Shamballa Cruising Yacht Club: Sublime Syros

It was time to leave Mykonos new harbour. A diver came at 8.30 to free our anchor from the tangled floor of the harbour. It all went quite smoothly and we left an hour later and €80 poorer. We told the cheeky diver he should make sure he sends his children to university with all the money he is making from freeing anchors in Mykonos new harbour!

We had an easy 6 hour motor (no wind) to a peaceful anchorage off the village of Foinikas on the southwest of Syros. After the tourist crowds of Mykonos, Syros was an absolute delight. We got the dinghy down and went ashore to stroll through the village. It has several tavernas on the waterfront, a chandlery, supermarkets – what more could a cruiser ask for? I know – an Ouzo mezze while watching Songster swing at anchor. Bliss.

Our view while enjoying an Ouzo mezze

Foinikas village

In the cove near where we anchored was a small boat club. Every day we were treated to the local kids racing their Oppies and Lasers around the buoys just a few metres from our boat.

The next day we rented a scooter to see the island. Our first stop was the main port, Ermoupoli. Ermoupoli is a significant port and rivalled Athens in importance during the 19^th Century. The Venetians ruled the island for 300 years during the middle ages and the waterfront has a distinct Italian feel to it. We could almost believe we were on one of the outer islands of Venice when looking at the Renaissance and Neo-classical buildings around the town.

Town Hall at Ermoupoli

The marble streets looking towards the waterfront

Mansions of the old sea captains in the Vapario area of Ermoupoli

Waterfront mansions

A few historical oddities has made Syros quite a unique island in the Cyclades. Because of the strategic location of Syros as a maritime waypoint, the island was granted special privileges during Ottoman rule. Pragmatically, Syros chose to maintain neutrality during the 1821 Greek War of Independence. It not suffer the massacres experienced on many of the islands and became a haven for refugees fleeing the slaughter in Chios and Psara. Syros also has a strong Roman influence and half the population are Roman Catholic with an equal number of Catholic and Orthodox churches dotting the hillsides.

We went up to Ano Syros the medieval settlement built by the Venetians that overlooks Ermoupoli. It was a delightful rabbit warren of white washed buildings and flagstone pathways and steps.

We had lunch at Lilis Taverna. Fantastic food and views. We tried a salad of wild Greek greens, for which I have developed a taste. We had tried vlita before but this salad had pickled caper plants and purslane along with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and a wonderful fennel dip. It was so nice we ate most of it before I remembered to take a photo.

Our lunchtime view of Ermoupoli

The next day we made a quick dash to the northwest of the island to the seaside village of Kini to check out a recently installed sculpture in memory of all who have lost their lives at sea.