Greece - Korina Miller [300]
At Porto, 6km east of Hora, there’s a pleasant, uncrowded beach facing Mykonos, while about a kilometre further on is the even lovelier Pahia Ammos Beach.
Kionia, 3km northwest of Hora, has several small beaches. Near the largest are the scant remains of the 4th-century-BC Sanctuary of Poseidon & Amphitrite, a once enormous complex that drew pilgrims in much the same way as the present Church of Panagia Evangelistria does today.
About 12km north of Hora on the north coast is Kolymvythra Bay, where there are two sandy beaches, the smaller with sun loungers, umbrellas and a seasonal cafe; the larger backed by reed beds.
On the north coast, 28km northwest of Hora, is the seaside village of Panormos, from where the distinctive green marble, quarried in nearby Marlas, was once exported. The waterfront at Panormos is lined with tavernas.
Pyrgos, on the way to Panormos, is a handsome village where even the cemetery is a feast of carved marble. Many of the houses have attractive fanlights. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Pyrgos was the centre of a remarkable tradition of sculpture sustained by the supply of excellent local marble.
Just across the road from the car park at the entrance to Pyrgos is the Museum House of Yannoulis Halepas (adult/child €5/2.50; 10.30am-2.30pm & 5-8pm Apr–mid-Oct). It’s a fascinating place, where the sculptor’s humble rooms and workshop, with their striated plaster walls and slate floors, have been preserved. An adjoining gallery has splendid examples of the work of local sculptors. Outstanding are Girl on a Rock by Georgios Vamvakis; Hamlet by Loukas Doukas; and a copy of the superb Fisherman sculpture by Dimitrios Filippolis.
About 6km directly north of Hora is the tiny village of Volax, a scribble of white houses at the heart of an amphitheatre of low hills studded with thousands of dark-coloured boulders. Behind the doorways, Volax really is old Greece. There’s a small folklore museum (ask at the nearest house for the key), an attractive Catholic chapel and a small outdoor theatre. There are a couple of tavernas, including the recommended Rokos ( 22830 41989; mains €6-9), serving reliable Greek favourites.
The ruins of the Venetian fortress of Exobourgo lie 2km south of Volax, on top of a mighty 640m rock outcrop.
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SYROS ΣΥΡΟΣ
pop 20,220
Syros is an authentic merging of traditional and modern Greece. It is one of the smallest islands of the Cyclades (its outline bears a quirky resemblance to the British mainland), yet it has the highest population and is the legal and administrative centre of the entire archipelago; the ferry hub of the northern islands; and home to Ermoupolis, the largest and handsomest of all Cycladic towns. If you break the lightest of laws anywhere in the Cyclades, you may end up at court in Syros. Go under your own steam instead and discover one of the most endearing islands in the Aegean, with several attractive beaches, great eating options and the best of everyday Greek life.
History
Excavations of an Early Cycladic fortified settlement and burial ground at Kastri in the island’s northeast date from the Neolithic period (2800–2300 BC).
During the medieval period Syros had an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population. Capuchin monks and Jesuits settled on the island during the 17th and 18th centuries, and such was the Catholic influence that France was called upon by Syros to help it during Turkish rule. Later Turkish influence was benevolent and minimal and Syros busied itself with shipping and commerce.
During the War of Independence thousands of refugees from islands ravaged by the Turks fled to Syros. They brought with them an infusion of Greek Orthodoxy and a fresh commercial drive that made Syros the commercial, naval and cultural centre of Greece during the 19th century. This position was lost to Piraeus in the 20th century. The island’s industrial mainstay of shipbuilding has declined, but Syros still has textile manufacturing, a thriving horticultural sector, a sizable administrative