Kamares village in Sifnos

At a glance: West coast of Sifnos, the island’s main port and largest coastal settlement, around 5 kilometres from Apollonia. A working harbour village built in a sheltered U shape around its bay, with the widest range of hotels, shops and restaurants of anywhere on the coast. Best suited to travellers who want an easy, convenient base right where the ferries dock.

Is Kamares worth visiting

Kamares works well as more than just an arrival point. Its wide, sandy Blue Flag beach curves around the bay directly in front of the village, shallow and calm enough to suit families, while the waterfront itself is lined with restaurants, cafes and shops, with hotels and houses climbing the hillside above. Long associated with Sifnos’s pottery tradition, the village still holds working ceramic workshops alongside its role as the island’s main harbour. It suits travellers who want convenience and a decent beach without giving up genuine local character.

Highlights

• A wide, sandy Blue Flag beach with shallow water, curving directly along the village waterfront
• The Apostolidis ceramics workshop, a family pottery business running since 1800, on the road between Kamares and Apollonia
• The 1896 lighthouse and the remains of a 19th century ore loading system, reminders of the port’s earlier industrial history
• The old pier, built in 1909, still part of the working harbour today
• A wide choice of waterfront cafes, patisseries and tavernas, the largest concentration on the island

A port built on caves and clay

Kamares takes its name from the many caves once found along the rocky southern edge of the bay, kamares being the Greek word for arches or vaulted openings. Beyond its role as a natural harbour, the village became a centre for Sifnos’s long pottery tradition, as potters moved their workshops to sheltered coastal spots like this one, protected from the island’s stronger winds. The Apostolidis workshop, still run by the same family since 1800, is one of the clearest surviving links to that history, sitting alongside more recent structures like the 1896 lighthouse and a 1909 pier that reflect the port’s later development into the island’s main gateway.

Where Kamares is

Getting to Kamares

From Apollonia: Kamares is about 5 kilometres away, around 10 minutes by car, taxi or bus.

By bus: Regular bus services run from Kamares to Apollonia and on to the rest of the island. Check current routes and times on the Sifnos bus timetable.

By car or taxi: See getting around Sifnos and Sifnos taxi for prices and booking details.

Arriving on Sifnos: For ferry routes and journey times to the island, start with how to get to Sifnos.

Where to eat

Kamares has the largest concentration of restaurants, cafes and patisseries on Sifnos, with most sitting directly along the waterfront looking out over the bay. It is a reliable choice for a relaxed meal straight off the ferry or before heading further into the island.

Where to stay

Kamares suits travellers who want to be close to the port with easy transport connections and the island’s widest choice of hotels and rooms. For a private villa with a pool elsewhere on Sifnos, see Sifnos villas with a private pool.

The beach at Kamares

Kamares has one of the best beaches on the island right in the village, a wide stretch of sand with shallow, calm water that has held the Blue Flag for its cleanliness and safety. For the full picture of the beach itself, see the Kamares beach guide.

Best time to visit

Kamares is busiest around ferry arrivals and departures throughout the summer, so a quieter walk along the waterfront is easier earlier in the morning or later in the evening. Spring and autumn bring fewer crowds off the boats and comfortable temperatures for browsing the pottery workshops.