16 Best Sights in The Cyclades, Greece

Considered one of Syros's most beautiful beaches, Agathopes gets packed in peak season due to its shallow waters and fine sand. If you're there at the right time, you'll find a unique small islet where white sea lilies blossom. The sea view is also dotted with the uninhabited islands called Schinonissi and Stroggilo. Beachgoers can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas, and there's a local taverna within walking distance. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Built in 1864 as a small-scale version of Milan’s La Scala, the Apollo Theater is another example of Syros's wealth. Severely damaged during WWII, the theater was finally restored and reopened in 2000. Today, operas and other cultural events fill the summer schedule, including the world famous Festival of the Aegean, which takes place every July.

Syros's Archaeological Museum is located on the left side of the town hall. The small space features artifacts from the island’s rich history. The collection stretches back to the Neolithic era and includes artifacts taken from the prehistoric acropolis at Kastri to the north. Particularly illustrious are the Early Cycladic objects from Chalandriani (just south of Kastri), which indicate an advanced culture in the 3rd millennium BC. The museum, while not extensive, is one of the oldest in Greece.

As one of the closest organized beaches to Ermoupoli, Azolimnos attracts its share of crowds in the height of summer. The coast is a mixture of small rocks and sand with a picturesque little dock that juts out into the bay. Tamarisk trees offer natural shade, and lounge chairs and umbrellas are available for rent. The small road set in the background is lined with various options for food, coffee, drinks, and supplies. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Sheltered by the summer island winds, Finikas Beach is the perfect spot for those seeking a calm beach day southwest of Ermoupoli. Boasting the island's second largest port, yachts often dock here and there's typically a picturesque scene of fishing boats bobbing on the calm waters. Tamarisk trees dot the beach providing natural shade, although beach umbrella and chair rentals are available during peak season. There are plenty of eateries to choose from as well. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Competing with Kini for the most magical sunset, the long curve of sand and clear coastline of water at Galissas is a local favorite. It's also won the coveted EU Blue Flag award for being one of the cleanest in Europe. As one of the island's largest beaches, it's well organized with beach umbrella and chair rentals available in peak season. When the island winds roar, windsurfers show up. There's a separate area for nudists. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: nudists; swimming; windsurfing.

Suitably housed in refurbished factories that helped establish the island's wealth and industrial supremacy in the 19th century, the Industrial Museum walks you through the commercial district's rise and fall. The three buildings once belonged to Katsimantis Paint, the Aneroussis Lead Factory, and the Kornilakis Tannery. A tour gives insight into how employees worked, who they worked for, and how their collective skills made Syros a bustling harbor and key European trading zone, all contributing to the island's prosperity and influence on Greece as a fledgling nation. Vintage photographs, various tools, and an exhibit of two-dozen large machines that were used until the mid-20th century also give insight into a thriving industrial center that once was.

If you're looking for the best sunset on the island, head where the locals head—Kini. The beach, long and sandy, features a little picturesque port that's flanked by a line of shady trees and the lovely little whitewashed village it gets its name from. It's big enough to accommodate all beach-going types including families, strolling couples, and water-sports lovers. The selection of taverns, restaurants, and cafés are plentiful and if you need a beach umbrella and chair rental, show up early during peak season. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; sunset; walking.

Small, quiet, and secluded, this sand-and-pebble beach is flanked by shady tamarisk trees. There are no amenities here, but it's within walking distance of the well-organized and popular Kini beach and Kini Village where everything can be found. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude.

One of the largest beaches on Syros, Megas Yialos is also one of the most frequented and organized. Located on the island's southeast corner, the beach is known for its transparent waters and fine sand. The village is populated with room rentals and small hotels as well as restaurants and beach cafés. Some large shady trees dot the beach, but in peak season chairs and umbrellas are for rent. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Like the Municipal Palace behind it, this expansive palm-ringed marble square was designed by famed Bavarian architect Ernst Ziller and includes a grand statue of revolutionary war hero Admiral Andreas Miaoúlis. Families and couples fill the length of marbled pavement on summer evenings for their evening volta or walk as skateboarding children skid around them. The island's other architectural landmark, the Apollo Theater, is a short walk away.

The Municipal Palace, also known as the Town Hall, was built in 1876 by Ernst Ziller whose credits include Athens’s famous Grande Bretagne hotel and the nearby Miaoúli Square. The building is an impeccably maintained neoclassical landmark of Ermoupoli. During working hours, you can stroll in and take in the elegantly designed marble rooms. Local town officials still hold meetings here in the presence of grand oil paintings of King George I and Queen Olga. The building also houses the municipal courts, which deal with legal cases from all the Cycladic islands, since Syros is the administrative capital. A traditional marble floor café, popular with the locals, is situated in the center, surrounded by high marble balconies.

This beach may have two names, but its known for one thing: being pretty. Located in the southwest part of Syros, it features smooth, yellow sand with scatterings of small pebbles. It shares the same views of Schinonissi and Stroggilo (the two small uninhabited islands) as neighboring Agathopes beach. Small boats and yachts often park here adding to the quaint views. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Beautiful and picturesque, Aghios Stefanos is a tiny chapel built into a cave right above the sea. A 15-minute walk from Galissas with views to Finikas and beyond, it was built by a fisherman who prayed to the saint to help him after being entangled in the tentacles of a giant octopus. Twice a year—August 19th and December 26th—celebrations are held and after the liturgy attendees are offered loukoumi, the local sweet.

One of Greece’s most prestigious rembetika (urban Greek folk music) artists, Markos Vamvakaris hails from Syros, making this a fitting location for a museum in his honor. The composer is a legend in Greek folklore music hailing from the 1930s and is widely known for his rembetika songs, especially the Frangosyriani. In the little museum you’ll see many of his personal items, vintage photographs, and a passport he never managed to use, all donated by his family.

The small beach's fine sand is protected from the sometimes harsh summer Cycladic winds, making its calm water a favorite with local families. Considered an organized beach, beach chair and umbrella rentals are available, and a street lined with tavernas and cafés is within walking distance for any visitors that need a good meal after a day of beach lounging. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: sunsets; swimming.