Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ì
Sýrou Mélathron
Babayiótou 5
T
22810 85963,
W
syroumelathron.gr.
Regal hotel, recently renovated, set
in a restored 1856 mansion in the quieter Áyios Nikólaos
area of town.
Has su
ites as well as spacious rooms, some
with sea views.
€100
Sea Colours Apartments
Athinás 10
T
22810
81181.
Traditionally decorated apartments for up to six
people, with sea views, just above the swimming
platforms of Áyios
Nikó
laos, a 5min walk from Platía
Miaoúli. April-Nov.
€65
EATING
Amvix
Aktí
Papágou 26
T
22810 83989.
Owned by
Roberto, an Italian chef from Padua, since 1995, this
trattoria offers a taste of real Italy. Best pizzas on the island
for €12.
Daily noon-midnight.
Archontariki tis Maritsas
Roïdi 8
T
22810 86771.
Very popular rustic taverna that serves island specialities,
including its signature dish of casserole of mushrooms
and spicy local sausage with peppers (€8).
Daily
noon-midnight.
Cotton Fresh
Platia Miaouli
T
22810 82781.
The best
of the central square cafés, this is one to visit for a coffee
and a snack, and it even uses its own home-made filo
pastry for sweet and savoury pies (€4). Try a piece of the
karydhópita
(walnut pie with honey).
Daily 8am-3am.
Lilis
Ano Syros
T
22810 82100.
An institution in the old
town, with an unmatched view by the Kamares entrance,
this is the taverna where Vamvakaris (see p.397) played. It's
still going since 1953, offering Greek specialities from Asia
Minor (€9).
March-Oct daily noon-midnight.
Ì
Stin Ithaki tou Aï
T
22810 82060,
W
ithakitouai
.gr.
Welcoming taverna at Klonos and Stefanou corner,
serving traditional ladherá dishes (various vegetables
cooked in oil), as well as a good, cheap
souvláki
(€10).
Daily
noon-midnight.
Yiánnena
Kanári Square
T
22810 87865.
Popular,
friendly spot, seemingly unchanged since the 1950s, serving
great seafood and other Greek standards (€7). A smaller
branch is on Venizelou 2.
March-Oct daily 11am-1am.
6
NIGHTLIFE
Casino Aigeou
Proïou 74
T
22810 84400,
W
casinosyros
.gr.
Large casino that draws in well-dressed punters (no
T-shirts, shorts or flip-flops) from as far as Russia. Minimum
bid roulette €2.50; Black Jack €5; slot machines open 24/7.
Sun-Thurs 8pm-3.30am, Fri-Sat 8pm-5.30am.
Piramatikó
Platía Miaoúli
T
22810 83734.
Busy,
sophisticated bar, playing a varied and eclectic mix from
indie rock to house music. Starts off as a café and ends up as
a club. Cheap beers start at €3.
Daily 9am-4am.
Theia Meth
Chiou 43
T
690 85 20 165.
If you want to
hear rembétika now, then take an early seat at this
mezedhopolío
on the western side of Platía Miaoúli, which
has free live music most days after 9.30pm, order your
mains (€8) and enjoy the show.
Daily 7pm-late.
Beaches
The first stop on the beach round-trip from Ermoúpolis is well-developed
Galissás
,
the
largest beach on the island, and the home of its only
campsite
(see p.402). If you feel the
urge to escape the crowds, you can rent a scooter, or walk ten minutes over the southern
headland to the small nudist beach of
Armeós
. A longer walk (1hr 15min plus) goes,
rather steeply, over the ridge to the southeast and down to the
sea-cave
of Áyios Stéfanos.
A rural forty-minute walk, or a ten-minute bus ride south from Galissás, brings you
to the more mainstream resort of
Fínikas
, with its long and narrow beach protected
from the road by a row of tamarisk trees. Fínikas is separated by a small headland from
its neighbour
Posidhonía
(or Delagrazia after the local Madonna della Grazia church), a
nicer spot with some idiosyncratically ornate mansions and a bright-blue church right
on the edge of the village. It's worth walking ten minutes further south, past the naval
yacht club and its patrol boat, to
Agathopés
. This is the best sandy beach on the island,
facing a little islet, Skhinónisi, just offshore.
Komitó
, at the end of the road leading
south 500m from
Agathopés
, is a small, quiet sandy bay below a private olive grove.
From Posidhonía the road swings southeast to
Mégas Yialós
, a diffuse, elongated
resort. There are two beaches, Mégas Yialós and Ambélia; the long, eponymous beach is
lined with shady trees and there are pedal boats for hire.
The cove of
Akhládhi
is sheltered and family-friendly, while
Vári
, just beyond, is more
- though not much more - of a town, with its own small fishing fleet. As it is the most
sheltered of the island's bays - something to remember when the
meltémi
is up - it
FROM TOP
NIKOS TAVERNA, MÝKONOS (P.392); KÝTHNOS (P.360); ERMOÚPOLIS, SÝROS (P.398) >
