Palace on Crete

A tourist sketches at the Knossos Palace ruins on Crete

 

A view from Santorini at sunset

A view over the volcano island (Nea Kameni) off Santorini at sunset

 

Mikri Vigla beach

Not a soul in sight on the soft sands of Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

 

Achivadolimni Beach on Milos

or on the soft sands of Achivadolimni Beach on Milos…

 

Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos island

…or at Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

 

sparkling blue water in a bay on Milos island

…while the people in this boat have the sparkling waters of this entire quiet bay all to themselves on Milos

 

Fira village on Santorini

Fira, the bustling main town on the immensely popular island of Santorini

 

Kleftiko on Milos

The white cliffs at Kleftiko on Milos

 

the beach at Ammoudara Crete

Part of the long sandy beach at Ammoudara near Iraklion on Crete…

 

the beach at Ammoudara Crete

…and looking to the right along the same stretch of Ammoudara beach

 

Mykonos Town viewed from the northwest

Looking toward Mykonos Town from the northwest tip of Mykonos island

 

Mykonos Town

Some of the hillside hotels and houses overlooking Mykonos Town

 

Elia beach on Mykonos

Elia beach on Mykonos island

 

Elia beach Mykonos

Beach chairs and umbrellas on Elia Beach at Mykonos

 

Windmills at Chora on Astipalea

Windmills in the village of Chora on Astipalea island

 

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town on Rhodes

 

Filoti village on Naxos

The mountainside village of Filoti on Naxos island

 

sailing at Milos

Going for an early morning sail on calm seas off Milos island

 

Chora on Astipalea

Chora, the mountaintop village on Astipalea island

 

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

 

Naxos Town on Naxos island

Naxos Town, the bustling main port town on Naxos Island

 

A rock formation in the sea off Milos

A rabbit shaped rock formation in the sea off Milos island

 

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

 

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

 

Super Paradise beach Mykonos

Looking down on Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos

 

The Chapel of Seven Martyrs below Kastro on Sifnos

Waves crash against the rugged coast below the Chapel of Seven Martyrs on Sifnos

 

Amoudi Bay on Santorini

Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

 

Gorgeous Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

Beautiful Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

 

pelicans at Nikos taverna in Mykonos Town

Pelicans, like these two seen waiting for a fish dinner at ever-popular Niko’s Taverna in Mykonos Town, are famous mascots of Mykonos island…

 

Paraportiani Church in Mykonos Town

…while the incomparable Paraportiani Church is another Mykonos landmark

 

Seagulls trail a fishing boat as it returns to port at Egali on Amorgos

 

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

 

The Chozoviotissa Monastery on Amorgos

On Amorgos, the spectacular 900-year-old Chozoviotissa Monastery is carved into the face of a cliff, 300 meters above the sea

 

 

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