Sikinos Athens (Piraeus) ferry

Sikinos Guide

Located in the Cyclades group of islands is the Greek island of Sikinos which lies between the island of Ios and the island of Folegandros. Unlike some of the other Cycladic islands, Sikinos, known as the Island of Wine, is not very well developed and therefore is much quieter. On the plus side, visitors to the island will probably find a more authentic atmosphere. There are two villages on the island. Allopronia is in the south of the island and is home to the island's port. The second village is called Chora as is located in the hills. Chora is made up of two parts. Castro to the west and Chorio to the east.

A popular attraction on the island is the Temple of Episkopi which was first thought of as the ancient temple of the God Apollo. However, following further investigations it was discovered to show signs of Roman mausoleum architecture. Built in the 3rd century AD, and modified to a Christian church with a dome and bell tower in the 17th century.

From the island's port, ferry services depart to Piraeus with a crossing time of around 3 hours and 30 minutes by high speed ferry and 7 hours and 30 minutes by conventional ferry. The island is connected by ferry to Folegandros, Ios, Santorini, Serifos and Sifnos.

Athens (Piraeus) Guide

The Greek city and port of Piraeus is one of the largest ports in the whole of the Mediterranean, and the third largest in the world, and has become a major hub for the ferry network that spans the Aegean Sea. Piraeus is an important city in its own right despite the fact that it is frequently considered to be a suburb of Athens, the Greek capital, which is only a very short distance away. Despite its proximity to Athens, Piraeus' waterfront has its own distinct appearance and visitors will see that the most appealing parts of the city are located around its eastern quarter, alongside both Mikrolimano Harbour and Zea Marina. A popular event in Piraeus is the Ecocinema International Film Festival which is held annually in late February and is where a number of films are screened at the Atticon Cinema and the Cineac Cinema, which are both located in the city's Town Hall Square.

Full of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, the waterfront district was greatly redeveloped in time for the Athens Olympics and as a result a new harbour front promenade was created that is lined with trees and passes the medieval city walls. The walls serve as a reminder and as an insight into the city's rich past.