There are churches everywhere? How many are there?

The tourist myths mention 365 churches in Sifnos as many as the days of the year… for some reason the same myth is found in many parts of Greece J The reality is a bit more modest and has been documented in at least two books in recent years. In Sifnos we have 237 churches. At least till today.

Regardless of your relationship with religion, there are many that are worth a short visit, either for their location, the stories that accompany  them, their special interiors, or just for their name alone! We have for example “Panagia of So Little Water” or “Panagia of the Sand” or “Panagia  hit by the winds”.

Some are open and everybody is welcome. Some are locked and you have to ask who has the key if you want to visit them. Some are on the edge of nowhere and are an excellent stop on long hikes, others are in the villages, their courtyards intertwining with the courtyards of the houses.

The ringing of the bell always means something. Joy, sadness, alarm, a call or simply what time it is. That’s why we don’t ring the bells for no reason….