The island of Syros - a hidden gem (Stop 20)

As we mentioned in the post about Athens, the decision to go to Syros was rather accidental. Luckily! As soon as we arrive, we notice the beautiful houses. This is going to be good. Syros is an island of the Cyclades. The Phoenicians gave it its name in the 8th century BC, roughly meaning 'rocky'. The ferry docks at the port of the capital, Ermoupoli. The owner of our accommodation is already waiting for us there, greeting us with his hectic but friendly manner. He is overflowing with energy and enthusiasm. He would like to explain and show us everything at once. But first, our room: we climb a small spiral staircase to our room and its corresponding rooftop terrace, which is exclusively for us. Pretty cool! We have a 360-degree view: on one side to the harbor and across the sea, on the other side over Ermoupoli and Ano Syros. Ano Syros was founded in 1200 by the Venetians. Despite the changes in history, this place remained Catholic-influenced and has a medieval character. The town is characterized by endless stairs and arches. Like in an amphitheater, the houses are built along the stairs, until the Catholic church of St. George towers at the top of the hill. Because it is very steep, we are advised to take a taxi to go up. Anyway, we wanted to go to the beach first, maybe the sun won't be so strong later that we couldn't walk.
But before we set off, we even get cake and cookies for strengthening. Quite luxurious here. We are recommended the Asteria beach, which can be reached via stairs below a church. It is located right in Ermoupoli, which is supposed to offer a great view of the city's houses while swimming. By the way, Syros does not follow the pattern of Cycladic architecture. Instead of white facades with blue elements, we walk through colorful alleyways that remind us more of Italy. Various light pastel colors give the city a distinctive charm. On the way to the beach, we pass by the magnificent neoclassical town hall, which testifies to the importance of the city. Marble slabs adorn the main square, and sweet little alleys spread out in all directions, which are either residential or sales space. Already on the stairs down to the beach, we are thrilled by the color of the water: turquoise to deep blue, so clear! The Asteria beach is not a sandy beach, but rather a swimming spot where you can step or jump into the water. People gather in the shaded areas. The water is pleasantly cool. We use the afternoon to relax, write postcards, swim, read... more than once we are startled because the waves get higher and flood the swimming area (sorry for the occasional wet postcard). We simply notice every ship passing nearby. Nevertheless, the place is beautiful, especially the view while swimming of the cliffs and houses of Ermoupoli. That's why we stay at this beautiful place for quite a while, only the hunger eventually pulls us away.
But before we look for a taverna, we want to go all the way up to the St. George Cathedral in Ano Syros. Even at this time of day, the many steps are quite exhausting - luckily, we mostly walk in the shade. From above, we have a nice view of the city and the sea. We can also see the surrounding barren hills and rocky landscapes. We also like Ano Syros very much. Here, the alleyways are really narrow, as well as the stairs, where the occasional stray cat takes a nap. It also corresponds much more to the stereotype of a Greek island city with white and blue houses. Whole bushes of flowers grow between the facades again and again. In addition to many small craft shops and cafes, there are also some nice smaller and larger tavernas. We eat on the balcony of a taverna, from where we can enjoy the sunset. In addition to salads and tomato balls, there is also a glass of Greek wine. Afterwards, we walk along the promenade again and enjoy the festive atmosphere of the night. We really feel comfortable here.

Well-rested, we are awakened in the morning by church bells and ferry horns. We regret that we have to leave our beautiful room today. With our large packed backpacks, we go down for breakfast. There are plenty of cookies, cakes, and cheese filled pastries to eat again. Our hostel owner takes the opportunity to praise Naxos and Amorgos. He also helps us plan our upcoming days by comparing the schedules. He also writes us a detailed list of what we must see on Amorgos. We can definitely recommend Pefkakia Park with its nice staff 100%. We come to the conclusion: if someone lives in such a beautiful place and at the same time raves about other places, it must be really great there. So we follow his advice, especially since we have learned by now that we should plan ahead here. Both ferry tickets and accommodations are scarce. But not only those: today, we want to rent a scooter to explore the hidden beaches of the island. There are many rental stations, but not a single scooter left. Oh dear, we need a plan B. But we have already read that you can walk from beach to beach along beautiful paths. We just need to get to Kini. As luck would have it, a bus is just starting in that direction. A ticket costs only 1.60€ and the bus is packed with bathers. The bus winds its way up the hill and we have a great view of the city again. On the other side of the hill, we wind our way back down towards Kini. We get off with almost everyone else. Kini is located in a beautiful, quiet bay, but there is quite a lot going on here. There are some kiosks and many sun umbrellas and loungers that you can rent. Our destination is a hike to Aetos beach. So we set off immediately.
The path follows along the cliffs and after half an hour, it brings us to Delfini beach. It is already much emptier here, but still well visited due to the access road. So we go up again and continue to Varvaroussa beach. From above, we are already amazed by the bright beach and the bright turquoise blue water. The beach is empty, but the waves break quite high on the beach. We are so enthusiastic that we almost want to stay here, but we had set our sights on Aetos. So we cross a cliff overhang and the bay of Aetos lies at our feet. The path is already much more difficult to find here, and we have to struggle through the undergrowth several times. Twice we have to climb over stone walls, which probably serve as boundaries for grazing animals. However, we didn't see any animals... it's way too hot for that. The low shrubs are all very dried out. There are no shade-providing trees on the way, so the sun is beating down on us the whole time. That's why we place ourselves right under one of the two trees at the beach. Besides us, there is only a small boat in the bay. The view is really fantastic and the crystal-clear, clean and algae-free water invites for a swim. So off into the water! And then take a sunbath. The water has a very pleasant temperature - refreshing but not too cold. It gets relatively shallow into the water. There are hardly any waves, so you can swim nicely. In addition to swimming, we enjoy the sun, good books, and later the conversation with two other girls who join us in the shade. They arrive about an hour after us by taxi boat. One of them is Greek and raves about Amorgos again. So our anticipation for this island continues to grow.
The beautiful afternoon passes too quickly and we have to make our way back. For a moment, we hope that the taxi boat can take us back with them, but unfortunately, all passengers must be registered beforehand. So another 1.5 hours in the blazing heat. Because we have both already gotten too much sun, we have to cover our shoulders with a scarf. Despite the effort of climbing, we once again enjoy the view of the impressive cliffs and the beautiful path. Delfini is our oasis, where we can buy water at the kiosk again. Funny enough, we arrive in Kini at the same time as the taxi boat. We are lucky because the bus back to the capital is delayed, so we can still catch it. Back in Ermoupoli, we finally find a vegetarian-vegan bistro in the small alleys again. There is a delicious pita with tomatoes, onions, and herbs, as well as a falafel wrap. Now we are well fortified for the ferry ride to Naxos.

Syros is really a beautiful, small island. We are especially taken with the great, secluded beaches. Truly still a hidden gem in the Cyclades.