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Apollonia is
the capital of Sifnos and is actually a collection of villages of which Apollonia is one. The others are Artemona,
Ano Petali, Kato Petali, and the notorious Exambala, known for it's wild inhabitants and festive evenings.
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| The name Exambala came from the Turks when they occupied the island. It means 'trouble
at night'. Though it is not as wild as it once was when the Turkish police had to make their nightly visits, there
are still some local hotspots though things seldomly get out of hand. |
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Most of the nightlife takes place in Apollonia which has a "backstreets of Mykonos"
feel to it, without the pretension. There are bars, cafes, boutiques and restaurants along a main street that is
too small for any vehicle except a slowly moving motorcycle. Apollonia is in the center of the island and with
the excellent bus service, all the beaches and other villages are easily accessable. There is a Cycladic museum
in the tree shaded main square. |
| Many of the islands hotels are located in Apollonia including the lovely Eleonas apartments
with their view of the Sifnos hills and the island of Antiparos beyond. Next door is the Mamamia Pizzaria and
Italian Restaurant, owned by Fillippe from Italy, who also owns the Mamamia
in Platiyialos as well. There are several clubs in Apollonia including the Aloni
Club where Adonis Kalogeros the famous potter and kamaki can be seen dancing
till the late hours and the Foli and
the Argo bars which play a mixture
of western rock and pop music as well as Greek music. |
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There are many churches in the upper villages, some large and others very small, but all very beautiful inside and
out. When you walk through the back streets you never know what may be around the next corner. Many of the churches
have panagiris, religious festivals,
commemorating the particular saint of that church. And with 365 churches, that is a lot of panagiris. Chances are there will be one when you visit. |
| There are all sorts of traditional shops on the back streets, particularly in Artemona
and Apollonia, but perhaps the best part of wandering these back streets is coming upon an area that makes you
realize that even though this is the capital of the island of Sifnos, you are still out in the country. There is
a post office and an OTE phone center and a supermarket or two. |
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