Cafe Delice, Ermoupolis, Syros: Nice Art Cafe on a Lively Island

Actually I find Ermoupolis, the main town of the island of Syros, quite a nice place to visit if you are en route to one of the Cyclades Islands and are looking for a good place to hang out with your friends on weekends, or do some decent fashion or household shoppings. It makes a refreshing change to shop around downtown Ermoupolis, because most of the shops are selling stuffs truly needed by normal people in everyday life, not just some unless fancy souveniors that fills most of the shop spaces in touristic islands such as Santorini or Mykonos. 

Tucked away in a quiet side street in downtown Ermoupolis, I came across this quaint little gallery-internet cafe while looking for a place to rest my feet after a few hours' window shopping in the city centre.

Kini: Sunset in the Cyclades

The island of Syros has a regular municipal inter-village bus service that connects the main town, Ermoupolis, with the various outlying coastal villages of Syros. Although the network only covers half of the island, it is a good and cheap way for travellers who are short of time to explore the island within a few hours. The bus departs from the municipal bus station near the harbour; one round around half of the island would take about one and a half hour.

There are several villages on Syros, both inland and coastal, which are worth a visit. The owner of the guest house in Ermoupolis recommends Kini, as it is the place, she said, 'with the most impressive sunset on the whole Syros'. 

Syros: Capital of the Cyclades

Although it is the capital of the Cyclades Islands, the island of Syros is not as widely known as its more illuminous neighbours of Mykonos and Santorini. Most visitors to either Mykonos or Santorini would have passed by Syros on their way to the islands, but few have bothered to spend a few hours on Syros.

Actually Syros is quite a pretty island, and is a good place for shopping and dining. As I was just arriving just from Ikaria, Samos and Patmos, Syros did not impress me at the first sight, but its attraction lies elsewhere. One does not go to Syros to look for quaint villages or pristine beaches or holistic atmosphere, but for night lifes, shopping and going out with friends. Of all the Greek islands I have visited, Syros has some of the most interesting and lively restaurant scenes. Given that Syros is not a big island, the choices available are actually quite bewildering.