Quick facts
Location: a sheltered bay on the west coast of Syros, about 9 kilometres from Ermoupoli.
Known for: its sunsets, widely considered the best on the island, and the Panagia Gorgona mermaid statue at the harbour.
Character: a working fishing village that has kept its low key, laid back feel despite being one of the island’s more popular spots for an evening out.
Beach: a Blue Flag sandy beach right along the village front, backed by tavernas and beach bars.
Is Kini worth visiting
Kini’s reputation rests on one thing above all else, its sunsets, and it earns that reputation, the light over the bay in the last hour of the day is genuinely some of the best on Syros. It has stayed a real working fishing village throughout, with boats docking daily alongside the tavernas and beach bars, rather than turning into a purely tourist facing strip, which is a large part of what keeps people coming back.
Highlights
The Panagia Gorgona monument, a fountain and statue at the harbour by the Athens based sculptor Giorgos Xenoulis, depicting a mermaid and a drowning sailor. It commemorates a local legend in which a mermaid saved a fisherman who had fallen from his boat in Kini’s bay, and it is particularly striking in the golden hour light before sunset.
Kini beach itself, Blue Flag certified for water quality, with fine, light coloured sand that stays uncrowded even in season, backed directly by the village’s tavernas and beach bars.
Agia Varvara Monastery, a nineteenth century building above the village with handcrafted religious artwork and traditional woven textiles on display.
The Church of the Assumption, on a hilltop above Kini, the focus of the village’s Assumption celebrations on 15 August.
A small maritime museum near the harbour, displaying fishing vessels, tools and marine specimens, said to be unique in the Cyclades.
Getting there
Kini is about 9 kilometres from Ermoupoli, Syros’s capital and main port, reachable by rental car, scooter, taxi or bus. See getting around Syros, Syros taxi and the Syros bus timetable. For routes onto the island, see how to get to Syros.
Map
Where to eat
Kini’s harbourfront tavernas lean into fresh, local seafood, with caper salad, marathopita (fennel pie) and athirinopita (smelt pie) among the specialities worth looking out for. Allou Yialou is a long running local favourite among the harbourside spots.
Where to stay
Kini has a small but growing choice of hotels and studios, mostly close to the beach and harbour, a good option for anyone who wants to prioritise sunsets and a quieter evening scene over Ermoupoli’s larger choice of restaurants and nightlife.
Best time to visit
May, June and September give warm, swimmable water with a noticeably quieter beach and harbour than midsummer. July and August are Kini’s busiest months, particularly in the evenings around sunset, when the harbour fills up with people arriving specifically for the view.
Back to the Syros island guide. See also our best villages in Syros guide.
