Houses for Rent on Serifos Island (Cyclades)

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THE ISLAND OF SERIFOS

The nearly circular island of Serifos belongs to the most beautiful and natural islands of the Cyclades. Marvellous sandy beaches, nice villages and a lonely country side are specific for its character. Serifos has about ten kilometers in diameter and a surface of 75 km^2. It is situated in the middle of the Westcyclades Kea - Kythnos - Serifos - Sifnos - Kimolos - Milos, and about 100 km from Piraias. Boats are going from there several times a day in four hours with the usual boats and in two hours by High Speed boats. The harbour of Livadi with its long beautiful and shady beach and its view to the capital of the island, which is built in terraces on a steep hill, is one of the most picturesque impressions of the Aegean Sea. The extraordinary beauty of the capital - Chora - has its roots in a necessity: In former times the inhabitants were in fear of pirates, who attacked the small Greek islands permanently from the middle ages until the 18^th century. Inside the Chora, far from the sea and high in the mountains, the inhabitants felt a little more sure. From this fact we make nowadays a profit of a terrific panorama view from the Chora over the sea. But nowadays Serifos belongs to the most restful and peaceful islands of the Cyclades. The Chora is a romantic and quiet place. The population of Serifos opened itself later to the influence of tourism than other more famous Greek islands. That's why an individual and familiar tourism predominates. Nevertheless you find a lot of good restaurants and tourist facilities (super markets, bank, gas station etc.) in the village at the harbour, Livadi, but only few facilities in the capital village of Chora, which has remained until now more original Greek. Excursions from Serifos you can make with the ferries to the other Westcyclades, Sifnos with its picturesque villages or Milos with its dead vulcanos and natural beauty. As well you can travel regularly to the neighbour islands Syros and Paros. For urgency Serifos has a heliport

Serifos is a bare island, but nevertheless with plenty of water resources with few, but very fertile places. The mythology tells us, that Perseus killed the Medusa on this island, and looking at her dead face Serifos got petrified. The history says that the cruel and greedy despot Nikolaos Adoldos deforested the whole island in the 14^th century to find all the covered mineral resources. Most probably Serifos in its history went through a lot of different developments. Serifos has a very eventful and partly tragic past. The island possessed rich mineral resources already well known in the Antiquity and exhausted until the modern times. Therefor Serifos was permanently aim and victim of profit-greedy and speculators. The population of the island was very poor and sweated. Signs of mining has been done until 1964 you can still find in the villages of Mega Livadi and Koutalas in the south west of the island. In all directions of the island you will find a lot of beautiful nearly empty sandy beaches. You can reach them over new asphalt roads or quiet good pistes. Specially beautiful are the three sandy beaches of Vaja, Ganema and Koutalas close to the former mining village Koutalas, situated at a large bay. In the north there are Plati Gialos and other sandy beaches below of the beautiful small villages Panajia, Galani and Kentarchos (see at left) and below the famous 17^th century monastery Taxiarchos (= archangel). Also Psili Ammos (see above) in the east part of the island with its shallow sandy beach is special tip, if you look for nice beaches. You will find car and scooter rental in Livadi. Regular buses only exist between the harbour/ Livadi and the capital/ Chora. Some few buses run also between the harbour or Chora and the north of the island.

Contact: antiparos-naxos@sunrise.ch

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DESCRIPTIONS OF FURTHER ISLANDS:

AntiparosParosNaxosSantoriniSifnosMilos