East coast
Seralia Beach
The tiny harbour of Kastro, reached by a stepped path from the medieval village.
Know before you go
- Kastro’s old port. Pebble cove. Clear, sheltered water.
- Ten to fifteen minutes down the steps. No cars on the path.
- Two tavernas on the water. No sunbeds. Book Cantina in August.
This page is the harbour swim. Kastro above it is the village. Poulati is the other east-coast cove — the blue dome, not this quay.
Descend when the lanes empty. Swim. Eat. Climb. That is the afternoon.
Seralia was Kastro's working port for as long as the medieval village stood above it — the name itself likely derives from "seraglio," meaning palaces, after buildings that once stood here. Today it's a small pebble cove reached by a stepped descent from Kastro's walls, with clear, sheltered water and two tavernas serving the day's catch a few steps from the sea.
This is the natural finish to a walk around Kastro: descend the steps as the medieval village empties out in the afternoon heat, swim, then eat at one of the two tavernas right on the water before the climb back up. Reservations are worth making in July and August — tables are limited, and word has gotten out about Cantina in particular.
Swimming conditions and atmosphere
The cove is small, pebbled, and well sheltered, with clear water good for an easy swim before or after lunch. There's no real beach infrastructure here — this is a place people come for the walk, the water, and the meal, not to spend a full day on a sunbed.
Facilities
- →2 tavernas directly on the water
- →No sun-loungers
Nearby tavernas
- →Cantina — a small, zero-waste-focused kitchen with a menu that changes daily; regularly cited as one of the best single meals on Sifnos. Captain George — simply grilled fresh octopus and fish, right on the water
How to reach Seralia
A 10–15 minute stepped descent from Kastro village — no vehicles are allowed on the path. A larger car park exists on the road down toward Seralia near the old windmills, for those who'd rather not walk the full descent from inside Kastro's walls.
Map and orientation
Gallery
Other beaches nearby
Chrysopigi (Apokofto) →
A sandy cove tucked under the iconic monastery on its rocky islet.
Faros →
An old fishing harbour with three small beaches strung along the headland.
Fykiada →
Hidden cove on the south coast, reached only by a 25-minute hike from Vathi.
Heronissos →
Tiny fishing village at the northern tip — two tavernas, fresh-caught fish, almost nobody.
Kamares →
The bay you arrive into — a long sandy beach right beside the port.
Platis Gialos →
The longest sandy beach on the island, lined with tavernas, hotels and sun-loungers.
Poulati →
Pebble beach below the postcard-blue-domed Poulati monastery.
Vathi →
A horseshoe of soft sand and shallow turquoise water on the south-west coast.
Vroulidia →
A quiet pebble cove near the island's northern tip, reached by a steep road.