CHORA
The Chora of Sikinos with its unadulterated Cycladic architecture is one of the finest in the island group. Actually two settlements built on hills metres apart, the oldest is Kastro while the Chorio is a more recent creation. Standing proudly above the sea, whitewashed houses and narrow alleyways are decorated with brightly painted woodwork and garlanded with vivid flowers. The highest point of Kastro is dominated by three windmills and one was in use up until thirty years ago.
The Church of Pantanassa with an impressive blue dome is the cathedral of the island, founded in 1787 with some wonderful post-Byzantine icons of the Cretan school. It is on the main square, the heart of the village with cafés, shops and places to eat, while a little further away is the monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, one of the main attractions on the island. The Chorio was once stables and barns, now it is where the village has expanded with more modern architecture.
Out of town
Alopronoia
The other village on Sikinos, Alopronoia is a typical small cycladic port, a little scrappy but there are rooms to rent, tavernas and a mini-market. The building of the concrete jetty breathed life into the island but knocked a little edge off the charm of the harbour area. It has expanded in the past thirty years with many expat Sikonions returning from Athens and abroad. Out front is a long stretch of sand, the most visited beach on the island.
Mavri Spilia
Only accessible by sea, the Mavri Spilia, black cave, is the largest and most popular cave to explore on the island. It is on the north coast below the Zoodochos Pigi monastery.
Read also:
Modern Aegean Mysteries in Sikinos – Festival at Panagia Pantohara
Sikinos: Wild landscapes, virgin beaches, and unexplored beauty on a tiny Aegean island
