Places to see and try in Syros, based on June 2023.
As an honest review, I’ll start by saying that Syros was awesome as a ‘recharge’ destination; I didn’t need to worry about booking anything or dodging tourists, my biggest concern was catching the island’s one bus on time – and that was only if I wanted to explore the furthest beaches. It was great to connect with the locals, most of the restaurant names were still written in Greek, and it was quite cost effective relative to the rest of the Cyclades. That being said: if you’re looking for a pumping nightlight or a big island, maybe consider some of the island’s neighbours. But for a recharge spot: Syros is incredible.
Logistics
GETTING THERE:
Syros is a cycladic island and quite close to many other popular getaways from Athens, like Mykonos, Santorini etc. Hence, it’s great for island hopping via Ferry and, during the summer, there are quite a few options from the Athens ports.
GETTING AROUND:
Because we stayed in quite a central location, most places we visited were by foot. But Syros is an island on a hill, so there are inclines to consider.That being said, I wouldn’t say renting a car is necessary (if your accommodation can assist with port-to-stay pick up and drop-offs). There is affordable public transport, but be sure to check the bus schedules because there might be only one ‘lap’ per day.
WHERE TO STAY:
We decided to stay in Ermoupolis, the main port town, in a guesthouse called Pefkakia Park (more below). There are more ‘coastal towns’ and there is Ano Syros (the town on top of the hill), but based on my experience, I wouldn’t change where we were located.
Attractions:
Asteria
Favourite ‘beach’ by far! Located just under the Agios Nikoloas church, Asteria is the perfect spot to cool off in Ermpoupoli. The umbrellas are free of charge, even if you have to fight for shade with the ducks (??) and cats too. As you walk down, passing Sta Vaporia (cafe ⬇️), you’ll see the crystal clear water and kids diving in off the platform. At the bottom, there is a beautiful beach bar (Ciel) that you can try, but if you’re looking for a more cost effective option: pack some snacks and grab a frappe from Coffee Island.
Sta Vaporia
As mentioned above, this cafe overlooks Asteria and has incredible views from the inside section and their terrace seating. I will say that I haven’t eaten here (expensive imo) but often stopped to admire the view, and would recommend grabbing a drink. One thing is that sunset is on the other side of the island, so you wont ‘see’ it here for sundowners, but beautiful nonetheless.
Agios Nikolaos
For some reason there is aren’t many photos pinned to this location, but this church is STUNNING and would recommend visiting it. Since Syros is divided between Catholic and Orthodox christians, both sides have spilled over, influencing each other’s’ architecture and culture. So, in this Orthodox church, the icons are painted in a renaissance style (more Italian) and have bright stained glass windows – unlike any Greek church I’ve seen. To note: its normally open 07:30-19:30 (excl. Sundays) and visitors are asked to dress respectfully (no hats, covering etc).
Apollon Theater
As mentioned, the Italian styles did not only influence the churches, but inspired buildings like the town’s theatre. Normally, or at least in my memory, greek theatres tend to be the outdoor Amphitheaters, dating back thousands of years and holding a magic of their own. But I have yet to see a classical style space like this (⬇️) on a Greek island. Being nearly 200 years old, the theatre also homes a museum that shows other artefacts of its history. Entrance to both is €2 (or €1.50 for students/pensioners) but there are regular and different shows throughout the year – and the performance tickets cost about €12 (€10) each.
Avant Garden
Opposite the Apollon is a stunning courtyard restaurant – serving a gourmet seasonal menu, the space would be beautiful for a celebratory dinner or pre/post-show drink (€10 cocktail). Even if you aren’t in the mood to dine, just peak through the doorways, I thought it was such a cool space.
Townhall
A rather odd thing to recommend but the townhall (hovering over the main square ⬇️) is worth stepping inside. The rightward courtyard also has a cafenio that is cocooned by the marble columns and glass roof.
Miaouli Square
Okay so – it’s not some fancy piazza but a gathering spot for all the locals and events. For example, in one night we saw a school dancing show (with all the viewers seated on the townhall stairs) and then the EOK soccer fans paraded with fireworks to celebrate the team’s win. It’s also circled by some really cute restaurants and bars, namely Pitaki (⬇️ great for souvlakia) and Prozimi (⬇️ bakery).
Artisti Prozimi
This place made some banging tiropites (greek cheese pies) – great for a grab and go breakfast.
Pitaki Bar
We sat here for a few early dinners and shared some greek salads and souvlakia portions. It’s a convenient and sweet spot and the staff were really friendly too.
Django Gelato
Best on the island and some interesting flavours- I will say though, it wasn’t as ‘creamy’ as normal gelato, and more ‘icy’ so it was refreshing.
Armadillo Coffee Brewery
If you’re working remotely, and looking for a place with plug points and fancy Cape Town coffee, this place is quite cute in the cobble streets. The coffee menu is quite extensive and offers 3 types of blends per coffee type.
Athimartis Bakery
Also: incredible bakery!
Pefkakia Park Guesthouse
We stayed with Kyria Maria and Ioannis at Pefkakia Park guesthouse. The rooms and terrace were always clean and the location was convenient, but the main reason I’m including this spot as a recc is because of the family’s hospitality and kindness shown towards us. They were so accommodating and sweet; greeting us with greek coffee every morning, drawing up a map with some of the local favourite spots, allowing us to do washing – they even gave us lifts to some places too. And it was one of the more reasonable places to stay as well 🤍
Galissas Beach
If you’re wanting to venture from Ermpoupoli to the beaches along the Western coast (that seem to be the most popular) you can take one of the buses and decide where you’d like to spend the day. It’s €1.60 each time you climb on the bus, and the umbrellas are free of charge at most of the beaches. Galissas came highly recommended- I’d say it’s nice to see, maybe include while beach hopping along that side. BUT if you’re willing to do the tren down, there is a prettier smaller beach on the left of Galissas and is quite green with trees too. In between the two, you’ll also see a small church that overlooks the bay.
Savvas Seafood Taverna
If you’re looking for a seafood meze, Savvas was the best was came across in Syros. It’s fresh and the dishes we got to share was delicious!
Kini Beach
Kini is my preferred Western beach – it’s also a great place to watch the sunset and has cute restaurants along the water. (The photos pinned to the location were few…)
Plakostroto
Our host knows the owner of this restaurant and suggested we give it a visit. Located in the town of San Michalis, past the AnoSyros town, it’s a bit of a trek out and would require a taxi, but allows you to see another part of the island. While the award winning food is a bit expensive (imo), the view from here was incredible; we could see teh islands of Tinos and Andros over the horizon.
Ano Syros
The overlooking town, Ano Syros, is cute to walk through and see the churches. But considering that it gets quite hot up there, I would recommend visiting early in the morning or later in the evening for pre-dinner drinks. You can get a taxi up for about €15, pr take the steps and enjoy the view.
Cattedrale di San Giorgio
As some may know, Syros has both Greek Orthodox and Catholic communities – this church is one of the latter and a beautiful one at that – and located in Ano Syros.
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