Attention: The following instructions are entirely my personal opinions, based on a few things I have read and more that I have observed. They may contain many inaccuracies, and from time to time will be supplemented, corrected, and revised.
Identity
Syros is the commercial and administrative center of the Cyclades and the capital of the South Aegean Region. It is among the smaller Cycladic islands in size, but it is the most densely populated, with about 25,000 permanent residents. It is the seat of a Court of Appeal and has a full hospital. It hosts three newspapers. One daily, "Common Opinion", a weekly called "The Word" and a biweekly, "The View", which has now become electronic. It also has two TV stations ("Syros TV" and "Aegean TV") and many radio stations. Syros also hosts the "School of Design for Computer Software and Systems" of the University of the Aegean for several years now.
Transport
Syros is located (from Piraeus) 2 ½ hours away by fast ferries that also transport cars (Highspeed), and 4 hours by medium-sized ships (Blue Star Ithaki, Blue Star Paros, Blue Star Naxos, Blue Star 2, Nisos Chios). It has an airport served daily by Olympic Airlines, while in the summer there is occasionally a ferry line from Rafina (1 ½ hours with fast ferries).
History
Syros (or Syra) was conquered by the Venetians (along with the rest of the Cyclades) in the early 13th century, was granted to Marco Sanudo (a Venetian adventurer apparently), and became part of the larger Duchy of Naxos. The reason for the dominance of the Catholic doctrine on the island before the Revolution of '21 and its settlement by Greek Orthodox from other areas is not known. The presence of the Venetians does not provide a sufficient explanation, given that, for example, Tinos was under their rule for a longer period, yet Catholics there were significantly fewer, while other Cycladic islands under Venetian rule had no Catholics at all. Moreover, the Venetians, as experienced conquerors, knew not to impose their religious beliefs and doctrine on the local populations. Another possible but unproven version of the presence of Catholics on the island is that the bishop of Syros during the time of the Great Schism followed the Pope and not the Patriarch. However, the strong presence of Catholics remains a small mystery. Today, of course, the Orthodox element predominates numerically, and with the expansion of internal borders and the almost complete acceptance of differences, it is logical and expected for the Catholic element to decline numerically more and more.
During the Ottoman rule, a special privileged status applied to the island, but this did not prevent the Turks in the 17th century from pillaging it and hanging the Catholic archbishop. During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Catholic monasteries were built on the island (Franciscans, Jesuits, Lazarists), thus the island, although under Turkish occupation, continued to be under the protection of the Western powers, mainly the French king. At the end of the 18th century during the Russo-Turkish war, the island was briefly occupied by the Russians who plundered many of its monuments. The Turks themselves behaved better, granting significant reliefs to the island, as well as a form of self-government.
Development and Decline
Syros began to develop, especially through maritime trade, already from the early 18th century. This development, combined with the relative neutrality of the Turks towards the island, led refugees from other areas, especially from Psara, Chios, and Crete, to settle in Syros from 1824 onwards and to establish Hermoupolis (named after the god of commerce). Very quickly, the commercial acumen and the money of the wealthy immigrants worked wonders. Hermoupolis became a beautiful city with many rich mansions, numerous ships and shipyards, with a shipyard that employed several hundred workers, with banks, shipping and insurance companies, with numerous factories (tanneries, textile mills, flour mills, soap factories, Turkish delight factories, silversmiths, alcoholic beverage factories, glassware, etc.). The first names of major Greek industrialists who for years dominated Greece started there (Ladopoulos, Velissaropoulos, Karelis, Foustanos, Veltsos, etc.). The island's rulers had commercial and cultural contacts with Europe, the ladies shopped from Paris, and the houses were decorated by Italian painters. Important public buildings were constructed (the Customs House - today's Municipal Gallery, the Town Hall - a work by Tsiller, the Apollo Theater - a typical example of an Italian scene and not a miniature of La Scala of Milan, as is commonly stated, etc.). The first club ("Club Greece" - today the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Hermoupolis), the first high school (with Eleftherios Venizelos as a student and Neophytos Vambas as its first director), the first casino. Important, finally, writers were born and created in Syros, among them Vikelas, Roidis, and Souris.
This flourishing lasted about 70 years. Gradually, the development of the rest of Greece downgraded the commercial importance of Syros and its port. Over the years, the rich left and the poor began to emigrate to Athens and abroad. With the Asia Minor catastrophe, the island received many refugees, to whom the Syrians behaved rather better than the rest of the Greeks. After the war, Syros underwent the greatest economic hardship. For about thirty years, the only way out was to find work at the ship repair facility of Neorion. When it closed, things seemed to be heading for asphyxiation. By then, the largest part of the island's income came from sailors, and from doormen or maids in Athens, professions that the poor Syrian farmers were forced to resort to. Gradually, with the privatization and reopening of the shipyard and the small but steady increase in tourism, Syros recovered and today is experiencing a new flourishing. Meanwhile, the land has gained value (although for the time being Syros is one of the cheaper Cycladic islands), reconstruction has provided jobs for many people, former unemployed farmers have become wealthy contractors, the old crafts have begun to be in demand again, and those craftsmen who left Neorion easily found work in the free market having gained both experience and reputation from their work at the shipyard.
Progress and Lack of Taste
Today's Syros is indeed experiencing a new economic flourishing. It is a critical moment for its residents to understand what kind of development suits them. To avoid nouveau riche bad taste such as the Athenian mayoral railings (unfortunately, similar examples have appeared in Syros: inappropriate paving, streetlights mismatched in style and size, etc.). Not to want to imitate the glory of Mykonos or Rhodes with numerous hotel units and countless charters. Syros cannot withstand these. It is small and has very few beaches. And as much as the beauty of Hermoupolis resists, there is the fear that it too may eventually succumb. Syros needs low-key, limited-number tourism, not mass tourism, but distributed throughout the year. Let's hope this is understood, although the perceptions that prevail in the entire country about the values of progress and success, combined with the aesthetics adopted by citizens in their personal space, do not leave much hope.
It is worth taking a walk in the small internal settlements (Lagkada, Platanias, Kipoi, Mesiaria, etc.), which still retain several old houses, but also have a great deal of contemporary building tastelessness, to get an idea of today's major problem, not only of Syros but of the entire Greece. With the pace of reconstruction observed, it is a matter of a few more years before Greece becomes a clearly ugly country, at least wherever there are human constructions.
Part of the responsibility for this degeneration lies in the sudden economic flourishing, which turned the reconstruction of a house into revenge for the lost childhood years of poverty. The barbaric conception of luxury (a conception that is not related to the real luxury that most neither knew nor will know) attempts to offset the functional beauty of simplicity, which they had without understanding and without appreciating, with values such as alignment, brightness, size, durability, absence of "hand" and "signature", the disappearance of difference, and many other concepts within which notions such as beauty, tradition, originality, personality, space, and time have no place. A house that simply covers functional needs and that was built with a sense of the space and time to which it belongs is hardly ugly. But a house that is made with an effort either of social projection or of luxury and with a standardized view of its form and functionality, outside of time, space, and personal choice, can easily be repulsive. The old shacks of Perama, regardless of their poverty and simplicity, did not offend aesthetics. Today's houses in any town do. And the least bad thing they have to show is their TV antennas. At least those are functional and marks of an era. The same applies to what I mention below about evening dresses that gather all the kitsch that work clothes are unable to display.
Another possible reason is modern materials. And especially standardized materials. Which precisely because they are standardized are cheaper, possibly practical, perhaps durable, but nevertheless ugly. And the worst part, they do not "age" nicely. Since aging, the time, no one treats as a virtue. On the contrary, any aesthetics have been replaced by an ideology of the "immortal" and "practical". The housewife will prefer whatever washes easily, and the man whatever does not break and does not rust. If these are also cheap, so much the better. The others, the handmade, the non-industrialized, those that know how to age, are usually more expensive. And that alone is enough to deter any buyer.
Another reason for the building tastelessness is bad and mostly random imitation. The new Greek owner has no references. Everyone and always mimicked the older. What existed from the previous generation. What they had a relationship of acquaintance and kinship with. Today, however, they mimic anything. Swiss chalets, Mexican haciendas, Spanish palaces, Mykonian houses, American ranches, Hollywood villas, houses of the northern suburbs, even apartments in Kypseli. Of course, eclecticism, i.e., the mixing of styles, if it were the product of opinion, could lead to interesting results. Here, however, even this is random. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that even where there are efforts of faithful imitation (in Syros you will often see an old house and next to it a contemporary copy) the contemporary clearly lags behind the old. The reasons again are many. First, the different materials. Second, the different way of working them. But third and foremost, the different relationship of volumes and sizes. Even two seemingly similar shutters are not similar and equally beautiful, if the new one has adopted, for example, a smaller frame because today's machines do not cut the larger width that the old one had. This small difference can overturn all the relationships of the building.
I doubt, however, how many are able to perceive what they see in the old. For the neoclassical buildings, everyone "purrs" from pleasure and admiration. Granted. Although in the past there have been several voices that argued, with arguments, that they did not have much relation to the Greek landscape and history. In these, however, most recognize the luxury and the grandeur. The effort to imitate them or to restore them usually leads to (luxurious perhaps but anyway) deformities. On the other hand, every luxurious villa refers to the luxury of lifestyle and television (the house of Big Brother), resulting in oversized apartments on plots. Swollen penthouses with the aesthetics of apartment buildings and maisonettes of Ekali or Vouliagmeni.
But what about the old rural, village, poor houses? The forerunners of today's popular dwellings of the islands and villages of the country; Does anyone recognize the importance of their balances? Sees the relationship of the dimensions of their windows and doors? Understands the proportions of their volumes? Can see the difference between the white of plastic paint and the white of lime? Realizes that the disciplined and strict geometry of the rectangular volumes is offset by the absence of absolute alignment and by the bulges of the stone walls? Does anyone understand that a Spanish folklore hinge (like those that have flooded Greece), or a fer forgé from Praktiker, or an aluminum window can blow up every aesthetic balance?
The most interesting thing is that all this ugliness occurred through supposedly strict urban planning regulations, architectural committees, and special specifications. I believe that most of the time these ugly buildings were built in accordance with the aforementioned specifications. After all, one reasonably wonders how much worse the houses would be if everyone did as they pleased; Perhaps there would be a humor that is rare today. The worst thing seems to be that this generalized ugliness bothers few. And from those, many are bothered only because today's houses do not represent a faithful representation of folkloric aesthetics. These are the ones who would like the entire mountainous country to be like Metsovo and all the island country like Mykonos. Those, however, who suffer (among whom, unfortunately, I count myself), those who find consolation and charm in the simplest and poorest building solutions (at least when there is no stamp of the ingenious architect) are few. It seems, however, that our time no longer allows the thriving of simple and poor solutions and does not tolerate ingenious architects. The future seems to have to choose between two solutions. Either through gradual information, cultivation, education the citizens themselves will again demand quality, or the complete surrender to luxurious tastelessness. This time my innate optimism does not think it will help. The second solution is the more likely. But we lose nothing by hoping and trying.
The Two Doctrines
In recent years, another social revolution has been observed. The poor of Syros were traditionally Catholics, as they were all farmers or builders (usually both simultaneously) and (those who did not live on the hill of San Giorgio) were residents of the Syriac countryside. Few participated in the urban life and society of Ermoupolis. In Syros, until the mid-20th century, strict class laws prevailed. For example, the plebeians (among whom all Catholics and a few Orthodox workers were included) did not have the right to step on the paved streets or were restricted to a limited area of the central square (for instance, the Pantheon café was considered, based on an unwritten but inviolable rule, an area of exclusive access for the patricians until the 1950s, if not later). Thus, the religious difference, which like every difference is magnified in small communities, was compounded by class difference. No religious authority favored intermixing and mixed marriages.
However, over the years, a progressive class and economic equality was observed. The owners of the coastal plots became wealthy, craftsmen and builders saw their income increase faster than that of small merchants, and many farmers moved from the countryside to the center and became equal merchants. Additionally, increasingly liberal perceptions regarding origin and religion led many young people to enter into mixed marriages, so today Syros presents a unique example of successful multiculturalism in Greece. Of course, differences remain and are brought up whenever and by those who have an interest (e.g., during elections to support one candidate or another). However, generally speaking, in a Greece that remains one of the few almost theocratic regimes (along with Iran and Israel), where the church has tremendous economic and political power and has not yet separated from the state, Syros is a shining example of coexistence of two communities accepting their differences. The most important thing, however, is that the Syriots, even when they emphasize their religious differences, have lived with them from a young age and thus, perhaps without realizing it, are more familiar than the rest of the Greeks with cultural differences.
The practical impact of these cultural-religious differences diminishes each year. It is characteristic, after all, that only the older and thankfully few clerics are those who subtly maintain a relative (and certainly not openly confessed) rivalry. Ironically, one might characterize the fact (and I do not know if both doctrines are to blame) that while the living have made significant progress on the path of coexistence, if not union, the dead, even if they were spouses in life, are obliged to be distinguished as Orthodox or Catholics and occupy a piece of land in separate cemeteries.
Ermoupolis and Ano Syros
Today's Ermoupolis continues to expand. Perched on a hill, the Hill of the Resurrection, with various neighborhoods such as Vrontado, a sample of small-town architecture and urban planning, Vaporia, a noble neighborhood by the sea with many mansions of shipowners, or on the other side, Kamini and Neapolis, and other neighborhoods, it tends to merge with the hill of Ano Syros, which remains a purely Cycladic settlement in terms of architecture and urban planning. Ermoupolis is a city lively in winter and summer, imposing, with many cafes, bars, shops, a central market, and even a casino. It has an Archaeological Museum, Industrial Museum, Art Gallery, Exhibition Halls, and many churches, with the most interesting being Saint Nicholas in the Vaporia neighborhood. This Saint Nicholas is called the "rich" as opposed to another beautiful church in Ano Syros, Saint Nicholas the "poor," which was the first Orthodox church on the island. The Church of the Assumption has an icon by El Greco from his first, youthful period, when he had not yet developed his personal style and was still purely Byzantine. The Church of the Transfiguration is the first church of Ermoupolis and today its Cathedral. The Church of the Resurrection marks the top of the Orthodox hill and faces the Catholic Church of San Giorgio. Coincidentally, the first (with its characteristic blue dome) is illuminated at night with daylight lighting, that is, lighting with cold tones, while the Catholic one with tungsten lighting, that is, lighting with warm tones, thus adding a chromatic dimension to the doctrinal differences.
The increase in traffic in Ermoupolis has pushed the municipality to establish paid parking and to start routes from and to the city entrances with municipal transportation (called mini-bus, but they are maxi-bus for the dimensions of the city). Parking coupons (with the "scratch" system) are sold at kiosks.
The neighboring hill, Ano Syra, is the hill of the Catholics, as evidenced by the cathedral of Saint George (San Giorgio), originally from the 13th century but rebuilt last century - visible from afar on its peak, along with many other small Catholic churches. Ano Syra more resembles a classic Cycladic village with its humble little white houses, where vehicle traffic is not just prohibited but is impossible, while Ermoupolis refers to times of great urban wealth and commercial development. Development that also stamps its mark on post-mortem vanity, since Ermoupolis has the most beautiful cemetery after the First of Athens with statues and monumental mausoleums (Church of St. George, on the paved road leading to Ano Syra, Neapolis neighborhood).
Visitors to Syros may wonder why they do not see many small chapels scattered across all the mountains, as is the case with most Greek islands. This is probably due to the habits of the Catholics, who build churches for the needs of the congregation. Thus, each small community has its own church, but no more.
The Syriots
The Syriots may have all the good and bad characteristics of the residents of any small community, but they are particularly distinguished for their mild character and for manners much more polite than the national average. Their slightly sing-song accent contributes to this impression. This everyday average and typical politeness is particularly valuable in a country that has made rudeness its emblem. The Syriots have humor (something extremely important for dealing with problems) and display a rather liberal and tolerant attitude towards human weaknesses, sexual or otherwise. Like in all small places, where residents are almost certain to frequently run into each other, they are not particularly sincere and do not easily show their envy or dislike. The smile covers it all. They do not easily open their homes, despite their undeniable tolerance towards strangers.
It has been said that the Syriots have a tendency towards the Arts and culture. I have not noticed this until today. There are certainly people interested in Art, but I do not get the sense that this occurs at an especially high rate. It would be odd, after all. All Greeks are fed the same television and have attended the same schools. There are certainly many amateur theater groups (and one classical music group), something that may also be due to the presence of the beautiful "Apollo" Theater, but which generally occurs frequently in Greece, a country with a tradition in theater. There is also a very modern renovated cinema ("Pallas"), which shows widely released films, opposite the theater in the winter and in a nice space in the central square in the summer.
Every summer, the Hermoupolis Festival takes place, covering three whole months, with the result that mediocre events far outnumber significant ones.
Excursions
The distances in Syros are small and the roads numerous. You can reach every place via two or three different routes. It's also a good idea to explore the very small but accessible inner roads through the villages, which are the most picturesque, passing through reeds and dry riverbeds. Only by walking through orchards and hills away from the main roads can you truly capture the scent of the island. The coastal areas, starting from Ermoupolis and heading south and then west, include Azolimnos (an area with too many taverns and hotels), Fabrica (a quiet and otherworldly place), Ormos Vari (an old-fashioned, family-oriented area that becomes quite noisy in the summer but is charming), Megas Gialos (an extensive seaside and somewhat bland area), Delagratsia (a name derived from the local Catholic church of Our Lady of the Graces, recently renamed to Poseidonia, an area with beautiful homes, many trees, and unmatched charm), Finikas (likely the most densely populated area in the summer, lacking style and very crowded), Kokkina (a branch of Finikas, Syros' equivalent of Ekali with sparsely built villas), Galissas (the first well-known and most touristic area, maintaining quality), Dani (a "new", beautiful area with few and tasteful villas), Tria Langonia (an area near Poseidonia where lately luxurious villas are being built), and finally, entirely to the west, Kini (an area with an old-fashioned style, among the most picturesque of its kind). The road stops there and heads inland, leaving the exploration of the more northern beaches to hikers, climbers, or boaters, at least until bulldozers invade. Given the modern Greeks' views on progress, this won't be long.
The settlements in the interior do not have the character of villages. Nevertheless, they are extremely interesting and worth visiting. Old resort areas of the Hermoupolites, with trees and unique mansions, were the Bishopric (Piskopio), the Chroussa, the Ano Manna, and the Parakopi. The only true village in the interior is Pagos. Manna (either just Manna or Kato Manna) is a rather unattractive settlement that gathers many workshops and dealerships. It is becoming the Vouliagmenis Avenue of Syros. There is also an airport there. (At the border of Kato Manna with Vari, there is also the "Photographic Circle"). There are other small interior settlements, where narrow and usually concrete roads lead, settlements that are worth visiting because they show the purely agricultural side of the island. Atelio, for instance, or Adiata are such areas.
Special mention is required for Apano Meria. It's like another island. The road of Ano Syros, after the parking of the Catholic cathedral, continues into an area that becomes increasingly mountainous, steep, and deserted. Mountains, terraces, small settlements, and incredible views. The Cyclades at their purest, with small villages of special beauty, such as San Michalis, Chalandriani, Platy Vouni, and others.
Beaches
Syros is not Mykonos. Nor is it Paros. Perhaps that's why it wasn't overrun by tourists earlier. However, it still boasts a variety of beaches of every kind. Unfortunately, the most accessible ones are by the road and, consequently, are family-oriented. Ormos Vari (shallow, nice sandy beach, but very family-friendly, with the added advantage for some of being near very likable seaside taverns and a bar - En Plo - for entertainment after swimming). The beach of Fabrica (clean, small sandy beach, less shallow than Vari, quieter but also somewhat family-oriented). The rocks of Fabrica, also known as Katergaki (quiet, slightly hard to reach). The beach at Santorinioi (beautiful and simple landscape surrounding the beach, cold and clear waters that deepen quickly, with coarse stones on entry and pebbles outside). The small bays at Santorinioi, before and after the main beach (excellent sea, quiet, nudism, but you need to wade a bit to reach the various coves). The beach at Mega Gialos (in front of the Talaras tavern) is sandy and easy. The beach at Ambela (between Mega Gialos and Delagratsia) is beautiful, sandy, with nice waters and tamarisk trees (disadvantage being the family-oriented nature and a few rocks at the entry). The beach at Delfini is accessible by car (quite a bit of road) and remains a very good beach (despite its tourist development and the loss of sand). Access is either by car (or on foot) from Kini. Lotous near Kini is also a nice and good beach. Additionally, Agathopes-Komito, more youthful, with a beach bar for beach parties and beach volleyball. The beach at Galissas is very beautiful (although despairingly shallow), but suffers, like all of Galissas, from excessive tourist development. The beach at Armeos-Agia Pakou (a corruption of the ancient name Epikeoos). However, the wonderful and more secluded beaches are located on the western and northwestern side past Delfini (Aetos, Barbaroussa - the best -, Lia, Grammata), and access is either by boat from Kini or on foot from Apano Meria of Syros. Near Delagratsia (Poseidonia) is also the cosmopolitan beach of the island, but nearby continues the road and the beach at (two steps from Galissas, but via a steep road beside the Dolphin hotel), pleasant, youthful, and absolutely nudist. Between the two beaches is a chapel on the hill (worth visiting), Agia Pakou (a corruption of the ancient name Epikeoos). The wonderful and more secluded beaches, however, are located on the western and northwestern side past Delfini (Aetos, Barbaroussa - the best -, Lia, Grammata), and access is either by boat from Kini or on foot from Apano Meria of Syros.
Entertainment and Shopping
In the current version of this amateur guide I have compiled, I decided to remove information concerning entertainment and shopping. Shops open and close, and quality changes rapidly. Therefore, it makes no sense to give advice that needs constant updating. Besides, tastes vary. Thus, I avoid displeasing consumers or shop owners. It's certain, however, that the island has many taverns, restaurants, cafes, and bars that cater to all tastes. Indeed, during the winter months, only Ermoupolis is fully active, and few shops remain open in the periphery or in Ano Syros. As for shopping, clothing, and gifts, there are many good shops available.