Ermoupoli village in Syros

At a glance: East coast of Syros, the island’s capital and main port, around 3.5 kilometres from the airport. A grand 19th century town built almost entirely in neoclassical style, with marble squares, an opera house and the medieval hilltop settlement of Ano Syros rising above it. Best suited to travellers who want genuine architecture and history, alongside easy access to the island’s beaches.

Is Ermoupoli worth visiting

Ermoupoli looks unlike almost anywhere else in the Cyclades, and that is entirely intentional. Rather than the low, whitewashed cube houses found on most islands, its streets are lined with grand neoclassical mansions, marble squares and columned public buildings, a legacy of the wealth Syros generated as one of Greece’s most important 19th century ports. It suits travellers who want a genuinely different kind of Greek island town, with enough architecture, museums and waterfront dining to fill a full day, before heading out to the beaches nearby.

Highlights

• Miaouli Square, the heart of the city, paved with Tinos marble in 1868 and dominated by the neoclassical Town Hall
• The Town Hall itself, designed by Ernst Ziller and completed in the 1890s
• The Apollo Theatre, a miniature version of Milan’s La Scala with a horseshoe shaped auditorium and elaborate frescoed ceiling
• Ano Syros, the medieval hilltop settlement above the town, built by the Venetians with narrow alleys and blue domed churches
• The working harbour itself, still one of the busiest in the Cyclades

A city built by refugees and shipping wealth

Ermoupoli was founded by refugees fleeing the 1821 revolution against Ottoman rule, arriving from islands including Chios, Samos and Kasos as well as cities across Asia Minor, at a time when Syros was under French protection. What began as a refugee settlement grew rapidly into one of the most important commercial and shipping centres in the eastern Mediterranean, by the mid-19th century ranking second only to Athens in size and importance within Greece. That wealth funded the neoclassical architecture that still defines the town today, much of it shaped by prominent European architects including Ernst Ziller, whose work is most visible in the grand Town Hall overlooking Miaouli Square.

Where Ermoupoli is

Getting to Ermoupoli

From the airport: Ermoupoli is about 3.5 kilometres away, around 10 minutes by taxi or car.

Getting around once there: See getting around Syros and Syros taxi for onward travel around the island, and the Syros bus timetable for scheduled services.

Arriving on Syros: For ferry routes and flight options to the island itself, start with how to get to Syros.

Where to eat

Ermoupoli has a wide choice of restaurants along the harbour and through its inner streets, from casual tavernas to more polished dining rooms, generally the best selection of anywhere on the island. It is also worth the short trip up to Ano Syros, where family run tavernas serve traditional food with live music and views back down over the town.

Where to stay

Ermoupoli suits travellers who want to be based in a genuinely grand, historic town with the widest choice of restaurants and services on Syros. For a private villa with a pool elsewhere on the island, see Syros villas with a private pool.

Beaches near Ermoupoli

Azolimnos Beach, the closest option, is around 5 kilometres away. Galissas Beach, the island’s most popular beach, is about 8 kilometres southwest, and Kini Beach, known for its sunset views and seafood tavernas, is around 9 kilometres away.

Best time to visit

Late September brings the Syros International Music Festival, a good reason to time a visit around the Apollo Theatre and the town’s other cultural venues. Spring and autumn more generally offer comfortable temperatures for exploring the neoclassical streets and the climb up to Ano Syros, with noticeably fewer visitors than the height of summer.