We sprinkle handfuls of fragrant rose petals over the white linen tablecloth, Kostas adding a stalk or two of savoury scented oregano here and there. The shade from the pergola above dapples the tablescape of aromatic flora and linen napkins as a rosé, made a handful of miles away, is sloshed enthusiastically into glinting glasses. As we sip, we turn to look at green-gold grapevines backdropped by the Mediterranean sea, far below our hilltop. The faint sizzle of roasting pork dances over from a barbecue facing the elements, as huge bowls of salads and hunks of salted, chargrilled vegetables – juicy beetroot, celeriac – are uncovered. This, my friends, was described as “a picnic”.
It was dubbed thus by our hosts at Hotel Aristide, a new boutique hideaway of just nine suites on the underrated, under-the-radar Greek island of Syros. As we were some of the first guests through the door, they had offered our party a tour of the hotel’s kitchen farm followed by “a picnic” – an offer that never could have conjured the idyllic, white-clothed, rose-scented banquet that awaited.
This is Aristide’s selling point. Run by a family of women – two sisters and their mother – it’s a passion project that was inspired when one sister, author Oana Aristide, spotted a beautiful but crumbling neoclassical mansion on the waterfront above Ermoupoli, the main port of Syros. It’s a natural interiors-magazine darling, but with a real heart, and a focus on things being local and sustainable. I had checked in expecting luscious decor, swanky catering and expert cocktails – which I got in spades – but quickly discovered the hotel’s real USP: hooking up its guests with unique, low-key encounters with the island’s residents.
Our hilltop feast had been prepared by Kostas Prekas, a foodie entrepreneur with a beautiful garden in San Michalis and a locally loved deli on Ermoupoli’s seafront, along with Aristide’s chef, Petros Braikidis. We tasted wines from the island itself as well as elsewhere in Greece – Santorini and outside Athens – sheep’s cheese from local meadows, and herbs and vegetables nourished by nearby soil.
Two thirds into this feast, I couldn’t understand why Syros wasn’t more visible in the brochures, vision boards and Instagram feeds of Greek island fans. The “Cinderella of the Cyclades” is oft skipped over by island-hoppers and destination holidaymakers alike. I’d been to most of the top 10 Greek holiday destinations, but had never considered it. There are some reasons for this: its neighbours, Mykonos and Santorini, are world famous, with highly developed luxury hotel and party scenes that draw Greece lovers from around the globe. If you’re going that way, it’s likely you’re going there.
But Syros is only a half-hour ferry ride away from Mykonos, fed by several UK flights a day – it’s also connected to Athens’ Piraeus port by ferry (taking between two and four hours, depending on the service). It’s also a natural island-hopping choice. Squeezed between its hedonistic beach-hol sisters, it has a particularly picturesque port, Ermoupoli, tumbling down the hillside to a broad natural harbour that made this speck a centre of international trade in the mid-19th century.
The money from that trade gave the island’s port a ravishing neoclassical makeover that remains beautiful, if faded, today. As you stroll around Ermoupoli, peeling, pastel-shuttered villas in ice-cream pink, dove grey and pistachio green cry out for you to adopt them. Many moneyed visitors have been snapping up waterfront homes here in recent years, restoring them to their former glory and preserving their unique period character.
Set over two hills – the “Catholic hill” and the “Orthodox hill” – Ermoupoli is a real delight to potter around. In the breezy warmth of early May, I trail my sunhat and a beach towel down the bleached concrete steps, past the candy-coloured, blue-domed Orthodox cathedral (as neatly “iced” as a fondant fancy) and past overgrown pines and fluttering laundry, to the sea.
There’s no beach to speak of here, but there is a selection of flat stretches of waterfront on the rocks, where locals plunge in for bracing, life-lengthening daily swims. I yelp as I join them – no, the Mediterranean has not warmed up at this point in the year – but soon find myself cooled to the core, weaving a gentle breaststroke beneath pastel Lego-stacks of sleepy villas and Venetian architecture above. With no sandy beaches here, the water is a clear, glimmering jade – you can see any hazards or sea urchins before you leap in.
Back at base, I wallow in luxury at Aristide. Smart and subtle on the outside, it’s the interiors here that put on a show: huge slabs of Greek marble (each room is named after a different type), freestanding, eggshell-smooth bathtubs, six-foot potted ferns and striking contemporary art at every turn. The best bit is sitting in the tree-shaded garden, where a waterfall trickles a tune down one wall as you peruse a breakfast menu of tart yoghurt, thyme honey, fresh fruit and more unusual Cyclades specialities – omelettes studded with fennel sausage, say, or the crispy mini-pancakes tiganites.
As we quickly find on jaunts to smaller bays and pretty villages, Syros is somewhere that sings off-season. Early spring, late autumn – not only are its unspoiled hills and walking trails to tiny villages and remote churches better in a cooler climate, Ermoupoli has a bit of life year round. It’s not a purely seasonal island, where workers and business owners decamp back to Athens or Thessaloniki like clockwork come October.
Coming in a cooler month, you can pick up tips on hiking routes from hosts such as Oana and family, or pour money into the local economy with a taxi or boat ride around the island. We travel to the sleepy bay of Kini, backed by a handful of charming waterfront tavernas, to hitch a ride with Syros Adventures.
Skimming around the northwest coast of the island, past ancient piles of rock and miles of unspoiled coastline, captain Nikos and guide Yannis are visibly delighted to have guests to show around. Following two summers of limited pandemic tourism from outside the country, it feels like time to party, as evidenced by the full-sized bottles of ouzo and Syros wine produced as if from nowhere. They show us secret bays only accessed on foot or by a quick swim from a boat: Marmari, Grammata, Megas Lakkos, simple coves with no sign of a sun lounger or beach bar, just nature and the sea. As the ouzo drains, the myths and legends spun by Yannis become ever more colourful.
Meanwhile, there are even local foodie encounters to soak up those holiday bevvies. The Aristide team hooks us up with a cooking class with Elisa Mavropoulou. We assume we’re headed for a glossy test kitchen, but instead find ourselves stirring and slicing in Elisa’s home under a head-spinning array of spice pots and dried herbs.
Hailing from the north of Greece, Elisa teaches us the secrets of proper taramasalata (no, it should not be candyfloss pink); how grilled octopus is best served with cold cooked potatoes, olives, tomatoes and sea-salty samphire; the beauty of a simple parsely and garlic salad; and about the life-prolonging magic of the mountain greens found here on Syros. It feels as much storytelling workshop and cultural exchange as a good old-fashioned cook-along.
Back at base, we toast a packed island adventure with a multi-course, gourmet meal by chef Petros, served on the glamorous rooftop at Aristide. We recline in thick-cushioned chairs in the island breeze, with plenty to gaze out over, high above the twinkling, ever-busy port.
Just that day I’d learnt about how one of my favourite ingredients, capers, are grown – seeing them emerging from the island’s rock face, flat leaves open to the sun, naturally salty as the ocean. Within hours, I’m enjoying these native buds in cocktail form, skewered on a cocktail stick in a gin, sherry, italicus and brine creation that blows every dirty martini I’ve had previously out of the water. I’d never thought about how they grew, but then I’d never thought much about the curiosities of the Cyclades beyond Santorini. Both delicious, it seems – and rather unexpected.
Travel essentials
Getting there
Trying to fly less?
It’s possible to travel to Athens from the UK by train and ferry. Catch trains to Bari, Italy, via Paris and Milan, and catch a ferry to Patras from there before taking a bus or train on to Athens. Alternatively, make the same journey hopping on the ferry at Venice instead.
From there, Syros is accessible from Athens’ Piraeus port by ferry.
Fine with flying?
British Airways, easyJet and Wizz Air all fly UK-Mykonos, from where you can catch a fast ferry to Syros.
Staying there
A stay at Hotel Aristide costs from €240 (£206) per night, including breakfast and return transfers in Syros. Excursions booked through the hotel cost from €35 per person.
