Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
€3 and from the port to Áno S ´ros €5 (
T
22810 86222).
By car and motorcycle
There are many car and
motorbike rental agencies on the waterfront such as
Gaviotis, Papagou 20
T
22810 86610. Note that the police
are pretty stringent here about giving drivers alcohol tests
or fines for speeding.
Ermoúpolis
Possessing an elegant collection of grand townhouses that rise majestically from the
bustling, café-lined waterfront,
ERMOÚPOLIS
- once Greece's chief port - is one of the
most striking towns in the Cyclades, and is certainly worth at least a night's stay.
Medieval Sýros was largely a Catholic island, but the influx of refugees from Psará and
Híos during the nineteenth century created two distinct communities. Today, the
Orthodox community accounts for two thirds of the population; Lower Ermoúpolis is
mostly Orthodox while the Catholics live in the Upper Town and in the majority of the
villages. They do, however, commonly celebrate each other's festivals (including Easter on
the Orthodox dates only), lending a vibrant mix of cultures that gives the island its colour.
6
Platía Miaoúli and around
The long, central square,
Platía Miaoúli
, is named after an admiral of the War of
Independence whose statue stands there, and in the evenings the population parades in
front of its arcades. The bougainvillea-covered pedestrian street of Roïdi and side streets
east of Miaoúli square are peppered with most of the better eating options.
Up the stepped street (Benáki) to the left of the town hall is the small
archeological
museum
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; free), with three rooms of finds from Sýros, Páros
and Amorgós. To the left of the clock tower more steps climb up to
Vrondádho
, the hill
that hosts the Orthodox quarter. The wonderful church of the
Anástasis
stands atop
the hill, with its domed roof and panoramic views over Tínos and Mýkonos.
Below Miaoúli square, and down a side street you can find the elaborate
Casino
and the
Church of the Dormition
(Sept-March 7.30am-12.30pm & 4.30-5.30pm;
April-Aug 7.30am-noon, 5.30-6.30pm; free), which contains the town's top art
treasure: a painting of the Assumption by
El Greco
, executed while he was around
20 years old.
Vapória
Up from the right of Miaoúli square is the
Apollon Theatre
, built like an Italian
provincial opera house, which occasionally hosts performances (during morning
rehearsals you can enter and watch for free or visit its small museum for €1.50).
Further on up, the handsome Neoclassical Orthodox church of
Áyios Nikólaos
was
built in 1848-70, with an impressive marble iconostasis (7am-2pm & 5-8pm).
Beyond it lies the
Vapória
district, where the island's wealthiest shipowners, merchants
and bankers built their mansions.
Áno Sýros
On the taller hill to the left from Miaoúli square is the intricate medieval quarter of
Áno Sýros
, with a clutch of Catholic churches below the cathedral of St George. Just
below it lies the
Capuchin monastery of St Jean
, founded in 1535 to do duty as a
poorhouse. Once up here it's worth visiting the local art and rembétika exhibitions, as
well as personal items of the man himself at the
Markos Vamvakaris museum
(June-
Sept daily 11am-2pm & 7-10pm; €1.50).
ACCOMMODATION
ERMOÚPOLIS
Hermes
Kanári Square
T
22810 88011,
W
hermes
-syros.com.
Modernist sixties hotel in a prime location,
overlooking the port and home to a very popular seafront
restaurant (mains €10). Ask specifically for a room with sea
views. Breakfast included.
€85
Kastro
Kalomenopóulou 12
T
22810 88064.
Spacious
rooms in a beautiful old mansion near the main square,
with access to a communal kitchen. These are the
