Syros has a population of approximately 20 thousand Greek Orthodox as well as Catholic people. Hermoupolis, its capital city, is known as “The Lady of the Aegean Sea”. Built amphitheatrically on the hills embracing its port, Hermoupolis will instantly take your breath away with its imposing architectural gems: in all likelihood, it is the only classic city left in Greece. Hermoupolis was born and created within the blaze of the greek revolution in 1821 by refugees to save their lives from the Turkish massacre. Its architecture bears witness to the island’s history and, starting in ancient times, continues to the present. It masterfully combines the old with the new, the classical with the modern.
The medieval settlement of Ano Syros, perched on the highest hill above the port, crowned by the church of St. George, the catholic cathedral, on its peak, in unchanged in time. The whole town is a sight for its aegean sea architecture with the narrow roads, low houses and countless steps.
Syros’s mountainous northern part is called “Apano Meria”, while the southern part’s flatlands host the majority of the island’s settlements, villages, and beaches. Picturesque and serene, Apano Meria is ideal for exploration: its roads and paths may well be few and far between but they lead curious wanderers to the island’s pristine, hard-to-reach beaches through a stunning rocky landscape dotted with caves and small bridges. In contrast, the island’s southern part is ideal for driving: its paved roads link the villages to one another as well as to Hermoupolis. Its settlements feature a sound, well-developed tourism infrastructure with hotels with modern facilities and beaches offering all amenities.