Getting from Athens to Serifos

If you are heading to Serifos from Athens you are going to one of the most rewarding islands in the western Cyclades. Serifos is rugged, hilly and largely bare, with a Chora that climbs up a steep hill above the port in a way that looks almost impossibly dramatic from the water. The beaches are excellent, the island is quiet even in August by Cycladic standards and the mining history that made it prosperous in the 19th century has left behind an industrial landscape in the interior that is genuinely unusual. People who find Serifos tend to go back.

Take the ferry

The Piraeus to Serifos ferry runs year-round with several weekly crossings in winter and up to daily sailings in summer. The fastest service takes around 2 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes. Conventional ferries take around 4 to 5 hours. Most sailings stop at Kythnos or Sifnos along the way. Book ahead in July and August as the island fills up fast and ferry spaces follow.

Getting there by air

Serifos has no airport. The ferry from Piraeus is the only option from Athens.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Piraeus. The fast service at around 3 hours is a manageable daytime crossing and the arrival into Livadi port with the Chora rising dramatically above is one of the finer approaches in the Cyclades. Check Ferryhopper for the schedule and book ahead in peak summer.