S 000 MARCH2018 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK We found ithard to disagree. glitz andglamour, the beauty of its wildandwindswept landscape, andthepeace andquiet. talked abouttheauthenticity of theisland,pleasure of its simpleways, thelackof husband, whoisan architect and designer. It was with a certain wistfulness that he evening atanancient house inthe – butthere are plenty more, many of whichwe returned to by foot orby car. picture-perfect Agios Sostis, remote Sikamia andsweet PlatisGialos withits pretty taverna bays, many of whichare accessible onlyfrom the sea. Ourfavourites were sandy Kalo Ambeli, we rented a boat from Antonis so we could circumnavigate , withits 72 beaches and mullet andwhite winefrom , withthesand between ourtoes. Andlater intheweek, the meringuepeaks of baked Alaska. We went onto lunchatsleepy , ongrilledred where thesea isbluerthanIhadever seen itandchalky white cliffs formed jagged spurs like monopoly onboat rental and scuba diving. He took us by rib to the deserted island of Poliegos, Serifos jack-of-all-trades, both theguidefor theminingtours andchief boatman, withacrafty sampling thebest thingsto do, andbookingaprivate boat trip. Antonis, itseemed, was the here,though, isshort andbeyond JulyandAugust theislandisquiet. teristic sweep of waterfront tavernas, shops, apartments andbusy moorings. The season, as it exists on this island – is predominantly centred round of the port Livadi, with its charac evening preamble, a spot of shopping and dinner in the main square, the tourist focus – such and whitewashed houses asconfusing today as500years ago. If the the prettiest and best preserved in the , its labyrinth of tiny, cobbled passageways a dramatic pinnacleabove theport.Many of theislandshave mining past, whenthepopulationswelled to 20,000, are still inevidence around thecoast. has produced bountiful wine, wheat, vegetables and,most significantly, iron ore. Traces of its But, like other lesser-known Greek islands, Serifos’s fortunes have fluctuated. Inthe past, it There are 136 of themaltogether –not bad for anislandwithamere 800full-timeinhabitants. by aweb of drystone walls, remote farmsteads andamultitude of tiny, blue-domedchapels. Villages are few andfar between; instead therocky, predominantly treelessdefined landscape is road network twists andturns inprecipitous coils around the islandordown towards thesea. Kimolos andMilos, andeast to andtiny –each ahazysilhouette in asea of blue. tainous contours, ribbedwithancient andabandoned terracing, we could see south to , perfect aerialcontext for Serifos andits neighbours. Hovering above theisland’s barren, moun sample Elena’s recommendation of fast, ferry-free access to theCyclades, whileproviding the from airport. Ifnot theway we would normallytravel, itwas aninteresting excuse to tourism hadmadebarely afootprint. AndthusIencountered Serifos. unknown (particularly to theBritishmarket), whichstill felt authentically Greek andwhere FOOD &FOOD TRAVEL PAMELA GOODMANDISCOVERS SERIFOS, THESLEEPY, UNSPOILT While theGreek meltemi windrippedferociously across theisland,we spent ourlast Elena haddonemuchof theresearch before my arrival, testing outthebest places to eat, And there are tales of pirates, too, hence thestrategic position of the From theair, itwas impossible to gaugethesteepness of thehillsides, where thesparse We arrived ontheislandby helicopter, straight from asmallhelipad some 40minutes’ drive THIS PAGE FROMTOPKalo only which beach, on foot Ambeli accessible is orby Athanasios church inthe centre ofthe chora, oroldtown. FROMTOP OPPOSITE The uninhabited islandofPoliegos. Anaerialview ofthe chora’s white buildings boat. A bedroom in one of Coco-Mat’s eco residences. The blue-domed Agios Agios Theblue-domed inone ofCoco-Mat’s Abedroom residences. boat. eco ISLAND THEGREEKSLIKETO KEEPTO THEMSELVES The wildone holidays. Ihadasked herto recommend anislandthatwas wildand delivered orwhowant thepain of organisation extinguished from their tailoring elaborate itineraries for those whowant theundeliverable yachts, cooks, cars, hotels, guides –you nameit, she can organise it, agency delivering bespoke trips withinGreece. Exclusive private houses, styled travel designer whoquitabusy corporate life to set upasmall this smallGreek islandintheCyclades by ElenaPapanicolaou, aself- recognition from anyone to whomImention its name. Iwas introduced to erifos. Nope, Ihadn’t heard of iteither. Infact, Iamyet to get aglimmerof

|

GREECE chora discussing themerits of Serifos withSteven, Elena’s choras, butSerifos boasts both chora, oroldtown, on chora isbest for an

- -

ELENA PAPANICOLAOU; PAMELA GOODMAN; SUPERSTOCK; 4CORNERS IMAGES

THE SEA WAS BLUER THAN I HAD EVER SEEN simple, elegant ‘eco’ with (some two residences bedrooms) quirky, inthe village bohemian house chora, belonging to a Greek fashiondesigner,a Greek to anexquisite villaowned by a stylish Athenian photographer inapicturesque location set rightset onVagia a15-minute Beach, drive from Livadi. but Elena has access to the best villas –ranging to frombut Elena thevillas a access has best The variety notwide, is onSerifos ofaccommodation THE MERINGUE PEAKS OF BAKED ALASKA Coco-Mat (serifos.coco-mat-hotels.com), with its13 Coco-Mat AND CLIFFS FORMED JAGGEDAND CLIFFS FORMED LIKE SPURS above hotel Kalo onthe Thebest Ambeli. islandis WHERE TO STAY

costs from about £3,500 per person; international person; per f £3,500 from about costs Serifos, includingSerifos, return ferries and sixnights inavilla, Pamela Goodman travelledPamela Goodman ofFly Me aguest To as The Moon Travel (f are not included. In high season, it is advisable to itis rent Inhigh are notincluded. season, ferry. For furtherinformation, visitgreece.gr see a car(avis.com) inAthens and bring itover onthe lymetothemoontravel.com). Aweek on WAYS ANDMEANS HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK MARCH 2018 000 m lights