Syros (Pop 21,507) is 145km or 2hrs by fast ferry from Athens and only 45min from my last island of Mykonos. The island is 16km long by 7km wide with highest point at 442m.
Syros is famous for its role in cultural metamorphosis, first the ancient Kastri culture dating back to 5000BC (founded by the Phoenicians), then as a Venetian stronghold in the middle ages and then as a strategic capital and military base during the Greek revolution against the Ottomans. Syros was also the offical capital of the Cyclades Islands from Greek Independence in 1821 until after World War II. As a result Syros is a fusion of Greek and Italian culture and its amazing claim to fame is that the Greek Orthodox and Catholics are 50-50 here and have permission to hold Easter Sunday on the same date EVERY YEAR !!! Amazing – why can’t the rest of the world do this ???
The minute I got off the boat in the port of the main city Ermoupoli, I fell in love with the buildings – neoclassical style – old and new – this town is easily the most beautiful I have seen so far. Ermoupoli is sophisticated, has marble pavers as its internal roads and its locals dress well and take their time about everything. It is Paris and Venice in the Aegean !!!
The sight of TWO STEEP cone shaped
hills, side-by-side, covered by little houses, one with a Greek Orthodox Church on top
and the other with a Catholic Church on top is a site to behold and one I
have not seen in any other part of the world !!! Two great Christian faiths side by side !!! Syros is defined by this sight !!!
Syros has trees ! Yes – not
many but has them ! The north is very mountainous and its beaches isolated and
only accessible by foot. The south is hilly with easily accessible beaches set
against very nice small towns equipped with tavernas (small restaurants on the
beach) and most mod-cons but dialed down.
I swam at Galissas – definitely the best beach as I visited almost all of them and it had the warmest water so far at 18C.
The highlight was the Catholic Cathedral of St George set high up on top of a cone shaped hill fall of white-washed homes known as Ano Syros.
Syros ticks many boxes. I loved it. Nice beaches. Nice Architecture. Nice Roads. Not crowded. Not rushed. Very Greek. Great local food including stuffed squid, fired tomato balls and sfougato cheese as its specialties.
This island is definitely a MUST SEE !!!
Enjoy the island of Syros…
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