Sifnos is one of the quieter islands of the western Cyclades, with a strong reputation for its food, a cluster of white inland villages and a relaxed port on a sandy bay. Going there from Santorini swaps the caldera crowds and cruise traffic for a slower, more local kind of island holiday.
There is no short hop between the two: the ships cross the open sea between the southern and western Cyclades, and even the fast boat takes close to three hours. Seajets offers that quick option for much of the year, while Fast Ferries runs a slower conventional ship that calls at other islands on the way, so its journey time changes from sailing to sailing, anywhere from 3 hr 30 min to 5 hr 15 min.
Price is the other big difference. The conventional ship is far cheaper than the Seajets catamaran, so if you are flexible and not in a hurry, it is the obvious choice. If you have only a few days, the high-speed boat buys you back a couple of hours.
Our older route data listed Blue Star Ferries on this crossing; Ferryhopper's more recent figures, which we have used here, show Fast Ferries and Seajets instead. Search your exact date before building the rest of the trip, as neither company sails every day in every month.
