Sifnos, a Cyclades island in Greece known for its sandy beaches, hiking trails, whitewashed villages and traditional cuisine, receives a fraction of Santorini's crowds. With a population of about 2,600 residents, it welcomes around 126,000 visitors a year, while Santorini sees roughly three million tourists annually, making Sifnos 26 times quieter.
Why Sifnos stands out
Sifnos is celebrated for its food scene, being the birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, the founding father of modern Greek gastronomy. Its pottery heritage means locals still use traditional clay pots to slow-cook island specialities such as chickpea soup (revithada) and mastelo, a lamb-and-red-wine stew.
Beyond dining, the island offers beaches with crystal-clear waters, including Platis Gialos, Vathi and Kamares. Visitors can wander the alleyways of Apollonia, the main village, or explore Kastro, a medieval settlement known for its sea views and ancient architecture.
Getting to Sifnos
The main reason Sifnos remains crowd-free is that there are no direct flights from the UK. Travelers fly into Athens, with flights from London often starting from around £42, then take a ferry from the port of Piraeus. Ferry tickets start from about £25, with high-speed crossings taking two to three hours.
Travel TikToker Declan named Sifnos his "favourite" Greek island out of the 10 he has visited, saying: "This under-the-radar island checks every box: amazing restaurants and bars, whitewashed villages and cobblestone charm, quiet beaches without the Mykonos crowds, hikes with panoramic views, and it's affordable, authentic, and easily accessible from Athens!" Travel vlogger Totally Avalon also declared Sifnos the "most underrated island in Greece" on TikTok, praising the "amazing" food, "incredibly blue" water and "unforgettable" landscape. One fan commented: "This was our favourite island," while another said: "Looks incredible."
