Síros

Síros is an unusual island. It’s the administrative center for the Cyclades and has the largest population of any of the islands with about 20,000 inhabitants, yet it is also one the smallest islands in the group and nowhere near as well known to foreign visitors as, say, its near neighbor, Mykonos. Despite its large population, the majority of whom live in Ermoúpoli, which is both the capital of Síros and of the Cyclades, it’s a fairly quiet island and visitors who do venture there are guaranteed to find a slice of that much-sought experience, the "real Greece." Ermoúpoli has a couple of enjoyable little museums, and many old churches, one ...

Síros is an unusual island. It’s the administrative center for the Cyclades and has the largest population of any of the islands with about 20,000 inhabitants, yet it is also one the smallest islands in the group and nowhere near as well known to foreign visitors as, say, its near neighbor, Mykonos. Despite its large population, the majority of whom live in Ermoúpoli, which is both the capital of Síros and of the Cyclades, it’s a fairly quiet island and visitors who do venture there are guaranteed to find a slice of that much-sought experience, the "real Greece." Ermoúpoli has a couple of enjoyable little museums, and many old churches, one of them – the church of Kimissis – containing a work by El Greco. Around the island are also some great beaches and several other towns and villages worth a visit, including Siros’s second town, Áno Sýros, and the little resort of Galissas. There’s also a mountainous region in the north of the island known as Áno Meriá, which is great for hiking.

About the Expert

Mike Gerrard is the author of the National Geographic Traveler Guide to Greece, as well as guides to Athens, Crete, Corfu, the Greek Mainland, and the Greek islands for publishers including AA, AAA, Thomas Cook, Dorling Kindersley, Michelin, and New Holland. With his wife Donna Dailey, he also publishes the Greece Travel Secrets website.