Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The Chora
The village is built up a cone of rock above the port, in tiers, with a ruined Venetian kastro on the summit and white houses packed below it. From the harbour it looks improbable; from the top the whole island and half the western Cyclades are laid out.
The way up is by bus or by a stepped path, and the walk down at dusk is the thing people remember.
The mines
Serifos ran on iron ore into the twentieth century, and the coast still carries the evidence: loading piers at Megalo Livadi, rusting machinery, tunnel mouths in the hillsides and the shells of company buildings.
It is also the site of a serious piece of Greek labour history: a miners’ strike here in the early twentieth century ended in deaths and is commemorated on the island. The remains are unfenced and unmanaged, which makes them atmospheric and means nobody is looking after you.
Beaches
Numerous, mostly undeveloped, and reached down dirt roads: Livadi by the port is the convenient one, Psili Ammos the sandy favourite, Ganema and Vagia quieter again. Facilities are thin almost everywhere, so bring water and shade.
Getting there and how long
Ferries from Piraeus, on the western Cyclades line that also serves Sifnos, Milos and Kythnos. No airport.
Two or three nights. Serifos rewards a slow visit and punishes a rushed one, because the good parts are a drive or a walk from each other.
Last checked August 2026. Ferry schedules and road conditions change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is Serifos known for?
Its chora, a village stacked up a cone of rock above the port, and the remains of an iron-mining industry along its coast.
Are the old mines on Serifos open to visit?
The remains at Megalo Livadi and elsewhere are unfenced and unmanaged rather than a maintained site. There is machinery, there are tunnel mouths, and nobody is supervising.
Does Serifos have good beaches?
Many, and mostly undeveloped. Livadi is the convenient one and Psili Ammos the sandy favourite; several need a dirt road and offer no facilities.
How do you get to Serifos?
By ferry from Piraeus on the western Cyclades line, which also serves Kythnos, Sifnos and Milos. There is no airport.
How long do you need on Serifos?
Two or three nights, because the chora, the mines and the beaches are each a separate trip.
Plan by category
The Serifos guides
2 guides, each scoped to a decision you actually have to make.
AttractionsThings to do
See the attractions →
BeachesThe beaches
See the beaches →