The beautiful little island popular with retirees where it’s 21°C in October

With more than 200 inhabited islands scattered across Greece, it’s surprising that most visitors only explore the big names like Santorini, Mykonos, and Corfu, when there are so many others to discover.

One smaller yet stunning island, with its clear blue waters and charming towns, has managed to stay a hidden gem despite being only a 30-minute ferry trip from the lively party island of Mykonos.

This hidden gem covers just 32 square miles and is part of the Cyclades group, which also includes Santorini and Naxos.

It sits around 78 nautical miles southeast of Athens, making it perfect for travellers keen on a bit of island hopping.

Older visitors in particular love Syros for its peaceful atmosphere, elegant charm, and strong sense of community, along with its mix of Venetian and Greek influences.

Home to around 20,000 people, Syros offers everything from sandy beaches and cultural festivals to art exhibitions and music events across its pretty villages.

The island’s main towns are Ermoupoli, the capital of both Syros and the entire Cyclades, along with Ano Syros and Vari. Once one of Greece’s most important port cities,

Ermoupoli even rivalled Piraeus in significance. The town is built on a hillside overlooking the harbour, with neoclassical mansions, elegant old homes and whitewashed buildings stacked like steps.

Known as the “City of Hermes,” Syros is dotted with churches, including Metamorphosis, Koimisis, St Demetrius, Three Hierarchs, Anastasis, Evangelistria and St Nicolas.

Ano Syros, the island’s second main town, was founded in the 13th century on the northwest side of Ermoupoli. Its narrow lanes are lined with colourful houses and marble steps that lead to the top of the hill.

From the Catholic cathedral of Saint George, visitors can enjoy sweeping views across Syros and over to nearby islands such as Mykonos, Paros, Delos and Tinos.

Syros is also known for its delicious local food. Across the island, visitors can try traditional Greek dishes such as Kaparosalata (a caper salad), Maidanosalata (parsley salad), fried tomato balls known as tomatokeftedes, and pastelaria, a sweet treat made with dried figs.

Discover more hidden gems with our interactive map!

Did you know we have a Hidden Gem Finder on our website? This handy little map shows over 12,000 hidden gems across the entire world with their exact co-ordinates available to view on Google Maps as well as an image/description for each one!

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