In 1961, when the French Henri Cartier-Bresson visited the island of Sifnos in Greece and photographed one of his most famous landscapes, perhaps he did not imagine that he would be revealing to the world a rare jewel in the Cyclades archipelago, or as many people call this group of islands bathed by the Aegean Sea, the caribbean of europe .
Inhabited since Bronze Age (about 3000 BC), Sifnos was popular in the ancient trade due to its gold and silver mines and, despite giving the impression that it is small, by local standards it is considered a medium-sized island, 73 square kilometers in size and about 2,600 inhabitants.
But what draws even more attention is not just the richness of its lands and the exuberant landscape, but the tranquility of this island, a factor that the majority of its population strives to maintain.
For local residents, it is a duty to preserve peace and, in many cases, resort to the past to adapt to the challenges of the future.
Perhaps it is for this reason that Sifnos has proved to be an alternative route each year for tourists who want to escape the hustle and bustle, but still want to beautiful beaches, tasty food and typical Greek island scenery with white-roofed houses , hilltop churches and narrow alleys always full of colorful flowers.
Kamares, the gateway
During the European summer it is common to see the port of Kamares – which also gives its name to the small village of fishermen and artisans -, full of tourists, but nothing compared to the number of visitors that pass through the two most famous neighboring islands of the Cyclades, Mykonos and Santorini .
The port, which receives ferries from Piraeus in Athens (about 130km away) and the other islands around Sifnos, is reasonably small and gets cramped in high season when the boats arrive, but many locals prefer it that way and , even take a stand against an expansion project. Everything to try to preserve the characteristics of the place.
Kamares, which also has a beach with crystalline and calm water – very popular with families, especially with children – has small hotels, inns, bars, cafes, taverns, souvenir shops, car rental shops and ceramics.
That’s right, Sifnos is famous for its crockery and other objects made with a special type of clay that is quite abundant in the region.
The art of Sifnian pottery
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
