Syros Island

If you are looking to explore authentic Greek island life – come and visit the island of Syros!

Actually, our original itinerary did not include the island of Syros at all, but the weather forecasts were predicting strong gale force winds so we quickly altered our original plans and headed for the nice protected port of Ermoupoli on Syros Island, where we could hide from the winds and heavy seas.

We started our day with a walking tour of the island. During the 19th Century Syros developed an important and powerful port and the island became very wealthy. Today, Greece’s main port is Pireus in Athens, but Syros port is still widely used, and the island is the administrative center of the Cyclades which makes it a very busy and important place. Unlike many of the other islands in the region, it does not live mainly off tourism. Any of the tourists that come to the islands are Greeks themselves which gives it a very authentic feel. Our guides Sophia and Effie took us around the port town and showed us all the highlights, from the beautiful Saint Nickolas Cathedral, the Apollo theatre, the large town square paved with marble and dominated by the town hall, to the small market street where anything from fresh fish and local vegetables to shoes and handbags are sold. Our tour ended at a small shop where we all got to sample “Bougatsa”, a tasty Greek pastry from the northern parts of the country.

After lunch, we had some time to explore more of the town, or simply enjoy a siesta, a good book or one of the films that were being shown on board. Late afternoon, our guides gave a lesson in the Greek language. Linda, our Naturalist, told us all about olive oil, which is very essential to Greeks. She even gave us a chance to sample a few different types. The day ended with our Greek cocktail party, ouzo, octopus, music and a beautiful buffet dinner.

We spent our day visiting beautiful churches, markets, small local shops on the island and trying ouzo, pastries, various olive oils and other Greek specialties. Today has depicted what Greek island life is really like. If you are looking for a taste of the real Greece - come spend a day on Syros!