Kampos Region

Kampos is a Greek word for a plain or fertile lowland, and the Kampos Region of Syros is generally discussed together with the town below the old hill settlement. The town is Ermoupoli, the capital of the Cyclades, and its story is one of sudden growth. During the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, refugees from Chios, Psara, Kasos in the Dodecanese and western Asia Minor arrived on the island, which stayed neutral under French protection, and they founded a new port town at the foot of the Venetian-era hill town, Ano Syros. Within a few decades it had become one of the busiest ports in Greece, with shipyards, factories and merchant houses.

The area between the harbour and the old town climbs in terraces. Streets in the lower town are lined with neoclassical houses in ochre, pink and pale grey, and steep stairways connect one level to the next, with the rooftops and the Aegean Sea opening up as you climb. In many places, the stone steps have iron railings, and houses have shuttered windows and balconies. The mix of mansions, workshops and small shops is typical of a place that grew as a working town.

Ermoupoli feels more like a real city than other island capitals, and it has a population that lives there all year, not only in summer. A campus of the University of the Aegean brings students, and the cafes, bookshops and bars keep a steady local rhythm. Unlike Mykonos or Santorini, the town is not arranged around tourism, and that gives it a relaxed, authentic atmosphere that many travellers find refreshing. The island also has a large Catholic community, most of whom live in and around Ano Syros, a legacy of the Venetian and Latin period, and Catholic and Orthodox churches stand within sight of each other.

A good way to explore is to start at the harbour and walk up through the streets toward Ano Syros. The climb takes some effort, but it gives views over the town and the sea, and cafes along the way provide places to rest. Evenings are lively, with locals filling the squares and tavernas.

Wear comfortable shoes, since the lanes and steps are uneven, and allow two or three hours for a walk through the lower town. The streets are open at all times, though shops close in the afternoon. Syros is reached by ferry from Piraeus, and the town is easy to cover on foot.