Poliegos & Sifnos Island
Our morning began with a sunrise into Kleftiko, our anchorage for last night. It was a beautiful spot on the Southwest side of Milos Island but it is somewhat exposed. Unfortunately, the swells from the South had built during the late night hours and this made the Zodiac and kayak operations that we had planned for the morning no longer possible. The Captain and the deck crew got underway for Poliegos Island in the hope that it would afford better protection from the seas.
A few hours later we arrived at Poliegos and it was immediately obvious that we had made the right choice. The anchorage was very calm and the beach was very inviting. The Zodiacs and kayaks were dropped and ready very quickly, as were the guests. The water proved to be warm so very soon there were snorkelers, swimmers and kayakers out, in and on the water. The volcanic rock formations in the cove made for good exploration in the water and there were those that just chose to enjoy the beach. For a “Plan B” this worked out great.
Near the end of lunch we departed our anchorage and headed for the island of Sifnos. We arrived into the port of Kamares and luckily they had space at the dock for us. Sifnos is an island that was once known for its gold, silver and lead mines. These have long since been shut down, but the island has supported its inhabitants for about 3,000 years now.
Shortly after arrival we headed overland to the opposite side of the island to visit the Kastro or ‘Castle’. We were guided through the narrow streets and passageways and many items from antiquity were pointed out by our Greek guides Laura and Elli. The town itself had been built upon an old Acropolis, and items from this religious shrine were still incorporated into the village today. Old sarcophagus, pillar bases and mill stones were found throughout our tour of Kastro.
Before we returned to the Panorama for dinner we ventured to the Southeastern side of the island to view Faros Bay and visit Chryssopigi church. This afforded us some great views of the bay and the church was very picturesque just by itself. We returned to Kamares port for dinner on the ship and a chance to walk the waterfront under a full moon.
