Ano Syros

Ano Syros

Ano Syros was the original settlement here, built high on a hill (the western or left-hand of the two hills) in typical "chora" fashion and topped with a kastro as a defence against pirates. The street patterns are typical of other defensive villages found in the Cyclades, with narrow winding streets, passageways and arches that provide both places to hide and places that are easier to defend.

The very top of the hill is crowned by Saint George's Cathedral, which belongs to the catholic faith of the Venetians who originally populated Ano Syros. This is a strong, imposing structure that no doubt doubled as the last line of defence for the village.

As Ermoupoli grew, particularly after the war of independence, it became swallowed up by the city as a whole, but the district has maintened its primarily catholic population.

While all of Ermoupoli is pretty and elegant, Ano Syros still stands out, deriving a real old-world charm from its architectural style, the pretty pastel coloured houses with their ancient wooden doors & windows offering visual treats around every corner.

Undoubtedly the two best things about visiting Ano Syros though are the absolute peace and tranquility of the place and the views you get  from up there. Looking over the rest of Ermoupoli, over the harbour or out into the surrounding countryside it's a fascinating and beautiful view whichever way you look.

Looking over the western end of town

The harbour: Ithaki comes in while Kenteris II is docked.

The barren countryside behind Ano Syros

There are things to see and places to visit within Ano Syros. There's a kafenion or two, a taverna, a couple of museums and several churches and monasteries.

We're not really big on visiting museums, we prefer to be outdoors and admiring architecture and views rather than inside looking at displays of antiquities.

St George's Cathedral

We poked our head inside the cathedral of St George and visited one of the kafenions for a refreshing drink (after the climb up here, you'll be needing one!). It was from the panoramic terrace of the kafenion than many of the photos of Ermoupoli and its harbour were taken.

We didn't count how many steps we had to climb to get to the top, nor did we measure the actual height to the top. All we know is that it's a long, hot climb but one that we managed without too much difficulty, being fit, active people.

It's probably best to go before the sun is at its strongest, and if you're not up to he climb it may be best to take a Taxi. A road does go to the outskirts of the village, though the actual centre is traffic free (and impossible for cars anyway).

We really enjoyed our walk up to Ano Syros and back, and we'll make the journey again next time we go. Somewhere on the climb up is supposed to be a cemetery that contains some British war graves from a troop ship sinking during the war, but we didn't see that anywhere. I guess we walked the wrong route up to the top!