Sifnos · Kamares & the west · Βαθύ
Vathi, the quiet bay
Vathi lies in a deep bay on the south-west coast, almost closed by two headlands, so the water stays calm on even the windiest days. For a long time the village was reached only by boat or on foot, and it still feels far away. There is a sandy beach, a handful of tavernas with tables near the water, a few potteries, and the white church of the Taxiarchis right at the water's edge, whose saint's day brings one of the island's summer feasts. In the evening, when the day visitors go, the bay turns silver and still, and the stillness is stunning after a day of wind elsewhere. You can drive down from Apollonia, or walk the old path through the hills.
A fishing village on a round bay so closed in it looks like a lake
The story of Vathi
Vathi means deep, and the bay is a near-perfect circle of sheltered water, which made it a safe anchorage for the fishing boats.
The village's potteries still make the clay pots for revithada and mastelo, and some of the tavernas on the sand cook in them, slowly, in a wood oven. Lunch here is the easiest way to taste the island's Saturday-night cooking on any day of the week.
On the way down from Apollonia the road passes the hill of Agios Andreas, with its Mycenaean wall and small museum, so the old path makes a fine walk: the citadel in the morning, a swim at noon.
Where to stay
Where you'll wake up in Vathi
Vathi
Swim in the calm round bay of Vathi before breakfast
Elies Resorts · Five-star resort · €€€€
Vathi · Kamares & the west
Where to eat
Tables we love in Vathi
Vathi · Kamares & the west
Vathi · Kamares & the west
Good to know
Before you go to Vathi
Getting there
About 10 km from Apollonia by road, with a bus in summer, or on the old path through the hills.
When to go
On a windy August day, when everywhere else is rough; and in the evening, when the bay goes quiet.
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Fall for more of Sifnos
Every stay we recommend across Sifnos, from village guesthouses to rooms on the sea.
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