The first town! Small, picturesque medieval township. It is stretched out on the central and highest hill of the island, crowned by the church of St. George, the Catholic bishopric. The establishment and continued life of this town are closely tied to the period of Latin domination in Greece.
In 1207, after the Crusaders occupied Constantinople, the Venetian Marko Sanudo occupied most of the Cyclades, including Syros, in the name of the Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo, establishing the famous Duchy of Naxos.
The first Venetian town was built on the highest hill, near the natural harbour of the island. High walls surrounded the town, because in those days the Aegean was infested with pirates. It was inhabited by a solid Catholic population.
It is well worth visiting this pretty town today, where every old house and every church is a 700 year old monument. It is a town without noise and exhaust fumes, with narrow streets that have no cars, serving only the people.
Clean beaches with azure waters spring to life every summer. Quiet corners on the wild rocks.
Visitors enjoy all the sea sports and partake of seafood delicacies at small tavernas. Syros natives are proud of their delicious "loukoumia", their cheeses and their home grown vegetables.
Syros, like most of the Cyclades islands, emerges from the sea in the form of bare and precipitous rocks. Even her original name "Sour" or "Osoura" means rocky. Homer in The Odyssey refers to her as "Syrie".
Odysseus, swineherd Evmaios, the first man that the Homeric hero met when he returned to his homeland, originated from Syros. One of the most important civilizations in the world, the Cycladic civilization, was born in the third millennium B.C. in Syros, the rocky island of 85 sq. km. International experts named it "Civilization KEROS - SYROS".
The excavations of 1898 in Chalandriani brought to light the prehistoric acropolis and a collection of ancient tombs with rich and elaborate gems. Many of those are housed now in the city's Museum.
Kini, Delfini, Barbarousa, Aetos, Lia Grammata
Kini a picturesque fishing village with enchanting sunsets.
It is the ideal choice for a family holiday. The nuns and the young girls from the orphanage at St. Barbara’s Convent use looms to weave unique traditional materials. These goods are on sale to the public.
Galissas
The cosmopolitan tourist village of Syros with the largest sandy beach which comes alive with locals and visitors in a picturesque setting.
Finikas
Finikas has a beautiful sandy tree lined beach, with plenty of space to park.
There are facilities for sea - sports and beach games, and it is the perfect place to rest and relax, or to enjoy delightful walks along the picturesque shore.
Possidonia
Once selected by the rich as the place for a country house, many neoclassical mansions were built and have been preserved. The visitor to Possidonia may visit them. The beaches at Agathopes, Komito and Abela are clean for bathers.
Vari
A traditionally agricultural village with greenhouses, it maintains its inland image, while the beaches of Mega Gialos, Achladi, Vari, Fabrika and Santorinous are growing tourist concerns.
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