Ferry from Athens (Piraeus) to Sifnos (Kamares).

Sifnos is the western Cyclades island that food lovers and walkers keep returning to. It is famous for its cooking, from slow-baked chickpea revithada to mastelo cheese, for a pottery tradition that still fills the workshops of Kamares and Vathi, and for a network of old footpaths linking chapels, monasteries and white villages like Apollonia, Artemonas and Kastro.

From Athens, the direct ferry from Piraeus is the standard way in. The conventional ships take four to five hours down the western side of the Cyclades, while the Seajets high-speed boats cut the journey roughly in half in the warmer months. Sifnos then makes an ideal base or stepping stone for Serifos, Milos, Kimolos and Folegandros.

You leave from Piraeus, which is on metro Lines 1 and 3, and arrive at Kamares, the island's ferry port, set in a deep bay on the west coast. Kamares has a sandy beach, tavernas and car hire right at the quay, and the capital Apollonia is about ten minutes' drive uphill.

Sifnos is compact and popular with Greek visitors as well as foreigners, so book early for July and August, including your return, since boats back to Athens also sell out. If you want a car on the island, you can bring your own on the conventional ships and on several Seajets vessels, or rent one at Kamares.

The western Cyclades are exposed to the meltemi, the strong northerly wind that peaks in July and August. On the windiest days the Seajets high-speed boats may be delayed or kept in port, while the bigger conventional ships often keep sailing, though they can run late. Winter storms can also cancel sailings for a day or two. The port authority can hold departures when conditions are unsafe. The operator rebooks or refunds a cancelled sailing through your booking, and Lavrio, with its own Sifnos boats, is worth checking as a fallback. Since there is not a sailing every day off-season, leave spare time before any flight home.