Serifos is one of the most beautiful islands in the Cyclades. Behind its major tourism development lies a history that most people know nothing about. The island was an important mining centre as far back as antiquity. Its subsoil is rich mainly in haematite and magnetite, with the result that to this day half of Serifos is perforated with galleries and shafts after many years of mining.
In the south-west, mainly at Mega Livadi and Koutalas, visitors can still see rusted rails, machinery, tools, wagons and loading piers. These are the visible traces of the intensive mining activity that shaped the island until the mid-20th century.
