We’re walking along a wide marble path that appears to hover above the cobalt hues of the Aegean. Gulls circle above and a gaggle of horned goats bleats and scatters either side of us.

It’s our homeward journey along the Route of the Mines, one of 19 walking paths on the island of Sifnos that make up a 100-kilometre network called the Sifnos Trails. We’ve crossed terraced groves of gnarled olive trees and skirted soaring cliffs past the ruins of ancient watch towers before stepping down (and then climbing back up) a rocky hillside to the blue-domed, whitewashed Agios Sostis church.