Greek Islands - Sikinios daughter of a minor god

Greece with its 3000 islands is certainly an ideal destination for a seaside holiday.

Some of the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean are hidden among its bays, coves and beaches.
The images of Santorini, Naxos, Mykonos, Rhodes can be seen in all travel agencies in the world, enchanting places capable of arousing in each of us the strong desire for the sea.

There are some islands, however, which in addition to offering enchanting landscapes and beaches with crystal clear waters, can give the more discreet and less worldly traveler the priceless emotion of being in Greece in the mid-20th century, that Greece photographed in Gabriele’s Oscar-winning film Salvatores “MEDITERRANEAN”.

Anyone who has seen the film will surely have been struck by the Greek landscapes and atmospheres, by the constant presence of the blue of the sea, a blue that remains indelible in the mind, a blue that one takes home forever after having been in the ancient land of of the.

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Assuming that the film was shot in Megisti, a small island, the westernmost of the Greek archipelago, there are other islands where life has not changed much since the war, where tourism has integrated without upsetting them. One of them is Sikinos a little-frequented island, but not without charm.

When I get there after a ferry trip from Paros it’s August 19th, the worst week in the world for seaside holidays in the Mediterranean, I know that the island is small and the fear of not finding somewhere to sleep accompanied me throughout the crossing, I could have looked for a room via the internet, but not all private individuals are easily found online on these smaller islands, then I didn’t want to find myself dissatisfied like a few days before, where, again out of fear of having to sleep on a bench, I had booked a room in a B&B via email, only to then discover once on site, there was a wide choice of accommodation some of which were beautifully located overlooking the sea.

As soon as we landed on the island (the operations of disembarking and boarding the Greek ferries are surprising for the speed with which they are carried out) we were attacked by some customer touts sent by the remaining hotels with free rooms.
It’s very difficult to choose the best thing in these situations, as always I rely on instinct, I focus on whoever inspires me most trust and I follow him if the price is within my budget.
This time the one who “wins” my attention is a reassuring yet enterprising lady in her fifties. The room she wants to offer me can be seen from the port. She points it out to me. I convince myself to follow her and go and see the rooms.
Jack, €40 for a double room in the middle of August, clean and basic with a small balcony overlooking the sea. I think that despite having had little choice I fell well.

Sikinos has two inhabited centers, one at the port, Allopronia, a handful of houses that surround a very small bay with transparent waters, the other, Sikinos a beautiful village, perched in the mountains, three hundred meters above sea level, from where you can see fabulous views of the archipelago of the small Cyclades.

Let’s clarify that right away those looking for the nights of Mykonos or the luxury of Santorini, you shouldn’t set foot here, there are no discos here, there are no lounge bars with scantily clad cubists dancing to house music on the whitewashed walls. Here there is simply sea, sun, wind and landscapes shaped by man who over the centuries has dug up the rocky slopes with effort and sweat and acquired spaces for cultivation, it is impressive to observe the kilometers and kilometers of dry stone walls obtained by piling stone upon stone

The island can be said to be family-run, in fact the owner of my room is the sister of the owner of the pizzeria which is right below my room, she is related to the owners of the small mini market in Allopronia who in turn are cousins or who knows what of the driver of the small bus who travels all day to Sikinos, who manages the rental of the few scooters that can be rented on the island and so on.

Speaking of scooters, being a good way to get around Sikinos independently, as soon as I arrive, once I’ve gone through the family, I ask the Driver to rent one but they’re all out and about, “Maybe tomorrow” he answers me absentmindedly, the following morning, I ask again but “Maybe tomorrow” is the laconic answer, it will be like this until the day I leave. Sikinos is certainly not a place for long stays unless you are a writer of interminable novels looking for places where there is nothing else to do but observe the parabola of the sun.
Beyond the beach of Allopronia, wide and sandy to the east there is the beach of Agios Georgios pebbles and crystal clear waters.

To the west of the port, immediately after the small dock, there is an ideal stretch of sea

for those who love swimming with fins and mask, deep waters, beautiful seabed, rocks to dive in and colors ranging from intense blue to emerald green

The town of Sikinos is a small jewel among the arid mountains of the island, a few dozen white and immaculate houses, dominated by the white monastery of Chrysopigi, being here at sunset repays the effort suffered by climbing the long staircase that leads up here, the sun it slowly descends to the horizon, while everything is colored red and the monastery is tinged with intense pink.

In the village there are some beautiful and simple taverns where you can taste Greek cuisine, a few shops, in the small square in the center of the village you feel at home, the intimate simplicity that the place transmits instills a sense of tranquility and security in the soul.

For those who want to walk, equipping themselves with enough food and water, I highly recommend the long walk from Sikinos to the remote church of Episkopi. The path crosses a wild area with no houses, apart from a few wells or shelters for the flocks. You walk along the asphalt road that leads to nowhere, constantly at three hundred meters above sea level, where you will not be able to take your eyes off the magnetic blue of the sea and the landscape that is lost on the horizon in the Cyclades archipelago, you will no longer count the stops to admire views worthy of the Gods.

Sikinos is definitely one economic destination nothing to do with the expensive splendor of Santorini, a week here will not cost more than €500 all inclusive including bus tickets unless you rent a scooter which if not for today. ”Maybe tomorrow”.