Vitamin Sea, part 2: Sifnos

For our day on Sifnos, we set off on a hike to the Kastro (the old town/castle area) several km away.  Maybe you've read recently about tourists expiring from the heat while hiking in Greek islands; that could have been us.  It was a hot day, and the up and down hilly walk was often over rocky paths (which really magnify the heat).  Still, it was a beautiful walk with views of the ocean, past small bays, through old terraced fields, past grazing goats and small crops.  

The bay where we anchored on Sifnos

Last descent before climbing up the Kastro

By the time we made it to the base of the hill before climbing up to the Kastro, a couple of our group were really fading.  We guzzled cold drinks in the shade when we made it to the town, and walked around a bit.  We called a cab for the return trip to the bay where we'd anchored.

After a quick cool-off swim back at the boat, we set off for the island of Antiparos.  Winds cooperated and we were able to put out the sails.

Along the way we saw a flotilla of Greek naval ships.  We checked online and learned that they were engaged in exercises to discourage Russian oil vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean.  

We anchored off Antiparos, and took the dinghy to shore for a seafood dinner.  After dinner we moved a short distance to anchor off the adjacent island of Despotiko for the night.   In the morning we spent some time walking around the island.  Despotiko is now largely uninhabited and the site of what was a significant temple to Apollo dating to the sixth century BCE.   The archaeological site is undergoing excavation so we could only look at it from a distance.

Sunset over Despotiko

After our exploration on Despotiko we set sail for Folegandros, where we anchored in yet another lovely and peaceful bay.