Syros

Syros is the capital of the Cyclades, and it is a world apart from the whitewashed villages of its neighbours. Ermoupoli, the main town, is a grand neoclassical city built around its great harbour, with marble buildings, wide streets, and a town hall that could stand in a European capital. The marble staircases of the town's squares lead down to a waterfront where the ferries come and go, while above, the lanes of Ano Syros, the medieval hill town, hold the Catholics of the island, who have lived for centuries around their cathedral. The contrast is striking: below, the marble palaces of the Orthodox merchants; above, the whitewashed lanes of the old town. Galissas, a pretty bay on the west coast, is the place to swim, and in the evening comes the island's famous music — Syros is the home of the Greek song. Ermoupoli has been called the most beautiful town in Greece, and few who walk its streets would argue otherwise. Syros is the island that shows a different Greece — urban, elegant, musical, and alive.

Syros has been inhabited since antiquity. Its claim to intellectual history rests on one man: Pherecydes of Syros, mid-6th century BC, whom Theopompus said was the first to write in Greek about nature and the gods. But its great story begins in the 19th century. After the Greek War of Independence, Ermoupoli grew with extraordinary speed into the commercial capital of the Aegean: its harbour was the great port of the new Greek state, its merchants grew rich on shipping and trade, and its shipyards built the ships that sailed the Mediterranean. The marble mansions, the town hall, the theatre — the famous Apollo Theatre, a scaled-down copy of La Scala in Milan — all date from this golden age. The island was also a centre of a strong Catholic community, which built the cathedral and the town of Ano Syros on the hill. In the 20th century the port declined as Piraeus grew, but Ermoupoli remained the administrative and cultural capital of the Cyclades. Today Syros is a working, elegant island, famous for its music, its culture, its festivals, and the extraordinary beauty of its marble town.

Syros is not a beach island in the way of its neighbours, but it has several pretty bays. Galissas, on the west coast, is the most popular: a long, shallow bay with fine sand, tavernas, and water sports. Megas Gialos and Vari, on the south, are quieter beaches with a few tavernas. And the coves of the north coast — Delfini, Kini, and the little beaches near Foinikas — are peaceful and lovely. The water is clear and calm, and the beaches are a pleasant change from the crowds of the famous islands. But the real glory of Syros is the town itself — the marble, the music, the squares, the sense of a great Greek city at the edge of the sea.

Syros is famous for its food and its sweet shops. Ermoupoli has some of the best restaurants in the Cyclades, serving everything from traditional Greek cooking to refined modern cuisine, and its bakeries and patisseries are celebrated across Greece — the loukoumi (Turkish delight) of Syros and its halvadopita are famous. The island's tavernas serve the classic Cycladic table with an urban polish, and its harbourfront is lined with cafés and restaurants. The local specialities include the island's cheeses, its fresh fish, and its famous sweets. For a real Syros meal, eat at a taverna in the old town, order the fish of the day and the island's sweets for dessert, and walk the waterfront afterwards as the ferries come in.

May, June, and September are the best months on Syros: warm, quiet, and elegant, with the town at its most beautiful. July and August are lively — Syros is the capital of the Cyclades and the summer events fill its squares — but the island is large enough to hold it all. Spring is lovely, and the island's famous cultural festivals, including its film and music festivals, draw visitors all year. Autumn lingers warm into October. Whenever you come, give Ermoupoli at least a full day, and climb to Ano Syros for the view over the marble town and the sea.

Syros is the transport hub of the Cyclades. Frequent ferries run from Piraeus, Rafina and all the other islands, and flights from Athens land at the island's own airport.

Ermoupoli is a walkable city — give it a day on foot, from the town hall to Vaporia to the Apollo Theatre. Climb to Ano Syros for the view and the old town's atmosphere. Swim at Galissas, and take a bus or scooter to the southern beaches. Try the loukoumi of Syros and the island's sweets, and if you can, catch a performance at the Apollo Theatre. Syros is a place to walk slowly, look up, and listen — it is the heart of the Cyclades, and it shows.