Sýros is one of the Cyclades’ quieter names—an island that still feels refreshingly under-visited. It’s mountainous, edged with a handful of wonderfully unspoiled coves, and anchored by the lively city of Ermoúpoli(s), where a genuinely exciting food scene is quietly unfolding. Here are our tips for two varied days on Sýros.
Sýros sits away from the main tourist currents, yet it’s close to Tinos, Mýkonos, and Páros—and right in the middle of the Cycladic map.
That central location has made it a trading hub and maritime crossroads for centuries, which is why there’s a good chance you’ll pass through Sýros on a ferry-hopping trip through the islands. And if you do: why not stay two days and actually meet the island? Let’s go.
1. Epta Coffee House — The best kind of breakfast hour
Start your morning with breakfast at Epta Coffee House, tucked into a narrow lane just around the corner from Platia Miaoulis, Sýros’s main square. It’s a particularly lovely place to sit beneath a canopy of grapevines, sipping Greek coffee with cardamom and eating scrambled eggs with feta, tomatoes, and oregano—while, at the neighboring kafenio, older Greeks play backgammon and nurse their frappés. Epta Coffee House
2. Platia Miaoulis — Columns and palms
Platia Miaoulis is the heart of Sýros—and the ceremonial center of Ermoúpoli(s), arguably even of the Cyclades. The square is dominated by the neoclassical town hall and palms that sway lightly in the wind. Inside, the entrance hall is held by Doric columns, and a grand marble staircase leads up to the administrative rooms.
On the left side of the square, you’ll find the small Archaeological Museum, with finds spanning Cycladic history all the way to the Roman era.
3. Elleniko Kafenio — Frappé under the arcades
On the eastern edge of Platia Miaoulis sits Elleniko Kafenio—exactly right for an afternoon spent in cool shade beneath arcades, sipping a Greek frappé while sunlight bounces off yellow-and-white façades.
From here, you can watch the square’s gentle choreography: school classes being shepherded into the Archaeological Museum; tourists trailing behind flag-waving guides; sparrows squabbling noisily over crumbs. It’s oddly soothing.
4. Chapel of Agios Stefanos — The perfect place for sunset
If you feel like moving in the early evening, drive to the southwest side of Sýros, pass through the small village of Galissos, and continue to the edge of town, where you can head up to a hill. From there, a footpath runs between broom and wild thyme, descending toward the sea. But the Aegean isn’t the only reward: waiting below is the enchanting Chapel of Agios Stefanos.
You don’t see it until the very end of the 20-minute descent from the trailhead, because it’s tucked beneath a rock overhang hollowed out by the sea. The setting is spectacular: five meters below, turquoise water laps against a small quay where you can step straight into the sea.
Or you can simply sit and listen—the surf amplified by the rock—until the sun slips into the horizon with a flash on the water. The last light catches the bell beside the chapel and bathes the stone and whitewashed walls in a magical orange. For the walk back, you’ll absolutely need a flashlight or your phone’s light.
5. Taverna To Tsipouradiko tis Mirsinisam — Dining beautifully by the harbor
This taverna sits opposite the ferry dock, which doesn’t sound ideal—but it works, and it doesn’t get in the way. The food is polished and unmistakably Greek—think baked eggplant with feta, or succulent beef in tomato sauce—and the service is friendly and quick.
As you eat, life in the port plays out like a film: ferries arrive and spill out cars and trucks; a luxurious cruise ship turns theatrically in the harbor basin; across the water, welders work on a container ship in dry dock. Pure, everyday drama—and from To Tsipouradiko tis Mirsinisam, you have front-row seats.
6. Áno Sýros — Up high, utterly grand
Áno Sýros is the old town, built around a mountain peak above Ermoúpoli(s). Early in the morning, it’s at its most spellbinding: narrow cobbled alleys, breathtaking views over the harbor, the dense cascade of Ermoúpoli(s)’s houses, and the islands scattered offshore. Succulents spill from whitewashed corners, cats slip quietly along stairways, brightly painted shutters glow in the morning light.
Later in the day, cafés and tavernas open all across the hillside, and you find yourself sitting in a lane or on a small balcony with the city laid out below. At the very top, presiding over everything, stands the Catholic Cathedral of Agios Georgiós.
7. Cathedral of Agios Georgiós — With the Aegean at your feet
If you arrive on Sýros by ship, you’ll spot the Cathedral of Agios Georgiós long before entering the harbor—so exposed it stands above Ermoúpoli(s). The first church, likely just a chapel, was built in Byzantine times in the 8th or 9th century, expanded during Venetian rule in the 13th century, and over the centuries repeatedly destroyed by war or fire—only to be rebuilt again and again, each time larger.
Today, the cathedral and its adjoining buildings form part of the bishop’s seat for the Catholic Diocese of Sýros, Milos, and Santorini.
From the terrace beneath the imposing bell tower, on a clear day you can see not only half of Sýros, but also Tinos, Mýkonos, and Parós, all floating in the Aegean blue.
8. Amarillo Café — From vegan to properly hearty
In the tangle of lanes in Ermoúpoli(s), just two corners from Platia Miaoulis, sits this laid-back café. Go for the shakshuka with spicy loukániko (Sýros’s traditional sausage), the vegan flatbread with grilled vegetables, chickpeas, tahini, and mustard seeds, or bruschetta topped with hummus, avocado, arugula, chickpeas, and toasted pine nuts.
9. Gelato at Django — A necessary stop
Opposite Amarillo Café, Django Gelato waits with excellent, house-made creations for serious ice-cream lovers.
The flavor “Persian Cream” blends mastic, pistachio, and raspberry. And don’t worry—Konstantinos Karakatsanis also makes the classics like chocolate and vanilla in the open kitchen. All flavors are organic and free from artificial colors and additives. Absolutely worth it. djangogelato.com
10. Lia Beach — The scent of wild chamomile
It’s about a fifty-minute hike from the small hamlet of Kábos in northern Sýros to Lia Beach. At the trailhead, a small wooden sign with Greek lettering stands by the roadside; from there, a very narrow path winds over hillsides scented with wild thyme and chamomile, heading toward the sea.
At times, the trail is overgrown—you may feel like you’re following goat tracks more than an official route (and yes, you do regularly meet goats on this hike). Once you’ve passed large, sun-bleached boulders, you can spot Lia Beach below, and navigation becomes easier.
The crescent-shaped beach faces west. A few trees stand just above the waterline. Over large white pebbles, the shore slopes gently into the sea. In the off-season, you’ll usually have it almost entirely to yourself; in summer, it’s livelier, and boats bring visitors into the bay.
Conclusion
Sýros is ideal for two to three days, and it’s easy to reach both from the other Cycladic islands and from Athens. You won’t find the postcard-perfect “typical Cycladic villages” here—yet Sýros makes up for it with quiet coves in the west and the culinary and cultural richness of Ermoúpoli(s).
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More information
If you’re looking for general information about traveling in Greece, you should visit the website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
If you’re specifically interested in the island of Syros, you’ll find what you need at visitsyros.com.
Getting there
Thanks to its central location in the Cyclades, Syros is easy to reach by ferry from Athens, with multiple departures daily. Ferries also run—usually daily—to Mykonos and Tinos.
Syros also has an airport, with daily flights from Athens.
